Health topics are frequently debated on the internet. The alkaline diet is one that is currently gaining attention. Part of the debate centers around the high carb vs. low carb argument. What’s confusing for many people, including myself, is that there are different definitions of the alkaline diet.
One of them takes its definitions of what constitutes an alkaline food from a scientific formula. The other from a subjective determination made by a “Doctor”. This leads to the problem that when talking about the “alkaline diet”, it’s hard to know for sure what exactly is being discussed.
It would seem logical that for anyone who bases their decisions upon facts, that the scientific definition of the acidity and alkalinity of foods is the definition that makes the most sense. It is this definition that suggests that practically every single fruit and vegetable is an alkaline food.
The other definition centers around sugar. Foods with high sugar content being acidic while low sugar content being alkaline. However, every cell in our body runs on glucose, a sugar. So does it make sense to you to limit your sugar intake when it’s coming from fresh fruits and vegetables?
It is true of course that there are good and bad sugars. Refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup being just to that we should limit or avoid completely. When sugars come from fresh fruits however, we’re also able to consume every single other nutrient along with the fiber that the fruits contain. Ask yourself if this is really a bad thing? If you believe so, then maybe you should start to research the other definition of the alkaline diet.
When I talk to people about the subject of health, I always ask them to simply think for themselves about what makes sense. The rate of obesity in the United States is now at record levels. Does it make sense that the foods we eat are the cause? If you believe this, what are you prepared to do about it?
Better health doesn’t mean we have to “go on a diet”. A better approach is to look for the foods that our body wants us to eat. This isn’t always the same as what we think we want to eat. There is a big difference.
Our bodies want fuel. Their fuel, energy, comes from nutrient dense foods. Whole foods. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, grains and starches provide us with the perfect balance between acid and alkaline foods. More importantly, they feed us with high quality nutrition that allows us to enjoy life fully.
