Even when we don’t realize this, most of us tend to eat more acid-forming food and much less alkalizing food. We tend to eat more dairy products, meats, and other foods high in fat. As you may notice, even most children do not like vegetables. However, it’s never too late to start gaining optimum health. Being on an alkaline diet is highly beneficial, and even more for those of us suffering from acid reflux. This article will talk about what alkaline is, what alkaline food to eat with acid reflux and why it works in treating the condition.
What Does Alkaline Mean?
Anything that is alkaline basically means it has a pH level of over 7.0. On the other hand, anything that is acidic has a pH level of below 7.0. Foods vary in nutritional value, but also vary by pH level. There are many foods that are alkaline as well as acidic. Depending on your specific needs, you may need more alkaline foods in your diet, but generally, everyone needs more alkaline foods for better health.
Why Do We Need More Alkaline Foods?
Over-acidity in the body can cause a myriad of health conditions, which is why we sometimes need something to counteract the excess acids. For those of us who suffer from acid reflux, we are even in a worse situation because we’re often already predisposed to having more acid in the stomach than needed.
Certain positions or activities may trigger acid reflux, but it is mainly what we eat that makes symptoms worse. Since acid reflux mainly involves acid traveling from the stomach to the esophagus, we need to keep acid levels down by eating less acidic or non-acid-forming foods.
Is There An Alkaline Diet?
You can find alkaline diet recommendations online. An alkaline diet basically means having meal plans that mainly incorporate alkaline food. Often times, alkaline diets will require you to eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, vegetable roots, nuts and legumes. Of course, everyone has different tastes in different dishes, so you may benefit from researching on recipes that cater more to your liking. You may also visit a dietician or nutritionist to discuss your preferences in a special diet.
What Are The Alkaline Foods I Can Use?
There are several alkaline-rich food you can take when you have acid reflux. There is a wide range of fruits and vegetables that are alkaline. You may have grapes, bananas, blackberries, apples, strawberries, melons, cauliflower, celery, beets, radishes, eggplants, and spinach in your special diet. As you can see, a lot of these alkaline fruits are delicious and fun to snack on. There is also a myriad of vegetables you can eat as a side dish.
This diet is not just limited to fruits and vegetables. Alkaline properties can also be found in other foods high in protein. Foods that contain alkalizing protein include fermented tofu, almonds, chestnuts, whey protein powder and tempeh.
You don’t have to stay with the diet forever. The alkaline diet is fairly simple to follow once you’re used to using alkaline ingredients while cooking.
What is the right food to eat with acid reflux and what is the right food to avoid with acid reflux? Discover more.