Being aware of the acidity and alkalinity of foods is a fairly recent thing, so if you’re clued out to what I’m talking about…don’t worry you’re not alone.  It’s simply another effect that food has on your body.

For instance when you eat processed foods high in carbohydrates like pasta or bread, the effect it has on your body is to increased insulin which in turn triggers many other metabolic processes one of which is increased fat storage.  Well…the same food also happens to be acidic forming in nature, which means that when you eat these foods, it creates and acidic environment in your body.  Now eating acidic forming foods are not an issue, if you’re eating a well balanced diet.  But it can become a big issue if you’re eating a diet heavily based on acidic foods while skimping out on alkaline forming foods.

Here’s what happens…when you eat a diet high in acidic foods it can leach vital minerals like calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from your bones and vital organs in an effort to neutralize the acidity.  And since these minerals are vital to many of the metabolic processes in your body…you can imagine the havoc it can cause to your body.
But here’s the good news…the solution is pretty simple.  Replace acidic foods with alkaline foods.  It’s like basic chemistry.  Acid is neutralized by basic elements, which in this case is alkaline forming foods.  So if your body is too acidic, neutralize it alkaline forming foods.

Here’s the caveat though…acidic forming foods are popular foods that most people like to eat, like bread, rice and pastas, as well as foods high in protein like meat, dairy, cheese and eggs.  That means your basic sandwiches and burgers are all pretty acidic in nature.

To see which foods are acidic and which are alkaline, check out this PDF chart of acidic/alkaline foods. (http://acidalkalinediet.com/listofalkalinefoods.pdf)

As the chart indicates, pretty much ALL vegetables and root vegetables are alkaline foods.  So by replacing refined grain products like bread, rice and pasta with vegetables, your well on your way to alkalizing your diet. And vegetables are packed with nutrients, high in fiber, low in carbs and low in calories…it’s also a great choice of food for both optimizing your health as well as losing weight.

And if you’re on a low carb diet, it’s even more important that you eat enough vegetables.  Too many people concentrate on eating protein and neglect the carbs.  Keep in mind that eating a low carb diet does not mean eliminating good healthy carbs.  And since vegetables are very low in carbs, you can pretty much eat as much as you want without having to worry about going over your daily carb intake.

But if you have difficulty getting enough vegetables into you diet…no worries.  I have a great source of nutrient dense food that you can supplement in your diet that’s very alkalizing.

The super nutrient dense alkalizing food is…“algae”

Yep,  know it sounds weird, because you’re probably imaging green moldy growths you see covering rocks by the ocean…right?  Well technically, yes…they are algae, but so are seaweeds and other sea vegetables.  BUT don’t worry you don’t have to start eating seaweeds and nori and other funky sea vegetables.  The algae I’m talking about is micro-algae, Chlorella and Spirulina which come in tablet or powdered form.

Personally I prefer the powdered form and you can mix it with water or any drink of your choice.  Admittedly there is a slight seaweed-like after taste if you just mix it with water, but it’s nothing like eating seaweed so don’t worry.  I usually take about 5 g a day and I mix it with lemon (takes away the after taste) 20 - 24 oz of cold water, raw honey (1TBSP) and drink it first thing in the morning.

Despite the “not-so-great” taste it’s health benefits far outweigh the cons.

Here’s a summary of the benefits:

Chlorella: increases energy, increase cardiovascular function, provides potent anti-aging benefits, helps detoxify your body, protects your liver,  improves immune function and helps muscle recovery.

Spirulina: great source of antioxidants to fight the aging process and minimize wear and tear of your body, great source of protein for vegans, high source of omega 3 fatty acids which help protect your nerves from damage, and a great source of vitamins (40) and minerals.

If you want to learn more about the health benefits of algae, specifically chlorella and spirulina check out this article by Dr. Mercola (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/01/spirulina-the-amazing-super-food-youve-never-heard-of.aspx)

So if you’re diet is heavy on processed foods or grain based foods like bread, pasta and rice, make sure to replace them with nutrient dense and alkalizing vegetables instead.  And if you’ve cleaned up your diet, but still have a hard time getting enough vegetables in your diet, try supplementing it with algae (chlorella / spirulina). It’s a great way to increase your alkaline food intake while boosting your energy, vitality and generally improving your overall health.  But like all supplements, source is important, so make sure to get organic chlorella / spiraling.