I have written extensively about the benefits of superfoods, herbs, spices and oils especially in my book “Healing Foods Healthy Foods”. In the search for health, more and more people are turning their focus to dietary modification to help themselves to achieve new and positive health milestones. While the effectiveness of some diet changes can vary from person to person, it’s very clear that there are a wide variety of benefits that can be gained from adjusting your diet. One of the easier dietary adjustment that can be made, is to simply incorporate more alkaline foods and superfoods into your diet. These amazing foods can improve health for a range of important systems.
What Are Alkaline Foods?
Alkaline foods are those that have a pH above 7 or can lower acidity in the body. The majority of these types of foods have an excellent impact on the body and tend to contain many of the vitamins and minerals that we rely on to fight disease and promote healing. Though the body has a somewhat narrow pH window in which it must remain to stay alive, and many things about the relationship between acid and alkaline sources are not completely understood – find out more about acid vs alkaline here, it is clear that many of these foods have health benefits that everyone can enjoy. The following will be a list of foods that fall into the alkaline category.
Hummus
This wonderful snack food is made from ground chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic – I personally give it more of a kick by adding some spices such as cumin and a little chili powder, see my recipe here. It has a number of awesome trace minerals, is high in protein, and is full of healthy fats that promote heart health. It can be flavored in a variety of ways, and comes with the added bonus that they can lower your cholesterol, and contain natural chemicals that can help fight cancer causing damage.
Papaya
Papaya is a tropical fruit. This fruit is widely known for its ability to aid in calming the stomach and reducing the production of stomach acids. This can help to massively improve digestion. It’s full of vitamins B, and C and is heavily antioxidant, which fights free radicals that cause cancer.
Hemp Oil
This oil is very rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. This makes it great at fighting the free radicals that cause cancer. It is often associated with slowing the effects of aging of the skin, combats signs of oxidative stress, and is high in protein. It is also a high in both omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids which are essential.
Avocado
Avocado is among the most popular for use as a condiment, topping, or filling. One thing few people know is that they are higher in potassium than the average banana. They are also high in fiber, and can help to lower your cholesterol. They contain massive amounts of vitamins and minerals that help to nourish the body as well.
Lettuce
Along with its alkalinity, lettuce provides a lot of the important trace minerals. These include phosphorous, calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, zinc, magnesium, and the vitamins vitamin B6, vitamin K, riboflavin, niacin, folate, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. Studies have also fund that lettuce contains chemicals that help to improve mood, and can help to regulate anxiety.
Carrot
A high fiber vegetable, carrot is well known for its starchy fibrous body. It is high in pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese, and has excellent antioxidant properties. Carrots make an excellent addition to any meal, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. They have long been associated with the improvement of eyesight, and studies have shown that carrots can prevent some forms of muscular degeneration that are common as humans age.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a leafy green vegetable that is packed with a wide array of vitamins, and many of the very important trace minerals. It’s a great source of dietary fiber and is a terrific addition to any salad mix. Rhubarb is also connected to weight loss because of its extremely low calorie count. Another one of its awesome attributes is that it is known for is its ability to help with constipation which can prevent other conditions of the colon from developing and becoming dangerous.
Herbal Tea
Tea has a long 2000-year-old history with medicine. Herbal teas have been known to provide nourishment due to their high vitamin content and promote healing, emotional wellbeing, as well as aid with calmness and sleeping. Teas are also very effective in helping the body to prevent bone loss due to aging. There are various herbal teas like Chamomile tea, Hemp Tea, Echinacea tea, etc,. that you could choose from. Drinking at least 2 cups of tea a day will help boost your immune system, and keep you feeling energized throughout the day. Tea flavors can vary and you can include anything in tea, from ginger to mushrooms. Mushrooms have a slightly different effect on the body compared to ginger tea but it can still be cleansing for the mind, body, and soul. If you’re wondering how long do mushrooms last in tea, it really depends on how many you add to your brew. The less you add, the quicker the effect on the body will be over.
Cauliflower
This interesting cruciferous vegetable is highly anti-inflammatory, and provides a good amount of choline which is an important B vitamin for brain health. Studies have been known to show that it can help reduce the speed of brain deterioration due to old age. It is also an excellent source of antioxidants and phytonutrients which give the body a better chance at fighting free radicals. Cauliflower also helps cardiovascular health because of the agent sulforaphane which promotes proper cell formation of the veins and arteries.
Celery
Celery is a heavily fibrous plant that has its roots deep in history as an anti-high blood pressure medicine. It is highly anti-inflammatory and powerful anti-oxidant properties. Celery also contains quite a few trace minerals and vitamins. Another amazing effect of celery is its ability to stimulate liver functions. It does this by helping the liver to produce liver cleansing enzymes. It can help you to both lower your cholesterol, and to fight microbial infections in the body.
Grapefruit
This larger citrus fruit can help with cholesterol levels, and greatly impacts lipid levels. Grapefruit is associated with weight loss because of its effect on fats in the body and is full of vitamins like Vitamin C. It can also help to erode build ups of calcium like the calcium found in painful kidney stones. To help prevent stones, you can try consuming at least a cup of grapefruit juice a day. It is also popular to use as a late-night snack instead of eating carb filled junk foods.
Lemon
Lemon juice is a great way to stimulate action in the liver because it contains uric acid, which breaks down a number of toxins in the body. Lemon is also effective at dissolving kidney stones and can help to improve digestion. There are supplements like chanca piedra that can deal with the stones quicker than lemon can but lemon doesn’t have the chanca piedra side effects. If you were to consume at least a glass of lemon juice a day, the acids can stimulate your intestines to create a bowel movement, and the juice can help to dissolve various substances that form plaque on the intestinal walls.
Green beans
More than just a staple food for some cultures, green beans are another highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food with great health benefits. Green beans have been found to be effective at reducing risks associated with heart disease. This is believed to be due to the high number of flavonoids. Green beans are also a major source of antioxidants.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are heavily antioxidant makeup because they are very high in lycopene. Lycopene is very effective at preventing different type of dangerous oxidation that can lead to various diseases and conditions. One such effect that has been studied, is lycopene’s ability to prevent lipids from building up in the veins and arteries. These free-floating fats are a primary cause of heart disease and arterial obstructions that can cause stroke. Tomatoes also have a positive effect on bone development in post-menopausal women. Fresh tomatoes can be cut up and placed directly on food.
Cherries
Cherries are an amazing natural source of melatonin with is a hormone produced by your pineal gland. Science has discovered that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice can greatly help you to stay asleep for longer periods. Melatonin is also an antioxidant that can help to combat free radicals. Some people even take melatonin for anxiety and other mental health conditions. Cherries are also full of powerful naturally occurring anti-inflammatory chemicals.
Radishes
Radishes are known to have a cooling effect on the body, and were used by ancient Chinese doctors to help people deal with heat during hot weather. There are also diuretic and help the body to flush toxins by passing them into urine and out of the body. They are high in vitamin C and other trace minerals.
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