Day 34

Thoughts: Are You Getting Enough Alkaline Foods in Your Diet? 'Your health depends on an alkaline environment, created by eating foods such as tomatoes, avocados and green vegetables...striking the optimum 80/20 balance and regulating your body's acid/alkaline chemistry through simple changes in diet can result in weight loss, increased stamina and strength,a stronger immune system and a greater sense of wellbeing.' Dr Robert O. Young, Pioneering scientist and author of The pH Miracle.

How did we become so out of balance?
After years of societal changes, millions of dollars of marketing spend and technological advances we, as a race, are now facing more dietary based health challenges than ever before. It is no coincidence that the rapidly growing numbers of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes correlate almost exactly with the rise in consumption of acid forming foods such as sugars, saturated fats, and white breads. At the same time our consumption of fresh vegetables and essential fatty acids has decreased dramatically, making way for convenience and a generation hooked on sugary treats.

Becoming Alkaline
This is not as difficult or as technical as it sounds. When we talk about eating alkaline foods or starting an alkaline diet we are referring to consuming those foods and drink which have an alkaline effect on the body. This effect is based upon the mineral content of the food and therefore the ash residue that remains after our foods are consumed. Some foods leave an acid ash, whereas others leave an alkaline ash. Conveniently for us, it just so happens that the foods that contain alkaline minerals (and leave an alkaline ash) are all the foods we already know are good for us: low sugar foods, fresh vegetables etc. And the foods that contain minerals that leave an acid ash? You guessed it, sweets, alcohol, saturated fats, meats, dairy etc.

Of course, everybody is different - but most of us should aim to eat 70-80% alkaline foods and a maximum of 20-30% acid forming foods.

This does not have to be measured in calories, grams or anything technical, just look at your plate! Is 70% of the food on it alkalising? And for the other 30%? You can do with this what you like (how acid is up to you - dependent upon the results you want), but feel free to go for some oily fish, wholemeal pasta or wild rice for example.

ALKALINE FOODS:
Vegetables
Asparagus
Artichokes
Cabbage
Lettuce
Onion
Cauliflower
Radish
Swede
Lambs Lettuce
Peas
Courgette
Red Cabbage
Leeks
Watercress
Spinach
Turnip
Chives
Carrot
Green Beans
Beetroot
Garlic
Celery
Grasses (wheat, straw, barley, dog, kamut etc.)
Cucumber
Broccoli
Kale
Brussels Sprouts

Fruits
Lemon
Lime
Avocado
Tomato
Grapefruit
Watermelon (is neutral)
Rhubarb

Drinks
'Green Drinks'
Fresh vegetable juice
Pure water (distilled or ionised)
Lemon water (pure water + fresh lemon or lime).
Herbal Tea
Vegetable broth
Almond Milk

Seeds, Nuts & Grains
Almonds
Pumpkin
Sunflower
Sesame
Flax
Buckwheat Groats
Spelt
Lentils
Cumin Seeds
Any sprouted seed

Fats & Oils
Flax
Hemp
Avocado
Olive
Evening Primrose
Borage
Coconut Oil
Oil Blends (such as Udo's Choice)

Others
Sprouts (soy, alfalfa, mung bean, wheat, little radish , chickpea, broccoli etc)
Bragg Liquid Aminos (Soy Sauce Alternative)
Hummus
Tahini

General Guidance:
Stick to salads, fresh vegetables and healthy nuts and oils. Try to consume plenty of raw foods and at least 2-3 litres of clean, pure water daily (ideally enhanced with pH drops).

ACIDIC FOODS:
Meats
Pork
Lamb
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Crustaceans
Other Seafood (apart from occasional oily fish such as salmon)

Dairy Products
Milk
Eggs
Cheese
Cream
Yogurt
Ice Cream

Others
Vinegar
White Pasta
White Bread
Wholemeal Bread
Biscuits
Soy Sauce
Tamari
Condiments (Tomato Sauce, Mayonnaise etc.)
Artificial Sweeteners
Honey
Drinks
Fizzy Drinks
Coffee
Tea
Beers
Spirits
Fruit Juice
Dairy Smoothies
Milk
Traditional

Convenience Foods
Sweets
Chocolate
Microwave Meals
Tinned Foods
Powdered Soups
Instant Meals
Fast Food

Fats & Oils
Saturated Fats
Hydrogenated Oils
Margarine (worse than Butter)
Corn Oil
Vegetable Oil
Sunflower Oil

Fruits
All fruits aside from those listed in the alkaline column.
Seeds & Nuts
Peanuts
Cashew Nuts
Pistachio Nuts

General Guidance:
Steer clear of fatty meats, dairy, cheese, sweets, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. Packaged foods are often full of hidden offenders and microwave meals are full of sugars and salts. Over cooking also removes all of the nutrition from a meal!

How Alkaline Are YOU?
You can test your acidity/alkaline level by going to a naturopath or health food store and buy some strips that you put under your tongue, they will appear different shades of green/yellow depending on your level. :)

http://www.energiseforlife.com/list_of_alkaline_foods.php

Challenges: My great friend JD told me about his "diet/lifestyle", he is eating raw foods. It's amazing his dedication to his health and vitality, and it seems like it's on a-whole-nother level (is that a word?!). So I was challenged with that, I was like whoooohoooo there is so much more about health and food and nutrion I am yet to find out. Both exciting and challenging, as I know I will be giving up some foods. JD mentioned rice how it is a trapped grain, so to release it's nutrtion and to digest it properly we need to soak the rice in water first for it to sprout. JD is like the health godness, and when I get back India I will interview him and write a blog about him and his health! Wooo wooo!

Triumphs: Another day on the Earth Diet! woooo woooo! Day 34!

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Beetroot, carrot, ginger and celery juice. Goji berries, macadamias, and walnuts.

Lunch: a pear, chocolate balls, macadamia nuts, goji berries and walnuts.

Dinner: My awesome friend Steph made us dinner...woooo! All inside the Earth Diet...

Dessert: Chocolate ball.

Snacks: a boiled egg and a green apple.

Recipe:
1. Free range organic chicken breast
2. honey
3. rosemary
4. olive oil
5. juice from a lemon
6. brown rice
7. broccoli
8. bokchui
9. fresh basil
10. zuchinni
11. Carrot

Directions:
1. Cook chicken breast in olive oil with honey and rosemary.
2. Stir fry the raw vegetables in with the chicken.
3. Cook the brown rice.
4. serve

Exercise: cartwhees and a fully self expressed run on the beach at Surfer's Paradise

332 days to go!!!