Should I be alkalizing my diet?

Hi Annabelle

Alkalizing refers to making your diet more alkaline (less acidic). Because you need to eat high-protein to get the best body composition (most muscle and least fat) and because protein foods are generally acidic, it is a good idea to eat lots of foods that are alkaline to balance it out. Studies clearly show that the bones have to give up calcium to decrease acid levels in blood if the diet is too acidic. Studies also show that acidic diets may not be supportive of muscle growth.

Fortunately, there's a really healthy and easy way to "alkalize" your diet - it's called eating vegetables! For a variety of reasons (including the alkalizing effect), you should get AT LEAST 5 servings of vegetables daily - salads, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks and other non-starchy vegetables work best. Most fruits will have this effect also. Much of this effect is due to the high levels of magnesium, calcium and other minerals that lower acid levels.

You could also take calcium supplements to achieve this effect but it wouldn't be as healthy - also, non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and have virtually no sugar and keep you feeling full!