alkaline-food-chart-4.0

And as you read through the foods in thisfood chart I hope you come with me on thisjourney knowing that you don’t have to suddenlygive everything up...You don’t have to try to eat perfectly from dayone...You don’t have to give up all of your favouritefoods and YES you can still have a funand pleasureable relationship with food (anddrink).Getting abundant health and abundant energyis all about balance, taking things a step at atime and making the right choices with yourdiet and lifestyle more often than not.It doesn’t mean never having a cheat meal, ora cheat day.It means being real, human, social, fun AND atthe same time loving your body so wanting todo the right thing when it matters.I also believe that every one of us, on our journeyto abundant health should first focus ongetting the good stuff in, before we start worryingabout cutting the bad stuff out.Just this one little shift will make a huge differencefor you. It removes the stress andanxiety, and it stops you from judging yourselfharshly.Focus on getting the good in, and for themost part, the bad will look after itself.I just love that.2Look just at the alkaline foods and think- “How can I incorporate some more ofthese foods into my favourite meals anddaily life...?”If you approach it this way the anxiety willdisappear and it will seem a lot more managable.I have also included 12 delicious alkalinemeals for you in the back of the book - ifyou ate one of these once a day you’ll noticethe difference right away...That’s not that hard right?And if you do slip up?Dont’ worry about it. Don’t stress.Just look at it, think through why youslipped up, what caused it, how you werefeeling. Recognise what happened...And then just move on.Life’s too short.So I truly hope you love this guide, and Ihope this guide helps you to unlock YOURenergy, the energy that’s inside you rightnow just waiting to come out.Enjoy and let’s get energized!Ross BridgefordSo in under a few hundred works, this iswhat I believe in and my philosophy tohealth.Approach this guide with that in mind. Don’tfall into the trap of looking at the acid foodsand the alkaline foods and thinking “aarrrggghhhwhat am I going to eat!?”

What is the Alkaline Diet3Why Eat Alkaline & What is the Alkaline Diet?The alkaline diet is focused upon givingyour body all of the tools it needs to thrive:the nutrients and nourishment it needs togive you the health, energy and vitality ofyour dreams.And nature has shown us that these foods,the most nourishing foods, are alkaline.Vegetables, leaves, nuts, seeds, healthyoils & fats, oily fish…foods like spinach,avocado, cucumber, kale, almonds, salmon,watercress, carrots, celery, lemons,limes, coconut, beets, pumpkin, beansand so on - these are all alkaline formingfoods.They all contain high levels of vitamins,minerals, omega oils, phytonutrients, antioxidantsand fibre.And nature has shown us that the foodsthat rob the body of energy, cause stressto the digestive system, clog us, destroyour energy and age us are the acid-formingfoods…foods like sugar, trans fats, refinedfoods, fast foods, junk foods, chips,soda, pizza, wheat…you can probablyguess where I’m going here.It makes perfect sense, and is workingwith nature perfectly. The foods that youprobably already know are good for youare all alkaline-forming. Why? Becausethey’re mineral-rich, vitamin-rich, antioxidant-rich,have a high water content (generally),and are natural. These are the biggestdeterminant of an alkaline food (moreon this in a moment).The reality is, the alkaline diet is a very, very simple andstraightforward approach to health, but is backed byextensive science (see page16 for just a handful of thesestudies).The Scientific Explanation of the Alkaline DietOur body is designed to be alkaline.The pH of most of our important cellularand other fluids such as our blood is designedto be at a pH of 7.365, which isslightly alkaline.In just the same way that our body willdo whatever it takes to regulate our temperatureto stay within a very tight range,it does the same for the pH of our fluids.And while our body does create acidsnaturally through our bodily functions, wehave a small alkaline buffering system thatnaturally keeps us alkaline.what is the alkaline diet?

Your body HAS to keep the pH of yourblood, cells and other fluids at just slightlyalkaline (pH 7.365) and it will do ANY-THING it has to in order to maintain thispH balance.To do this, your body calls upon its storeof alkaline buffers, which it draws uponto neutralize the acids we ingest or createthrough bodily processes. This storeof buffers is very easily depleted becausemost of us eat and drink such strong acids.To put this in context, the pH scale islogarithmic – so pH 6 is 10x more acidicthan pH 7, meaning pH 5 is 100x timesmore acidic than pH 7 and pH 4 is 1000xmore acidic. Cola has a pH of between2 and 3. So you can see how a diet filledwith meats, dairy, fizzy drinks, alcohol etcwould quickly deplete these buffers.And when we deplete these buffers andstill ingest more acids…what happens?The body is forced into drawing upon thealkaline minerals it has to buffer whichcauses havoc in the body – for instance, ifthe body is constantly drawing calcium toneutralise the acids we consume then thesymptoms of osteoporosis emerge (hencethe numerous research articles linking colaconsumption with osteoporosis)However, as we have evolved and ourdiets and lifestyles have changed over thelast century or so we have dramatically increasedthe amount of acidity in our lives.Diet, stress, emotions and no exercisecontribute, in their own ways to the increasedacidity in our body.Focusing on the alkaline diet for the timebeing, it will be no surprise to you to learnthat the most acidic foods are: sugar,trans-fats, yeasts, dairy, simple carbs,alcohol, refined foods etc. These acidsmanifest in our diets as colas & fizzydrinks, pizza, chips, cakes, biscuits, microwavemeals, crisps, breads, caffeine,cheese, fatty meats, ice cream, smoking,beers, wines, condiments, milky drinks,cream etc.All the foods you already know are notgood for you.As we’ve already mentioned, I’m sure youcan guess that the foods that are alkalineto the body are therefore…wait for it…fresh vegetables, salads, leafy greens,omega oils, nuts, seeds, pulses, wholegrains.These are fresh foods, raw foods, wholefoods, foods with a high-water contentand nutritional value.It makes this diet pretty easy to understandand pretty easy to follow. I thinkmost people, if given a list of foods couldput them into the acid or alkaline group 8times out of 10.This just makes sense, right?Eating the foods you KNOW are goodfor you and staying away from the foodsyou KNOW are bad for you…it all makessense!Throw in some exercise, lots of hydration,avoiding stress and getting good sleep,and I think you’d have a lifestyle that eventhe most skeptical of your friends, familymembers or physician can get on boardwith.And that brings us on to….the great alkalinediet myths…4what is the alkaline diet?

THE ALKALINE DIET MYTHS5But why eat alkaline? You can’t change your pHand the stomach is full of acid... right?These are two good questions, and twocommon misconceptions.MYTH #1: You Can’t Change Your pH?This is actually a truth. You can’t changeyour pH. And that is the whole point of thealkaline diet! Confused? Let me explain…The body has a very important regulatorymechanism to maintain the pH of theblood (and other cells) at a pH of 7.365. Ifanything threatens to move that, the bodywill go to extreme lengths to keep it at7.365. If it went to 7.2? You’d die. It’s thesame type of system that maintains yourbody’s temperature in a very tight range.We have evolved with a very small ‘alkalinebuffering system’ in the body, as thebody has to maintain this slightly alkalinepH. Our normal bodily functions (such asour metabolism) cause a small amount ofacidity in the body, and that is what thisbuffering system is there to neutralize.However, with our hugely acidic modern,Western, “Standard American Diet” (whichis also closely followed in the UK, Europe,Australia and so on…) containing heapsof sugar, wheat, excessive dairy and redmeats, trans fats and refined, junk foods,the body is over-run with acidity.This alkaline buffering system is exhaustedbefore breakfast has even finished!And so the body has to maintain this alkalinepH in a much more devastating manner.Put it this way, the body will sacrificeall else to maintain this pH, such is it’s importance.It will sacrifice your medium andlong-term health to keep this short termgoal of homeostasis (the perfect balancein the body).The incredible stress it puts your body underto try to neutralise these acids is huge.It will overproduce sodium bicarbonate totry to neutralise the acidity from the foodand the excessive hydrochloric acid thestomach has to produce to digest thesefoods (reflux anyone?) It will draw alkalineminerals from elsewhere in the body (suchas calcium from your bones, and magnesiumfrom your vital organs) leading to allmanner of inflammatory conditions. Anyacidic toxins it cannot expel will be boundup in visceral fat to protect your organsfrom the acids and the toxic byproductsthey produce (and this visceral fat is justthe start of a whole lot more inflammation,as well as the love handles).And this is just the start.the alkaline diet myths

These are just a few of the results of yourbody rigidly maintaining that pH at 7.365.So it’s true - you can’t change your pH.As a race, we’ve seemingly been TRYINGto for decades, but it’s stayed there, despiteevery modern, refined, junk food wecan throw at it.You can’t change your pH.The goal of the alkaline diet is to givethe body everything it needs to keep itthere!We’re giving the body all of the nourishmentwe can to help support the body, tomaintain this pH, to keep the homeostasis.Because when the body is in balance -it THRIVES.MYTH #2: Why Eat Alkaline When theStomach is Acid?This one is much easier. The stomach isnot a big pit of acid, swishing around 24/7.It is an incredibly clever organ of digestion,which produces hydrochloric acid ondemandto digest the foods you eat andprepare them for nutrient extraction in thelarge intestine. There are two things goingon here. Firstly, the stomach acid does notburn, melt and destroy all foods to nothinglike you’d imagine an acid doing thatin a science class. It simply prepares themfor the next stage of digestion, where thenutrients (i.e. the alkaline minerals, antioxidants,vitamins etc) can be extracted anddispersed around the body.Secondly, tell me which produces moreacid in your stomach (reflux suffererswould be able to answer this one especiallyquickly): red wine and sugar or spinachand cucumbers?To digest acidic foods, especially theheavy ones and yeast/wheat laden ones,the stomach has to produce a LOT morehydrochloric acid than to digest cucumber,celery, spinach, kale, watercress, lettuce,carrots and so on.And the constant over-production of hydrochloricacid, which then has to beneutralised to base before it causes issuesis hugely stressful to the body. And whenthere is too much to neutralise? It has ahuge knock-on effect to the body, withthe very first symptom being acid travellingback up the esophagus with heartburnand reflux being felt (and it rapidly getsway worse than this).And finally, to squash this myth once andfor all: if the stomach is acid so it doesn’tmatter what the pH is because the stomachwill dissolve it all in acidity, then wemay as well go on stuffing ourselves full ofcakes, ice-cream, chocolate, pizza, chips,fast foods and so on. Because the stomachis just full of acid anyway, why doesit matter whether it’s an acidic or alkalinefood, right?You get the point!6the alkaline diet myths

How quickly or slowly the body metabolisesdifferent sugars may have aneffect on your energy levels (in terms ofhow quickly the peaks and troughs willfollow one another) but makes no differenceto the fact that the sugar fermentsand fuels these harmful microforms inexactly the same way.So please see fruit as something you haveas a daily (or less) treat, a healthier-thanmostsnack rather than a staple you wouldhave all day long.And regarding fruit JUICE…Just don’t juice fruit. Even a little bit.First and foremost, it is DEFINITELY not agood idea to include lots of fruits in yourjuice (such as when people make a ‘green’drink that has 1/2 a pineapple, 2 bananas,and apple and one stick of kale - nice try).This amount of concentrated fructose isvery damaging to your health, spikes yourinsulin levels, stresses the pancreas, inducesinflammation and an overstimulatedinflammatory response…this then leadsto weight gain, digestive issues and moreinflammation…need I go on?The second problem is when you consumefructose without fibre, the brain does notregister that calories have been consumedand you will still remain hungry.So, no fruit juice!Is any fruit OK?Yes! There are a handful of low-sugar fruitsthat are great for you!Tomato, avocado, lemon, lime and grapefruitare all alkalising and full of goodness.So stick to the following rules:1) fruit should be eaten in moderation (1piece per day)2) it should be in-season3) it should not be juiced4) lemons, limes, avocado, tomato arealkaline-forming and can be eaten asmuch as you like5) aim for lower sugar fruits such as berriesand melons6) avoid high sugar fruits such as pineappleand banana7) never have dried fruits, they are concentratedsugar hits!10QUESTION 3: Why are the lists of alkaline/acidfoods different?I know it is quite confusing to see suchdifferences in the charts. This amount ofconflicting information is the main reasonI set up energiseforlife.com and I believeour chart (based on the research of theAlkaline Diet pioneer, Robert Young) is themost accurate.The reason that other charts show suchdisparity is because they base their classificationson the readings for the PotentialRenal Acid Load research (PRAL). This isnot an accurate source for this purpose.The reason for this is, to test for PRAL theybasically burn the food at an extreme temperatureand then take a read of the ‘ash’that is left behind and what it’s pH is.the top ten alkaline diet questions

While this does give a read of its alkalinityfrom the mineral content of the food,this is only half the picture. By burning itat such a high temperature they also burnaway all of the most acid-causing contentof the food, namely sugar. That is why onsome charts high sugar fruits are listed asalkaline. Bananas for instance are high inthe alkaline mineral potassium, BUT theyare also 25% sugar which makes themextremely acidifying when we consumethem.Dr Young has also tested the blood(through live blood analysis) of over 40,000people and has seen first hand the effectdifferent foods have on the body. So hisclassification of acid/alkaline foods is reallythe most accurate and the most relevantto the effect foods have on our pH levels.For more detail on this, see page x.11QUESTION 4: How Long Will it Take to GetAlkalineThis is a question I am asked more thanmost, as you can imagine. And the answeris, it depends.As frustrating as that is to read, it reallydoes come down to a million, personalvariables. Not only is every body different,but everyone’s diet prior to going alkalinewould be different too. Plus, is the goal toget a pH reading at a certain level or is itthe way you feel and look?It’s great to strive to get that pH readingof 7.365 on a daily basis, but much moreimportant than this is how you feel, the energyyou have and the confidence you feelabout your body and your health.To that end, simply getting going, feelingimprovements and getting noticeable benefitsis the first milestone to reach - andthat can happen within 24-48 hours.If you’ve been living a pretty acidic diet,with little or no hydration then by simplygetting hydrated, having a green juice andadding in healthy fats - you will see andfeel a huge impact within a day or two.For a lot of people, just getting properlyhydrated has a big impact within a day.It all depends on your goals, your backgroundand your own body’s response -but you will see measurable results withina week, at worstQUESTION 5: Which supplements do you recommend?This really is down to your own personalnutritional requirement, and I would alwaysrecommend speaking to a qualified nutritionistmaking any big dietary or lifestylechanges – but in my personal opinion andfrom the feedback from my customers Irecommend the following supplements asa solid cornerstone to any nutritional regime:the top ten alkaline diet questions

1. Green Drink:Highly alkalising, highly nutrient dense andunbelievably good for you, green drinksare a must have for me. I can almost guaranteethat if you start having four greendrinks per day then you will almost instantlystart seeing the benefits. A rich sourceof chloropyhll, vitamins, minerals, antioxidantsand other nutrients – the greensinfuse your body with highly alkaline ingredientto cleanse, neutralise acids and giveyour body a huge energy boost.2. Healthy Fats:For optimal health, energy and wellnessI strongly urge you to give some focusto the omega 3 and coconut oil that youconsume.Omega 3:The important omega 3’s areALA, EPA and DHA. The human bodycannot make omega 3 on its own so it isessential that we supplement our diets.Omega 3 is also the fat that we are mostdeficient in. Experts suggest that we needbetween 20-40ml of omega 3 per day tofunction optimally. To get this through dietalone is difficult, even if we eat oily fishand nuts every single day. Go for a mix ofsources including flax, fish and krill andlook to get plenty in your diet as well asthrough the supplement.Coconut Oil: MCT are hard to come by,and almost all other oils we consume arelong chain. We specify coconut oil becauseit is almost always organic, is incrediblyresistant to heat, light and air (unlikeall other oils) so it can be cooked withand still healthy, and it tastes great!It’s no coincidence that the rise in brainand cognitive conditions, heart and cardiovascularconditions, cancers and otherdegenerative, chronic conditions haverisen in line with our obsession with cuttingALL fat out of our diets (the low-fat/no-fat food industry is worth $billions).Especially when you consider that 90% ofthe foods that are advertised as ‘low fat’are incredibly high in sugar. Just checkout the back of the packet of any ‘low fat’yoghurt. You’ll be stunned.Aim to get healthy fats into your supplementregime as soon as possible. Youdon’t have to spend the earth.3. Alkaline Minerals / Salts:Alkaline minerals are simply essential tomaintaining proper health, having abundantenergy and creating the balance inyour body that you need to thrive.The most alkaline minerals: potassium,magnesium, sodium and calcium are quiteeasy to find in any multi mineral, but I dorecommend a particular supplement calledpHour Salts from pH Miracle.It is a blend of those four alkaline mineralsin the bicarbonate form, which makesthem incredibly bioavailable to the bodyand form a powerful way to buffer dietaryacids (i.e. the ones you consume).If you can’t get pHour Salts, look for agood range multi mineral that is preferablysplit into two capsules per serve so youcan take one in the A.M. and one in theP.M.12the top ten alkaline diet questions

4. AntioxidantsI strongly recommend adding a good antioxidantsupplement to your daily regime.I don’t want you to get too bogged downwith resveratrol vs pine bark vs green teaextract and so on, just aim to get a good,solid, supplement that contains a nicerange of ingredients.Oxidation kills cells, causes free radicalformation, surpresses the immune system,causes inflammation and ages your bodyfrom the inside out.It’s important that alongside giving yourbody the alkaline nourishment it needs torepair and thrive, you also give it the supportof antioxidants to fight this oxidation.If you supplement with these four nutrients,maintain a good balance ofalkaline to acid-forming foods, stayhydrated and stay as free from stress aspossible, you’re going to see BIG results!13QUESTION 6: Where do I get protein from?That is a very, very valid question – butI think it is in the wrong context…but I’llget onto that. The first question you needto ask yourself is ‘How Much Protein DoI Need?’. Difficult question. Dr Youngstates that the average person needs nomore than 20g per day, but this obviouslychanges if you work out or lead a very activelife. I personally aim for around 50g,but certainly nowhere near the heights ofsome trainers who propose you shouldhave at least 1-2g’s per kg of body weight.I suggest you find your own level that youare happy with, within this range (of 20-100g) and then consider where you will getyour protein from. When most people askthis about the alkaline diet it is more out offear that they are not going to get enough– but the more pertinent question is – whatis your source of protein i.e. make sure it isa good source!On an alkaline diet, without any furthersupplementation I consume at least 30g ofprotein a day, which is more than enoughfor the body to function, grow and develop.This level often tops 60g with theintroduction of tofu, soy milk etc.I also supplement with an organic sproutedbrown rice protein at the moment becauseI’m hitting the gym pretty hard, butthis isn’t essential.Food Sources of Protein on the AlkalineDiet – but to answer your original question,when you’re living alkaline you get morethan enough protein from:– tofu & soy (if you’re not opposed to these)– nuts- nut milks– seeds– pulses– green leafy vegetablesThese provide plenty.the top ten alkaline diet questions

14In fact, in my Alkaline Diet Recipe BookVolume 2 (available athttp://www.alkalinedietmadeeasy.com) Igive a sample menu to show this exactpoint, you’d get 228% of your protein RDI(138g):Breakfast: Energizing Muesli MixSnack: Energise Green SmoothieLunch: Summer Mexican SaladSnack: Handful AlmondsDinner: Lentil RatatouilleThere is no worry about protein on thealkaline diet.QUESTION 7:Will I lose weight (OR can I gainweight?)The body is alkaline by design and oneof the most common symptoms of beingover-acid is weight gain.When you’re over acid your body bothhang onto fat to protect your major organs,and is also unable to process the excessfat from the acids you consume. When youstart to alkalise you quickly shred throughthis fat. Bulges and cellulite disappearpretty darn quick.There is some complex science behindthis, but if you consider that on a daily basisyou are going to be consuming loads offresh, raw salads, vegetables, nuts, seeds,healthy fats etc. and be totally hydrated,while at the same time consuming zerosugar, trans-fats, chocolate,crisps, sweets, alcohol etc. it is prettyclear to see that you’re not going to haveto worry about weight for too much longer.The same goes for being under-weight.Being under-weight is an acid problemtoo.Your clogged, over acidic digestive systemis preventing your body from being able toabsorb the nutrients you do consume, andso you’re left skinny and weak. Once youstart to alkalise you will find yourself fillingout in all the right places and gaining musclemass.Brilliant.QUESTION 8: How do I test my pH – why are myreadings erratic?Testing your pH is a great way of trackingyour progress. But it has to be done right.Here is how:It is good practice to either test 1 hourbefore or 2 hours after eating.If testing your saliva, it is a good idea totry to fill your mouth with saliva and thenswallow. This helps remove any acidicbacteria that might be lurking. Do not tryto wash your mouth out with anything elseas this will simply record the alkalinity ofthe water/liquid you have just used.the top ten alkaline diet questions

For testing urine, let some urine flow beforetesting as this will give more of anaverage reading.It is also a good idea totest 2-3 times in a day in order to get anaverage, as first thing in the morning thebody has retained fluids over a long periodof time and it will engage in differentprocesses to remove acid wastes from thebody throughout the day (depending onactivity and diet).Why the Differences and Fluctuations?The reason that there is such a differencebetween your urine and saliva readings isthat a) your mouth is more likely to containacidic bacteria throughout the day (if youbrush your teeth it will show a very highalkaline reading due to the toothpaste sothere is not much of a way around this)and b) because your urine is more of areflection of the processes the body is undertakingto remove acid from the body.Both of these are therefore subject tofluctuations. I would recommend takingthe average of several readings to gain abigger picture of your progress rather thanconcentrating on each reading in isolation.A reading of anywhere between 6.75-7.0+is excellent for saliva as the saliva tendsto be slightly more acidic. For the urine, aslightly higher pH level of 7.5 upwards isgreat, but remember that due to the kidneysprocessing of toxins throughout theday, the urine can give a more erratic reading.To put all of this into perspective, someonewho eats a typical Western diet wouldbe more likely to have a saliva pH averageof about 5.5-6.0. This may not seemtoo much lower, however it is important toremember that the pH scale is logarithmic– meaning each step is ten times the previousi.e. 4.5 is 10 times more acidic than5.5 which is 100 times more acidic than6.5 and so on.Remember:Testing the pH of your saliva or urine isonly going to give you a general trend. Unfortunately,there is no way of determiningthe EXACT pH of the blood without undergoinga live blood analysis. However, theycan give a good indication – so test, test,test and take the average and then followthis trend over time noticing the differenceany changes in your diet can make.15QUESTION 9: Can I become too alkaline?Basically, yes, you can become over-alkaline,of course. This is very, very difficult toachieve! Your body is constantly creatingacids in it’s daily workings, which is whywe need to focus on eating 80/20 alkalinefoods to help to neutralise these acids. Weobviously make things worse by eating anddrinking acidic forming substances too.But if we did manage to eat SO alkalinethat your cells and body fluids went above7.365 then your body would simply bufferthis to regulate you back down to the correctpH.The effect on your body would be similarto that if you were too acid. And given that99% of us are too acid 99% of the time(yet we are still walking and functioning ashumans!) then I don’t think it would havetoo much of an effect on us. You’d probablyfeel pretty similar to how you do rightnow.Plus it would be pretty short lived as, like Imentioned, the body does create acids all ofthe time, so you’d soon be neutralised!the top ten alkaline diet questions

QUESTION 10: Can I Still Eat Meat & Be Alkaline?16This is a very important question for some,and the good news is that no you don’thave to give up meat completely if youwant to be alkaline.This is where the alkaline diet and paleodiet meet!In fact, the alkaline diet and paleo arepractically identical except for the inclusionof lots of meat on the paleo approach.(I actually jokingly refer to the Paleo Dietas Alkaline + A Little Meat)So if you want to be both alkaline ANDpaleo, just follow this simple rule for yourmeat consumption:Eat meat sparingly, maybe cut down to2-3 times per week, and go for quality overquantity.Remember, my approach to the alkalinediet is all about making it easy, enjoyableand stress free. It is about making it somethingyou can do with your eyes closed, onauto-pilot if you will.And if the thought of giving up any particularthing is scary for you - don’t give it up!Start slow, keep it in there as a treat andjust slowly transition away from it, a bitmore each week, until you feel it’s totally inyour ‘treat’ bucket, and under control.— Don’t try to be perfect from day one!Make meat the side show instead of thestar of the show. Rather than quantity, gofor quality. Spend the same amount ofmoney on your serve of meat but buy thehighest quality you can. The portion willbe smaller, but more enjoyable for you andmore nutrient-rich (higher quality).alkaline diet questions

17Alkaline DietScientific Research& Literature

Alkaline Diet Scientific Proof18As I’ve already discussed, the alkaline dietis an approach to health that simply makessense.It’s just make sense to give your body thetools it needs to thrive, and these are allalkaline. The things that rob the body ofhealth are all acidic.It’s all about eating natural, whole, unrefinedfoods.BUT, in case you DO need some of thescientific proof, here is just a selection ofthe studies I have published on my site,from top-ranked medical and scientificjournals around the world:Alkalinity Reduces Arthritis PainOpen Nutrition Journal, 2008Alkaline foods and supplementation ofalkaline minerals can help with improvedfunction and decreased pain in arthritissufferersArticle Title: Alkaline Mineral SupplementationDecreases Pain in RheumatoidArthritis Patients: A Pilot StudyArticle Published: The Open NutritionJournal, 2008, 2, 100-105Authors: Regina Maria Cseuz, IstvanBarna, Tamas Bender and Jürgen VormannTakeaway Quote:“The aim of this study was to investigatethe efficacy of an alkaline mineral supplementas a means of suppressing diseaseactivity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients…This study suggests that an alkaline supplementmay improve function and pain inrheumatoid arthritis and may represent aneasy and safe addition to the usual treatmentof RA patients.”Alkaline Diet Supports Kidney HealthCurrent Opinion in Nephrology & Hypertension, 2013Chronic acidosis is common among thosewith kidney disease and studies show thatalkaline supplementation and diet canslow the progression of the disease.Article Title: Does correction of metabolicacidosis slow chronic kidney disease progression?Article Published: Current Opinion inNephrology & Hypertension: March 2013 –Volume 22 – Issue 2 – p 193–197Authors: Goraya, N; Wesson, D.“Recent studies support that dietary acidreduction with oral sodium based alkali orbase-inducing food types add kidney protectionto that provided by current kidneyprotectiveinterventions.Recent studies suggest that metabolic acidosismediates nephropathy progression,and its treatment with the comparativelyinexpensive and well tolerated interventionof dietary acid reduction holds promise tobe an additional kidney-protective strategyin CKD management.

Alkaline Diet Reduces Chronic AcidosisClinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 201219Acidosis is Prevalent in those with kidneyproblems, and an alkaline diet can helpimprove this by reducing the acidosis.Article Title: Dietary Acid Load and MetabolicAcidosis in Renal Transplant RecipientsArticle Published: Clinical Journal of theAmerican Society of Nephrology November07, 2012 vol. 7 no. 11 1811-1818Takeaway Quote:“Acidosis is prevalent among renal transplantrecipients (RTRs) and adverselyaffects cardiometabolic processes.In additionto conventional factors contributingto acidosis, diet might influence acid-basehomeostasis in RTRs. Higher intake offruits and vegetables and lower animalprotein intake is associated with less acidosisin RTRs (renal transplant recipients).Authors: Else van den BergAn Acidic Diet Leads to Increased Risk of Obesity,Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension andChronic Kidney Failure:Clinical Nutrition Journal, 2011Modern diet is devoid of alkalinity and thecompounding effect of chronic acidosisleads to a host of problems in the bodyArticle Title: Diet-induced metabolic acidosisArticle Published: Clinical Nutrition, Volume30, Issue 4, August 2011, Pages416–421Takeaway Quote:“The modern Western-type diet is deficientin fruits and vegetables and contains excessiveanimal products, generating theaccumulation of non-metabolizable anionsand a lifespan state of overlooked meta-Authors: María M. Adeva, Gema Soutoalkaline diet proof

Alkaline Diet Can Prevent and Stop Progressionof Type 2 Diabetes:Metabolic Syndrome & Related Disorders Journal, 201020An adoption of the “HFV” diet that replicatesthe alkaline diet (lots of vegetables,fresh foods and no red meat, processedfoods, sugar etc) has been proven to slowand turn around type-2 diabetes.Article Title: Prevention of Type 2 Diabetesby Dietary Patterns: A SystematicReview of Prospective Studies and Meta-AnalysisArticle Published: Metabolic Syndromeand Related Disorders. December 2010,8(6): 471-476. doi:10.1089/met.2010.0009Takeaway Quote:“Dietary patterns characterized by highconsumption of fruit and vegetables,whole grains, fish, and poultry, and bydecreased consumption of red meat,processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages,and starchy foods may retard theprogression of type 2 diabetes.Healthy diets can help people to live moreyears without type 2 diabetes.”Authors: Katherine Esposito, Christina-Maria Kastorini, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos,and Dario Giugliano.Low Alkaline, High Acidic Diet Leads to High Riskof Obesity and Type 2 DiabetesMedical Hypotheses Journal, 2005High acidic, low alkaline diet leads tocortisol production, known to dramaticallyincrease the risk of obesity and type 2diabetes.Article Title: Acid–base balance may influencerisk for insulin resistance syndromeby modulating cortisol outputArticle Published: Medical HypothesesVolume 64, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 380–384Authors: Mark F. McCarty“Recent evidence suggests that the moderatemetabolic acidosis associated with aprotein-rich diet low in organic potassiumsalts – can likewise evoke a modest increasein cortisol production.Since cortisol promotes development ofvisceral obesity, and has a direct negativeimpact on insulin function throughout thebody, it may have the potential to increaserisk for insulin resistance syndrome andtype 2 diabetes. This report correlates highpotassium consumption, or a high intakeof fruits and vegetables, with reduced riskfor diabetes and coronary disease.”alkaline diet proof

Alkaline Diet Helps with Kidney Issues:Seminars in Dialysis Journal, 200021An acidic diet can be a contributor to renal(kidney) problems, and dietetic interventionwith alkaline foods and substances can beadvantageous.Article Title: ACID-BASE IN RENAL FAIL-URE: Influence of Diet on Acid-Base BalanceArticle Published: Seminars in DialysisVolume 13, Issue 4, pages 221–226, July–August 2000Authors: Thomas Remer“It is well established that diet and certainfood components have a clear impact onacid-base balance. Because urine pH is arelevant risk factor in most types of urinarystone disease, a dietetic manipulation ofrenal hydrogen ion excretion would beadvantageous for a number of individualsat risk. Also patients with poorly functioningkidneys – in whom metabolic acidosisis a common manifestation of an impairedrenal capacity to excrete the daily acidproduced – could benefit from specific dieteticmeans that reduce daily acid load.”Alkaline Water Reduces Acid RefluxAnnals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 2012Alkaline Water helps to relieve and removeacid reflux and provides good acid-bufferingcapacity.Article Title: Potential Benefits of pH 8.8Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct inthe Treatment of Reflux DiseaseArticle Published: Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol.2012 Jul;121(7):431-4.Authors: Jamie A. Koufman, MD; NikkiJohnston, PhD“In addition, human pepsin remains stableat pH 7.4 and may be reactivated by hydrogenions from any source. Thus, mosttap and bottled waters (typically pH 6.7 to7.4) would not be expected to affect pepsinstability.The purposes of these in vitro studies wereto investigate whether artesian well watercontaining natural bicarbonate (pH 8.8)might irreversibly denature (inactivate) humanpepsin, and to establish its potentialacid-buffering capacity.The pH 8.8 alkaline water irreversibly inactivatedhuman pepsin (in vitro), and itshydrochloric acid-buffering capacity farexceeded that of the conventional-pHwaters. Unlike conventional drinking water,pH 8.8 alkaline water instantly denaturespepsin, rendering it permanently inactive.In addition, it has good acid-buffering capacity.Thus, the consumption of alkalinewater may have therapeutic benefits forpatients with reflux disease.alkaline diet proof

Alkaline Diet Helps with Gout/HyperuricemiaNutrition Journal, 2012An alkaline diet leads to a higher alkalineurine, providing an effective treatment ofHyperuricemia / Gout – alkalising helpsremove uric acid from the body.Article Title: Effect of urine pH changed bydietary intervention on uric acid clearancemechanism of pH-dependent excretion ofurinary uric acidArticle Published: Nutrition Journal 2012,11:39Authors: Aya Kanbara, Yoshisuke Miura,Hideyuki Hyogo, Kazuaki Chayama and IsseiSeyama“Within the framework of the Japanesegovernment’s health promotion program,we made recipes which consisted ofprotein-rich and less vegetable-fruit foodmaterials for H+ load (acidic diet) and otherscomposed of less protein and morevegetable-fruit rich food materials (alkalinediet).Alkaline Foods Support Bone HealthEuropean Journal of Nutrition, 2001Among the five factors which are associatedwith calculating clearances for bothuric acid and creatinine, we identified aconspicuous difference between acidicand alkaline diets in the uric acid concentrationin serum as well as in urine; uricacid in the serum was higher in the acidicgroup than in the alkaline group, while uricacid in the urine in the acidic group waslower than that in the alkaline group. Thesechanges of uric acid in acidic urine and inserum were reflected in the reduction of itsclearance.From these observations, it is consideredthat uric acid may be reabsorbed more activelyin acidic urine than in alkaline urine.We conclude that alkalization of urineby eating nutritionally well-designed alkalineprone food is effective for removinguric acid from the body.”22A diet rich in alkaline forming foods supportsbone health and has been proven bynumerous human studies.Article Title: The Acid-Base Hypothesis:Diet and Bone in the Framingham OsteoporosisStudyArticle Published: European Journal ofNutrition October 2001, Volume 40, Issue5, pp 231-237Authors: Tucker KL, Hannan M, Douglas P“There continues to be considerable debateabout the role of acid vs. basic componentsof the diet on the long-term statusof bone mineral density. The theory that anacidic environment leads to progressivebone loss has long been proposed, andhas been supported by numerous shorttermhuman studies. We examined theeffect of components in the diet thought tohave basic (alkaline) effects and acid effectson bone mineral density…(and) theseresults support the role of base-formingfoods and nutrients in bone health.”alkaline diet proof

Alkaline Foods, Minerals Effect Our Acid/AlkalineBalance23Nutrition Journal, 2009Proof that consuming alkaline mineralsDOES have an effect on acid-base chemistry– the alkaline diet DOES have animpact on our health!Article Title: Effect of a supplement rich inalkaline minerals on acid-base balance inhumansArticle Published: Nutrition Journal 2009,8:23Authors: Daniel König, Klaus Muser,Hans-Hermann Dickhuth, Aloys Berg andPeter Deibert“Western diets are considered acidogenicdue to the high dietary acid load and a lowintake of base-forming dietary mineralssuch as potassium, magnesium or calcium.In the present study we investigatedthe effect of a multimineral supplement(MMS) rich in alkaline minerals on acuteand chronic regulation of acid-base balancewith the pH of blood, urine and salivaas potentialsurrogate markers. Our resultssuggest that the ingestion of a multimineralsupplement is associated withboth a significant increase in blood andurinary pH.”Alkaline Diet Reduces PainJournal of Trace Elements in Medicine & Biology, 2001An acidic diet can increase the liklihoodand intensity of pain, but a more alkalinediet can reduce this pain, specificallychronic back pain in this case.Article Title: Supplementation with alkalineminerals reduces symptoms in patientswith chronic low back painArticle Published: Volume 15, Issues 2–3,2001, Pages 179–183Authors: Jürgen Vormann, Michael Worlitschek,Thomas Goedecke, Burton Silver“It was tested whether a supplementationwith alkaline minerals would influencesymptoms in patients with low back painsymptoms. In 76 out of 82 patients a reductionin ARS (Arhus low back pain ratingscale) was achieved by the supplementation.Total blood buffering capacity wassignificantly increased … and also bloodpH rose … The results show that a disturbedacid-base balance may contributeto the symptoms of low back pain. Thesimple and safe addition of an alkalinemultimineral preparate was able to reducethe pain symptoms in these patients withchronic low back pain.alkaline diet proof

Proof: The Alkaline Diet Works!British Journal of Nutrition, 201024An overly-acidic diet (dietary-induced acidosis)is real, has a devestating effect andshould be corrected with diet (alkaline).Article Title: Diet-induced acidosis: is itreal and clinically relevant?“The available research makes a compellingcase that diet-induced acidosis, is areal phenomenon, and has a significant,clinical, long-term pathophysiological effectthat should be recognised and potentiallycounterbalanced by dietary means.”Article Published: British Journal of Nutrition.2010 Apr;103(8):1185-94Authors: Pizzorno, Frassetta and Katzinger.Alkaline Minerals Increase Acid Buffering Capacity& Can Improve Sports PerformanceInternational Journal of Sports Medicine, 2008Consuming Alkaline Minerals (Sodium Bicarbonate)Increases the Buffering Capacityof the Body & Provides Sports PerformanceEnhancement.Article Title: Sodium bicarbonate improvesswimming performance.Article Published: Int Journal SportsMedicine. 2008 Jun;29(6):519-23. Epub2007 Nov 14.Authors: Lindh AM, Peyrebrune MC, InghamSA, Bailey DM, Folland JP.“Sodium bicarbonate ingestion has beenshown to improve performance in singlebout,high intensity events, probably dueto an increase in buffering capacity, but itsinfluence on single-bout swimming performancehas not been investigated. Theeffects of sodium bicarbonate supplementationon 200 m freestyle swimming performancewere investigated in elite malecompetitors…It was concluded that SBsupplementation can improve 200 m freestyleperformance time in elite male competitors,most likely by increasing bufferingcapacity.”This is just a handful of the research that exists out there.It is available in abundance, and all proving that the alkaline diet isREAL, it WORKS and it’s PROVEN to be beneficial to human health!liveenergized.com

25The DefinitiveAcid/AlkalineFood Chartsliveenergized.com

26This is the definitive list of alkaline foodsIn this section we get to the core of it all: thefoods that are alkaline and the foods that areacid. In the first section I explain in more detailwhy alkaline food charts are often differentand conflicting, and who you should trust(and why).Then you’ll find my printable, stick-on-yourfridge-able‘At a Glance’ alkaline food chart.This is a great quick reference chart.Then on the pages that follow you will seethe complete breakdown of practically everycommon food ranked from very alkaline - thruneutral - thru to very acidic.This is your ultimate alkaline diet companion.If there are any foods I’ve missed, feel free tolet me or the team know!liveenergized.com

27Is it alkaline? Who doyou trust?When you’re first starting the alkaline diet,one of the most frustrating things is seeingsuch inconsistencies between the foodcharts that are out there on the internet.I want to clear this up for you, once andfor all, right now!In general there are two methodologies outthere for determining the alkalinity or acidityof a foods and this is what the alkalinefood charts (like mine here) are basedupon.There is one KEY difference between thesemethods and to me it determines whetherit is correct or not, and also explains theinconsistencies between lists.Method One: PRALThe Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL)method is very accurate for many uses,but not the alkaline diet. This is the methodused by 90% of alkaline food chartsout there, but it is sadly misleading andcan lead to errors being made by beginners(see my Biggest Alkaline Diet Mistakespost here).The PRAL method measures the alkalinityor acidity of a food by burning it down toan ash residue and then measuring the pHof that ash.This is all well and good….BUT….theburning burns away two of the biggestdeterminants of whether a food is alkalineformingor acid-forming: yeast and (mostimportantly) sugar.Ahh – did you see the distinction there?The KEY here is not whether a food is acidor alkaline. The key is whether the food isacid-forming or alkaline-forming to thebody once consumed.Understanding this key distinction will unlockeverything I am about to teach you.It also explains why lots of charts showfruit as alkaline forming (the PRAL methodburns off all the sugar, the principle reasonwhy fruit is acid forming) and other inconsistencies.Method Two: The Effect on the BodyPrincipally, this approach (which my alkalinefood chart is based on) comes fromthe founding work of the major researcherof the alkaline diet Robert Young. He hasamassed a list of foods as acid-forming oralkaline-forming based upon the resultsfrom his blood work (and samples of over40,000 live blood analysis tests).This approach is then supplemented bycommon sense and the rules I’m about toteach you.why are alkaline food charts so different?

Is it Alkaline? The Easy Foolproof Test!28How would you love to be able to tell ifa food is acid or alkaline forming just bylooking at it.In the supermarket, grocery store, restaurantsor when you’re digging around in thefridge or pantry…—-> In this short, but exciting guideI am going to show you how you canaccurately decide if a food is alkalineformingor acid-forming, with a quicktest and a few simple questions.How To Instantly Tell if a Food is Acid or Alkaline:This is really simple, but darn effective.There are two types of foods, broadlyspeaking:1. Fresh2. PackagedSo you need to use your common senseand all the clues you have at your disposalto apply this test. But it’s easier than itsounds.Factors that Contribute To a Food Being Alkaline:If a food has two or three of these boxes ticked, it’s probably alkaline:• Is it Fresh: fresh foods are always morealkaline forming – they have all nutrientsstill in tact and have not beenmade acidic through processing. Thisis especially true of foods containingoils, which become toxic with exposureto heat, light and air.• What is the Mineral Content: alkalinefoods are alkaline predominantly (almostentirely) because they contain alot of alkaline minerals. The most alkalineminerals to look out for are calcium,magnesium, potassium, sodiumbicarbonate, manganese, iron.• Is It Low in Sugar: sugar is sugar andall sugar, no matter whether it’s glucose,fructose, dextrose etc. is highlyacid-forming to the body. Fruits containhigh levels of fructose and so are acidforming and should be eaten in moderation.• Is it a Vegetable: almost all vegetablesare mildy-to-very alkaline forming.• Does it Have a High Water Content:high water content foods are generallymore alkaline forming.• Is it Green: Green foods contain chlorophyllwhich is very alkaline forming.is it alkaline?

Factors That Make a Food Acidic29And if a food has ANY of these boxes ticked, it’s most likely acidic:• Does it Contain Sugar: sugar is the biggestcontributor to whether a food isacidic or alkaline. Avoid sugar as muchas possible!• Does it Contain Yeast: similar to sugar,yeast is next on the ‘avoid’ list – yeastbased foods are always acidic.• Is it Fermented: fermentation makesfoods acidic. End of. Miso, tempeh, applecider vinegar, kombucha etc. are allacid forming• Does it Contain Dairy: dairy is next onthe list! Avoid – acidic and mucousforming.• Is it Refined: the more ‘prepared’ and‘refined’ a food is, the more likely it isto be acid forming. Aim for fresh whereverpossible.• Does it Contain Gluten: gluten is one ofthe most inflammatory, acidifying substancesknown to man. Avoid glutencontainingfoods as much as possible.What This Means: Alkaline & Acid Made EasyWith this methodology, you should now be able to self-select whenever you’re on thego without your copy of my alkaline food chart handy, at a restaurant, eating out withfriends and so on!This should make your life a lot easier!is it alkaline?

www.liveenergized.comChia/SalbaQuinoaAvocado OilOlive OilCoconut OilFlax Oil/ Udo’s OilMushroomButter BeansSoy BeansWhite Haricot BeansArtificial SweetenersSyrupHerbs & Spices(Thyme, Mint, etc.)Sunflower OilGrapeseed OilOcean FishCheeseDairyAll Sprouted Beans/ SproutsGreen drinksGrassesBeet GreensWatercressCucumberKaleKelpSpinachParsleyBroccoliSprouts(soy, alfalfa etc)Sea Vegetables(Kelp, Seaweed)AvocadoBeetrootBasilCapsicum/PepperCabbageCeleryChivesCollard/Spring GreensCorianderEndiveGarlicGingerGreen BeansLettuceMustard GreensOkraOnionRadishRed OnionRocket/ArugulaTomatoEndiveChicorySnowpeasLemonLimeBuckwheatLentilsTofuGoat & Almond MilkBrazil NutsPecan NutsHazel NutsRice & Soy MilkHimalayan saltpH 9.5 alkaline waterArtichokesAsparagusBrussels SproutsCauliflowerCarrotCourgette/ZucchiniLeeksNew Baby PotatoesPeasPumpkinSwedeSquash (Butternut,Summer etc)WatercressFennelGrapefruitCoconut (fresh, milk,water, cream,yoghurt)PomegranateRhubarbFreshwater Wild FishGrains inc: (use verysparingly) --Rye BreadMilletWheatWholemeal BreadWholemeal PastaBeefChickenEggsFarmed FishPorkShellfishRice/Soy/Hemp ProteinGoat’s CheeseVegan CheeseDried FruitOats/OatmealSoybeansBuckwheat PastaBrown RiceBlack BeansChickpeas/GarbanzosKidney Beans & OtherBeansSeitanPotatoesCantaloupeNectarinePlumSweet CherryWatermelonAppleApricotBananaBlackberryBlueberryCranberryGrapesGuavaMangoMangosteenPeachPapayaStrawberryCocoaHoneyJamJellyMustardMisoTempehRice SyrupSoy SauceVinegarYeastOther CondimentsFresh, Natural JuiceAlcoholCoffee & Black TeaFruit Juice (Sweetened)HighlyAlkalineModeratelyAlkalineMildlyAlkalineNeutral/Mildly AcidicModeratelyAcidicHighlyAcidicCAN BE INCLUDED IN YOUR 20% ACIDEAT MORE EAT LESS30The At-A-Glance Acid/Alkaline Food List

31Acid & Alkaline Food ChartBeverages(Non-Alcoholic)Alkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighApple Cider VinegarApple JuiceBerry Juice BlendCarrot Juice (Fresh)Chamomile TeaCoffee (Decaf)Coffee (Espresso)ColaGinger TeaGinseng TeaGoat’s MilkGrape JuiceGrapefruit JuiceLemon JuiceMilk ShakeOrange JuicePear JuicePineapple JuiceRice Milk (Unsweetened)Root BeerSoft Drinks (Carbonated)Soy Milk (Unsweetened)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

32Acid & Alkaline Food ChartBeverages(Non-Alcoholic)Alkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighTea (Black)Tea (Green)Tea (Herbal)Tomato Juice (homemade)Vegetable JuiceWater (Most Bottled)Water (Ionized)Water (Tap)Ale (Dark)Ale (Pale)Beer (Dark)Beer (Pale)Malt LiquorScotchVodkaWine (Red)Wine (White)Spirits (Most)ACID & ALKALINE ds FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

33Acid & Alkaline Food ChartGrains & CerealsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighBarley (Whole)Barley FlourBran (Cereal)Bran (Oats)Brown RiceBuckwheat FlourBuckwheat WholeCorn (Processed)Hemp Seed FlourMaltMilletOat BranOat FlourWhole OatsQuinoaRice (Brown)Rice (White)Rice FlourRyeSoy FlourWheat Flour (White)Wheat Flour (Whole)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

34Acid & Alkaline Food ChartNuts & SeedsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighAlmondsAmaranth SeedsCardamom SeedsCashewsCelery SeedsChestnutsCoriander SeedsCumin SeedsDill SeedsFennel SeedsFlaxseedHazelnutsMacadamia NutsPeanutsPecansPine NutsPistachio NutsPumpkin SeedsQuinoa SeedsSesame SeedsSoy NutSunflower SeedsWalnutsACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

35Acid & Alkaline Food ChartFish & OtherSeafoodAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighBassClamsCrabFlounderHerringLobsterMackerelMusselsOystersPerchSalmonScallopsShrimpSnapperSwordfishTunaTroutWhitingACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

36Acid & Alkaline Food ChartFruitsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighApplesApricotsApricots (Dried)AvocadoBananasBerries (Black)Berries (Blue)Berries (Raspberry)Cherries (Sour)Coconuts (Fresh)CranberriesCranberries (Dried)CurrantsDatesDates (Dried)Figs (Dried)GrapefruitGrapesGuavaKiwi FruitLemonsLimesMandarinsMangosACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

37Acid & Alkaline Food ChartFruitsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighOlives (Green)Olives (Ripe)OrangesPapayasPeachesPearsPersimmonsPineapplesPlumsPomegranatesPrunesRaisinsRaspberriesStrawberriesTangelosTangerinesTomatoesWatermelonACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

38Acid & Alkaline Food ChartVegetablesAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighArtichokesAsparagusBarley GrassBeans (Black / Kidney)Beans (Lima)Beans (Mungi)Beans (Navy)BeetrootBeet GreensBell Pepper (Capsicum)BroccoliBrussels SproutsBurdock RootCabbage (Chinese)Cabbage (Red)Cabbage (White)CantaloupeCarrotsCauliflowerCeleryChards (Swiss)Chinese CabbageChicoryCollard GreensCorn (Fresh)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

39Acid & Alkaline Food ChartVegetablesAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighCucumberDaikon RadishDandelion GreensDill WeedEggplantEndiveGarlicGingerHopsJerusalem ArtichokesKaleKelpKohlrabiLeekLentilsLettuceLeaf LettuceLotus RootMushroomsMustard GreensOkraOnionsOther GrassesPaprikaParsleyACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

40Acid & Alkaline Food ChartVegetablesAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodParsnipsPeasPinto BeansPotatoes (with Skin)RadishesRhubarbRomaine LettuceRutabagasSalad GreensSoybeansSpinachSpring OnionSquash (Winter)SproutsSweet PotatoTomatoTurnip GreensWatercressWheatgrassYamsZucchiniHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

41Acid & Alkaline Food ChartHerbs & SpicesAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighBasilBay LeafCinnamonCoriander (Arugula)DillGingerMarjoramOreganoParsleyPepper (Black)Pepper (Cayenne)TarragonThymeTurmericACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

42Acid & Alkaline Food ChartSweetenersAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighAspartameCorn SyrupHoney (Processed)Honey (Natural)Maple SyrupMolassesRice SyrupSaccharinSteviaSugar (Brown)Sugar (White)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

43Acid & Alkaline Food ChartVarious FoodsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighAlmond ButterApple Cider VinegarAvocado OilBalsamic VinegarBee PollenButter (Regular)Butter (Grass Fed)Canola OilChocolate (Dark >80%)Chocolate (Milk)Cacao (Raw)ChlorellaCoconut OilFlaxseed OilMacadamia OilMaltMisoNori SeaweedOlive OilPeanut ButterPeanut OilSalt (Table)Salt (Sea)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

44Acid & Alkaline Food ChartVarious FoodsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighSalt (Himalayan)SeaweedSesame OilSoybean OilSpirulinaSunflower OilTahini SauceTempeh (Fermented)Tofu (Fermented)Vegetable Oils (Most)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

45Acid & Alkaline Food ChartDrinksAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighSoy Milk (unsweetened)Almond Milk(unsweetened)Coconut Milk(unsweetened)Coconut WaterFiltered WaterAlkaline, Ionized WaterCola / Soft DrinksCarbonated DrinksCow’s MilkGoat’s MilkBlack Tea (w/ Milk)Black Tea (w/o Milk)Insant CoffeeEspressoEspresso (w/ Milk)Tap WaterHerbal TeaGreen TeaWhite TeaLemon WaterLime WaterGreen Juice (no fruit)Green Smoothie (no fruit)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

46Acid & Alkaline Food ChartDrinksAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighFruit Juice (processed)Fruit Juice (fresh)Green Juice (w/ fruit)Green Smoothie (w/ fruit)BeerWineSpirits (straight)Spirits (w/ mixer)ACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

47Acid & Alkaline Food ChartMeat & MeatProductsAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighBaconBeef (Frankfurters)Beef (Hamburgers)Chicken LiverChicken MeatDuckGoatHamLambLardLiverRabbitRoast BeefSalamiSausages (Most)SteakTurkeyVealVenisonACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

48Acid & Alkaline Food ChartBaked BeansProcessedFoodsBeans (Canned)Burritos (Beef)Burritos (Chicken)Chicken NuggetsChicken SandwichChicken SoupChips (Fried)Coleslaw (Homemade)Corn ChipsCorn SyrupCorned BeefCouscous (White Flour)Crackers (Rye)Crackers (White Flour)Cranberry SauceFrench FriesFruit PiesHash BrownsHot DogsHummus (Homemade)JamKetchupLasagnaLiverwurstMacaroniMargarineAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

49Acid & Alkaline Food ChartMayonnaiseMSGProcessedFoodsMustard (Prepared)Noodles (Most)PancakesPastramiPepperoniPickle RelishPizza (Most)Popcorn (Salted)Pork SausagePotato Chips (Baked)Potato Chips (Fried)Preserves (Most)PuddingsSalad Dressing (Shop Bought)SauerkrautSoy SauceSpaghettiSweet PicklesTacosTomato Paste (Natural)Tomato SauceTortilla (Fried)Alkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

50Acid & Alkaline Food ChartBaked Productsand CakesAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighApple PieBagelsBaked PotatoBaking SodaBiscuits (Most)Bread Sticks (White)BrowniesCarrot CakeCheese CakeCookiesCroissantsDanish PastryDonutsIce Cream (All Flavors)Pita (White Flour)Pita (Whole Flour)PretzelsPuff PastryPumpernickelRye Bread (Whole)Sprouted BreadsTortillasWhite BreadWhole Wheat BreadACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

51Acid & Alkaline Food ChartDairy & CheeseAlkalising FoodAcidic FoodHigh Medium Low Low Medium HighButter (Regular)Butter (Grass-Fed)Camembert CheeseCheddar CheeseCoconut MilkCoconut CreamCoconut YoghurtCottage CheeseCreamCream (Sour)Cream CheeseEgg (Whole)Egg (White Only)GheeGoudaHard Cheese (Most)Milk (Cow's Skim)Milk (Cow's Whole)MozzarellaSkim MilkSoft CheeseSoy YoghurtACID & ALKALINE FOOD CHARTwww.liveenergized.com

52the seven mostalkaline foods

Spinach53ALL leafy greens should be eaten in abundancebut spinach is my absolute favourite becauseit’s easy to buy, easy to use in recipes andsalads and is delicious. Baby spinach or fullygrown spinach are nutritional powerhouses andare incredibly alkaline.As with all green foods, spinach is rich in chlorophyll,a potent alkaliser and blood builder.It is also super high in vitamin K, vitamin A,manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitaminc, vitamin b2, calcium, potassium, vitamin e,dietary fiber….need I go on?I doubt there is a more all round healthy foodon earth and I highly encourage you to eatspinach throughout the day, every day.Research on Spinach:Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin K – 1110% RDAVitamin A – 337.3% RDAManganese – 84% RDAFolate – 65.7% RDAMagnesium – 38% RDAIron – 35% RDAVitamin C – 31% RDAVitamin B2 – 27% RDACalcium – 25% RDAPotassium – 23% RDAVitamin E – 21% RDAFiber – 19% RDASpinach as a powerful antioxidant: Manach C,Scalbert A, Morand C, Rémésy C, Jiménez L.Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability.Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):727-47. 2004.PMID:15113710.Spinach intake and ovarian cancer reduction:Gates MA, Tworoger SS, Hecht JL, De Vivo I,Rosner B, Hankinson SE. A prospective study ofdietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelialovarian cancer. Int J Cancer. 2007 Apr 30; [Epubahead of print] 2007. PMID:17471564.Spinach intake and breast cancer: M P Longnecker,P A Newcomb, R Mittendorf, E R Greenbergand W C Willett. Intake of carrots, spinach,and supplements containing vitamin A in relationto risk of breast cancer. 1997. American Associationfor Cancer Research.Spinach and reversing motor and neuronal aging:James A. Joseph1, Barbara Shukitt-Hale1,Natalia A. Denisova1,Donna Bielinski1, AntonioMartin1, John J. McEwen1, and Paula C. Bickford.Reversals of Age-Related Declines in NeuronalSignal Transduction, Cognitive, and MotorBehavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, orStrawberry Dietary Supplementation. 1999. TheJournal of Neuroscience.

Kale54Kale is another leafy green that is widely knownfor its cancer-fighting, cholesterol-lowering,antioxidant-rich, detoxifying goodness.Less popular than spinach, but only because ithas a history of being cooked poorly (like cabbage)– when done right it is absolutely delicious(see recipes below, you’ll thank me).If you eat kale 2-3 times per week you’ll knowit. Like spinach it is massively high in vitamin k,vitamin a and vitamin c and being leafy green italso has a huge chlorophyll content.Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin K: 1327% RDAVitamin A: 354% RDAVitamin C: 88.8% RDAManganese: 27% RDAFiber: 12% RDACalcium: 11% RDAMagnesium: 11% RDAIron: 9% RDAOmgega 3: 7% RDAThe reason it is so powerful against the cancerfight is that kale contains at least four glucosinolates.I don’t want to lose you here byusing words like glucosinolates – all you needto know is that as soon as you eat and digestkale, these glucosinolates are really easily convertedby the body into cancer fighting compounds.Also quite amazing for lowering cholesterol, itshould be noted that steamed kale is more effectivefor cholesterol lowering than raw.Research on Kale:Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intakeand cancer prevention: role of nutrigenetics.Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.Angeloni C, Leoncini E, Malaguti M, et al. Modulationof phase II enzymes by sulforaphane: implicationsfor its cardioprotective potential. J AgricFood Chem. 2009 Jun 24;57(12):5615-22. 2009.Bhattacharya A, Tang L, Li Y, et al. Inhibition ofbladder cancer development by allyl isothiocyanate.Carcinogenesis. 2010 Feb;31(2):281-6.2010Higdon JV, Delage B, Williams DE, et al. CruciferousVegetables and Human Cancer Risk: EpidemiologicEvidence and Mechanistic Basis. PharmacolRes. 2007 March; 55(3): 224-236. 2007.Zhang Y. Allyl isothiocyanate as a cancer chemopreventivephytochemical. Mol Nutr Food Res.2010 Jan;54(1):127-35. 2010.

Cucumber55The beauty of cucumber is it’s water content – 95%.That is phenomenal and you won’t find that anywhereelse. It’s the daddy of water-content. Thisof course makes it an incredibly hydrating food toconsume, that ALSO contains superb amounts ofantioxidants, including the super-important lignans.These highly beneficial polyphenols have morecommonly been associated with the cruciferousvegetables, but their content in other veggies suchas cucumbers is gaining more and more attention.Cucumbers contain a right load of lariciresinol,pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol (don’t try topronounce), three lignans that have a huge andvery strong history of research in connection withreduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well asseveral cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian,and prostate cancers.The best thing about cucumber is that they providethe base for practically every alkaline soup, smoothieand juice – giving you a very alkaline, very nutritiousbase that also tastes great.Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin K: 23% RDAMolybdenum: 8% RDAVitamin C: 6% RDAPotassium: 5% RDAManganese: 5% RDAIn terms of the actual nutrient RDA per serve,cucumbers contain fair amounts of vitamins K andC, and slightly less of vitamin A and the B vitamins.Cucumbers also contain the following alkalineminerals: calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium,magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron andzinc.Research on Cucumber:Kumar D, Kumar S, Singh J, et al. Free RadicalScavenging and Analgesic Activities of Cucumissativus L. Fruit Extract. J Young Pharm. 2010Oct;2(4):365-8. 2010.Magnesium: 4%RDAMilder IEJ, Arts ICW, van de Putte B et al. Lignancontents of Dutch plant foods: a database includinglariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinoland matairesinol. Br J Nutr 2005, 93:393-402.2005.Rios JL, Recio MC, Escandell JM, et al. Inhibitionof transcription factors by plant-derived compoundsand their implications in inflammation andcancer. Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(11):1212-37.Review. 2009.Tang J, Meng X, Liu H et al. Antimicrobial activityof sphingolipids isolated from the stems ofcucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Molecules. 2010Dec 15;15(12):9288-97. 2010.

Broccoli56Broccoli is just a must. If you are serious about livingwith health, energy and vitality you simply haveto eat broccoli, if not on a daily basis, then at least 4times per week.Broccoli has been proven over and over and overagain to be incredibly powerful in inhibiting cancers,supporting the digestive system, the cardiovascularsystem, the detoxification processes in the bodyand also supporting the skin, metabolism, immunesystem, being an anti-inflammatory and providingample antioxidants.Sound good?Eaten steamed or raw its a hugely alkaline, hugelynutritious food. Please, please, please eat lots andlots of it. Put it in salads, juices, smoothies, soups…steam it with other veggies – you can even roast it ifyou’re having sunday lunch.Don’t let a meal go past without thinking to yourself“how could I get some broccoli in here?”Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin C: 135% RDAVitamin K: 115% RDAFolate: 16% RDAVitamin A: 14% RDAManganese: 10% RDADietary Fiber: 10% RDAPotassium: 8% RDAVItamin B6: 8% RDAVitamin B2: 7% RDAResearch on Broccoli:Broccoli and Cancer Prevention: John W. Finley,Clement Ip, Donald J. Lisk, Cindy D. Davis, KorryJ. Hintze, and Phil D. Whanger. Cancer-ProtectiveProperties of High-Selenium Broccoli. Cancer-Protective Properties of High-Selenium Broccoli.2001. American Chemical SocietyBroccoli and Cardiovascular Disease: LingyunWu, M. Hossein Noyan Ashraf, Marina Facci,Rui Wang,Phyllis G. Paterson, Alison Ferrie, andBernhard H. J. Juurlink. 2004. Dietary approachto attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, andinflammation in the cardiovascular system. TheProceedings of the National Academy of SciencesBroccoli and Cancer Prevention: Ambrosone CB,Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intake and cancerprevention: role of nutrigenetics. Cancer Prev Res(Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.Broccoli and Cancer Prevention: Clarke JD,Dashwood RH, Ho E. Multi-targeted prevention ofcancer by sulforaphane. Cancer Lett. 2008 OctChemo-protection and Broccoli: Konsue N, IoannidesC. Modulation of carcinogen-metabolisingcytochromes P450 in human liver by the chemopreventivephytochemical phenethyl isothiocyanate,a constituent of cruciferous vegetables.Toxicology. 2010 Feb 9;268(3):184-90. 2010.

Avocado57I eat a LOT of avocado. Not a salad, smoothie orsoup goes by without me adding at least 1/2 anavocado per person. I probably eat at least fivesevenper week, myself.Now, I know a lot of people give avocado a bad repbecause it is a high-fat food (85% of it’s caloriescome from fats) – but this is totally insane. Theseare good fats that will not make you gain weight. Ifanything, due to the high content of oleic acid (makingit an omega 9 fat and very similar to olive oil), itcan lower total cholesterol level and raise levels ofhigh-density lipoproteins (HDLs) while lowering lowdensitylipoproteins (LDLs), also known as the “bad”cholesterol. Oleic acid also slows the developmentof heart disease, and promotes the production ofantioxidants.These beneficial omega oils also help speed themetabolism, actually leading to weight loss ratherthan gain.Nutrients per 1 CupDietary Fiber: 40% RDAVitamin K: 38% RDAFolate: 30% RDAVitamin C: 24% RDAVitamin B5: 20% RDAPotassium: 20% RDAVitamin B6: 19% RDASo now we’re over the fat issue, avocado also containsa wide range of other nutrients that have seriousanti-inflammatory, heart health, cardiovascularhealth, anti-cancer, and blood sugar benefits.Containing key antioxidants such as alpha-carotene,beta-carotene, lutein, selenium and more – it isa powerful, alkaline, nutrient-dense superfood.Research on Avocado:Avocado & Adult Health: Fulgoni V, Dreher M,Davenport A. Avocado consumption associatedwith better nutrient intake and better health indicesin U.S. adults (19+ years): NHANES 2001-2006. Abstract #8514. Experimental Biology,Anaheim, CA. April 28, 2010. 2010.Avocado & Cancer: Ding H, Han C, Guo D etal. Selective induction of apoptosis of humanoral cancer cell lines by avocado extracts viaa ROS-mediated mechanism. Nutr Cancer.2009;61(3):348-56. 2009.Avocado & Cancer: Ding H, Chin YW, KinghornAD et al. Chemopreventive characteristics ofavocado fruit. Semin Cancer Biol. 2007 May 17;[Epub ahead of print] 2007. 2007.Avocado & Inflammation: Rosenblat G, Meretski S,Segal J et al. Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols derivedfrom avocado suppress inflammatory responseand provide non-sunscreen protection against UVinduceddamage in skin cells. Arch Dermatol Res.2010 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print]. 2010.

Celery58Celery, like cucumber is a favourite because it’salkaline AND really high water content, so is usedvery frequently as a base in juices and soups (not somuch smoothies as you have to juice it first…andthen you have double the washing up).One of celery’s big benefits is it’s vitamin C level,which has the well known benefits – but two of it’slesser known nutrients are phthalides which havebeen shown to lower cholesterol and coumarinswhich have been shown to inhibit several cancers.The beauty of vitamin C rich foods are that theyhelp with the most common and most challenginghealth concerns – they support the immune system,inflammation (so helps with arthritis, osteoporosis,asthma etc), and vitamin C also helps significantlywith cardiovascular health.If you are on a weight loss journey, you’ll also behappy to hear that this alkaline staple containsplenty of potassium and sodium and so is a diuretic– meaning it helps rid the body of excess fluids.Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin K: 37% RDAFolate: 9% RDAVitamin A: 9% RDAPotassium: 8% RDAMolybdenum: 7% RDADietary Fiber: 6% RDAVitamin C: 5% RDAResearch on Celery:Celery and Hypertension: Kurl S, Tuomainen TP,Laukkanen JA et al. Plasma vitamin C modifies theassociation between hypertension and risk of stroke.Stroke 2002 Jun;33(6):1568-73 2002.Celery & Cholesterol: Tsi D, Tan BK. The mechanismunderlying the hypocholesterolaemic activityof aqueous celery extract, its butanol and aqueousfractions in genetically hypercholesterolaemic RICOrats. Life Sci 2000 Jan 14;66(8):755-67 2000.

Capsicum/Bell Pepper/Pepper59The antioxidant superpower, bell pepper is one ofmy all-time-favourites because it is sweet, crunchyand refreshingly delicious. You can use it in almostany meal raw, grilled, fried, roasted and it is alwaysa winner.Here are just SOME of the antioxidants bell peppercontains:• Flavonoids– luteolin– quercetin– hesperidin• Carotenoids– alpha-carotene– beta-carotene–cryptoxanthin– lutein– zeaxanthin• Hydroxycinnamic Acids– ferulic acid–cinnamic acidOf these, the cartenoids are the most interesting.Impressively beneficial to our health cartenoidsare highly researched and get a lot of attention inthe health field…and bell peppers contain over 30different members of the carotenoid nutrient family.The only other food that is close to this is tomato…and all other foods are also-rans.Bell peppers have shown up in research relating todecreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type IIdiabetes, macular degeneration, cancer, inflammationand more.Nutrients per 1 CupVitamin C: 195.8% RDAVitamin A: 58% RDAVitamin B6: 14% RDAFolate: 11% RDADietary Fiber: 7% RDAVitamin E: 7% RDAMolybdenum: 6% RDAAlongside these lesser known or more complexnamedantioxidants, bell pepper is one of, if not thebest food source of the more common antioxidants:vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E.In fact, bell peppers contain twice as much vitaminC as oranges.Research on Bell Pepper:Pepper and Dementia: Devore EE, Grodstein F, vanRooij FJA et al. Dietary antioxidants and long-termrisk of dementia. Arch Neurol. 2010 July; 67(7): 819-825. 2010.Peppers and Antioxidants: O’Sullivan L, Jiwan MA,Daly T, O’Brien NM et al. Bioaccessibility, uptake,and transport of carotenoids from peppers (Capsicumspp.) using the coupled in vitro digestion andhuman intestinal Caco-2 cell model. J Agric FoodChem. 2010 May 12;58(9):5374-9. 2010.Pepper and Cancer: Ambrosini GL, de Klerk NH,Fritschi L et al. Fruit, vegetable, vitamin A intakes,and prostate cancer risk. Prostate Cancer ProstaticDis. 2008;11(1):61-6. 2008.

60twelvestarteralkalinerecipes

BREAKFASTS61

62Energy-DoublingBreakfast SmoothiePreparation Time: xx minutesServes: 4InstructionsIngredients• 1/2 a ripe avocado• 2 handfuls of spinach• 1 handful of kale• ½ cucumber• 200ml almond milk• 3 tbsp coconut oil• 50g soaked almonds• 25g soaked cashews• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds• 1 tbsp chia seeds1. If you are reading this a few hours(at least) before you’re going tomake this energy-booster, start bysoaking your almonds and cashewsfor at least an hour or so, preferablyovernight. If you want to make itnow, try to soak them for at least 20minutes!2. Start the blending with the avocado,liquids and cucumber3. Next add the oil and the leaves4. Finally add the soaked nuts, theseeds and blend at a high speeduntil smooth

63Chai-InfusedQuinoa PorridgePreparation Time: 15 minutesServes: 2InstructionsFirst prepare the quinoa to the packetinstructions OR follow the excellent adviceon cooking light fluffy quinoa hereat TheKitchnOnce the quinoa is cooked and drained,add it back to the saucepan and stirin the chai spices (cinnamon, ginger,nutmeg and cloves if you’ve done themin a pestle and mortar) and add thecoconut cream or milk and throw in thescraped out vanilla pod (or add the dropor two of vanilla essence).Ingredients• 1 cup of dry quinoa (pref organic)• 2 cups of water (pref alkaline)• 1 stick of cinnamon (or 1/2 teaspoon)• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 inchpiece of fresh root ginger finely grated• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg(pref fresh grated)• 1/2 cup of coconut cream or milk(depending on how creamy you want it)• 1/2 lemon skin grated (or lime)• 1 vanilla bean pod or vanilla essenceSprinkle (half a handful) of assorted nutsand seeds to your likingOptional: coconut yoghurtOptional: cloves, groundOptional: 1 grated apple (if transitioning)You can pick either the milk or creamdepending on how creamy and thickyou want it.When it’s ready, grate in the apple ifyou’re using it – right at the end.Warm through and then serve in a bigbowl. To serve, add the lemon rind gratedonto the top and sprinkle with extraground cinnamon. Finally throw on theseeds and nuts (I recommend sesameseeds with this especially).As an indulgent extra, you can alsoserve with a dollop of coconut yoghurt,which is alkaline and JUST DELICIOUS!Eat while it’s hot!

64Baked Bean SalsaBrekkiePreparation Time: 15 minsServes: 2InstructionsIngredients• 1 can of haricot beans (pref. organic)• 4 spring onions• 6 cherry tomatoes• 1 handful of basil• 2 handfuls of spinach• 2 cloves of garlic• 1 avocado• ½ lemon• Olive oil• Himalayan salt & black pepperRoughly chop the spring onions, halvethe cherry tomatoes, and finely chopthe garlic. Now, in a reasonably sizedfrying pan, bring a little water to the boil(maybe 50ml or less) and ‘steam fry’the garlic for one minute. Now throw inthe cherry tomatoes, haricot beans andspring onions until everything softens.Next add the basil and spinach until it iswilted and season with Himalayan saltand black pepper.While this is cooking prepare a sidesalad and halve the avocado and voila.Serve the bean salsa mix with salad andthe halved avocado, with lemon andolive oil drizzled all over.

LUNCH !65

66Kale Slaw & CreamyDressingPreparation Time: 15 minutesServes: 2For the dressing:1 cup of raw cashews, soakedovernight1 cup of vegetable stock1 clove of garlicIngredients• 1 bunch Tuscan, Cavalo Nero or Curly kale,thick stems removed and leaves thinlysliced• 4 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1small head), quartered and cored)• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced• 1 large red bell pepper (capsicum), cored,seeded and thinly sliced• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds• ½ bunch of coriander, roughly chopped• ¼ cup sesame seeds• 1 inch piece of root ginger, sliced thinly123456Start by shredding the kale andred cabbage and place this into alarge salad bowlNext add the thinly sliced onion,bell pepper, coriander, seeds andthe gingerToss these ingredientsNext, make the cashew dressingby blending these ingredients togetheron high until smooth. Youcan either add the stock warm tomake a warm dressing, or allow itto cool first. Note: if you have apowerful blender you will not needto soak the cashews overnight.Add more stock or more cashewsto get your desired consistency.Stir the dressing through the slawand serve!

67Anti-InflammatorySoupPreparation Time: xx minutesServes: 4InstructionsIngredients• 200g Pumpkin, roughly chopped• 4 Carrots, roughly chopped• 1 Sweet Red Potato, roughly chopped• 4 Tomatoes, roughly chopped• 3 Cloves Garlic• 1tsp Mustard Seeds• 1 Red Onion• 300ml Vegetable Stock• 200ml Coconut Cream• 1 Handful of Fresh Coriander (Cilantro),roughly chopped• 1 Inch Fresh Turmeric Root• 1 Inch Fresh Ginger Root• 1/2 Red Pepper (Capsicum/Bell Pepper)• 1 Cup of Lentils• Coconut Oil1. Start by chopping the red onion, garlic, ginger(peeled) and turmeric (peeled) roughly.2. Gently heat a little coconut oil in a pan andvery gently get the onion started, and onceit’s cooking a little, add the turmeric, ginger,mustard seeds and garlic – being careful notto burn the garlic.3. Now add the root veggies (carrot, pumpkin,sweet potato), the red pepper and the tomatoesand stir it all around to coat the veggiesin the oil and flavours (you should be able tosmell that delicious turmeric now)4. Add the stock and then add the lentils.If you’re using dried lentils, you will needto add an extra 50ml of stock to allow foran additional 10 mins cooking time, butif you’re using tinned lentils (please buyorganic), add them now and move onto thenext step.5. Turn the heat down to simmer and let all ofthe veggies soften and the lentils cook.6. Once everything has softened, add thecoconut cream and chopped cilantro (coriander)and then transfer to a blender andblend until smooth7. This will stay nice and warm for about anhour in the blender jug, but if you want, youcan return to the pan to keep warm8. To make the optional topping (which I’vefound really nice and a delicious extra textureto the soup), simply roughly smash upthe cashews on a chopping board under aknife, and cook with the pumpkin seeds in alittle coconut oil with the minced garlic untilit’s warmed through and a little browned.9. Serve the soup in bowls with a sprig ofcilantro, a drizzle of coconut cream and thecashew topping (with optional chilli) andLOVE it

68Cool Summer SaladPreparation Time: xx minutesServes: 2InstructionsFirstly, get the quinoa cooked and out of theway. The rough guide is to mix one part quinoato five parts water, so do this (unless you packsays otherwise), bring to a boil and then simmersuper-gently until the water has absorbed.Next, you have two options with the beetrootand carrot. If you have a Spiral Slicer use thisto make carrot and beetroot spirals, but if notthen you will want to grate them with a standardcheese grater into a bowl. Once grated, presswith some kitchen roll/towel to get rid of someof the excess moisture.Ingredients• A little box/punnet of cherry tomatoes(or about 15)• 1 serve as per your pack instructions ofquinoa (about 1/2 a cup dry I estimate)• 1 carrot• 1 avocado• 1 beetroot• A handful of baby peas• A handful of basil• A good pinch of sage leaves• A pinch of healthy salt (Celtic, Himalayan etc)• A pinch of black pepper• A dressing of olive oil with lemon juice –mix to suit your tasteWhile you’re spiralising or grating have the babypeas steaming gently for a few minutes to cookthrough and then put aside.Slice or dice your avocado as you like and thenmix all of this into a large bowl with the herbs(which you can roughly chop or rip) and set it allaside while you sort out yer’ tomatoes!Now, you’re going to be grilling the tomatoes(surprise!) so chop them in half and drizzle witholive oil and place under the grill for about 5minutes until they start to just blacken and arewarmed.With the tomatoes done you can mix it all upinto a big bowl and dress with the olive oil andlemon juice.There you have it – colorful, nutrition-ful andflavourful!Optional extra: you can add some fresh chilli,thinly sliced to spice it up if you want! I do!

DINNERS69

70Raw Pad ThaiPreparation Time: 15 minutesServes: 2InstructionsIngredients• 3 medium courgettes (zucchini)• 3 large carrots• 2 spring onions, chopped (alsoknown as green onions, scallions)• 1 cup shredded red cabbage• ½ packet of beansprouts• 1 cup cauliflower florets• 1 bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro,chopped roughlySauce• ¼ cup tahini• ¼ cup almond butter• ¼ cup tamari• 1 tsp coconut sugar• 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice• 1 clove garlic, minced• 1 inch of ginger root, grated12345First, prepare the carrot and courgette‘noodles’ by using either aspiralizer or mandolin. If you don’thave either of these, use a vegetablepeeler to make slices of thezucchini and carrot and then use asharp knife to slice these into verythin strips.Put these into a large bowl withthe spring onions, shredded cabbage,beansprouts (thoroughlywashed), cauliflower and coriander.Now prepare the sauce by blendingthe tahini, almond butter,tamari, coconut sugar, lime/lemonjuice, garlic and grated ginger.Add a little water if needed – this isa very thick sauce.Finally, mix the sauce into the bowland get everything evenly coated.Serve with a sprig of coriander andan extra little squeeze of lemon orlime!

71Alkaline ThaiGreen CurryPreparation Time: 40 minutesServes: 2InstructionsIngredients• 2 spring onions• Broccoli• 1/4 cauliflower• 1 carrot sliced• 125ml coconut milk• Handful of coriander• Large finger of ginger• 1 stick of lemongrass• 1-2 chillies• 2 limes• Asian greens (bok choi etc)• 1 teaspoon of green curry paste• Cubes of firm tofu (optional)• Soba noodles or brown rice.12345Juice the lime, slice and bash thelemongrass, slice the gingerand roughly chop the coriander.Mix together and allow to infuse.Next thinly slice the spring onionand carrot, cut the broccoli andcauliflower and steam fry alongwith the Asian greens and tofu ifdesired.Once steamed (five mins) addthe infused chilli, lime and lemongrass,coconut milk and paste.Gently simmer for five minutesand serve either alone or withsoba noodles or brown ice.Optional: grate the lime beforejuicing and use as a garnish whenserving.

72Tuscan BeanSoupPreparation Time: 35 minutesServes: 6InstructionsIngredients• 2 Tbs (30mL) olive oil• 1 medium onion, chopped• 2 stalks celery, chopped• 4 cloves garlic, chopped• 3 cups (680g) chopped tomatoes• 6 cups (900g) tinned cannelini beans• 5 cups (1.25L) water• 1/2 tsp (3g) Himalayan Salt• Freshly ground pepper, to taste• 1 cup (75g) spelt pasta shells, or othersmall pasta shape• 1/4 cup (9g) fresh basil leaves, coarselychoppedFirstly, you need to steam fry the onions,celery, and garlic until tender. Dothis in a few spoons of water in a largepan. Once it is all nice and tender youcan add the chopped tomatoes (juicen’ all) and warm this over a medium tolow heat, breaking up the tomatoes sothat it is all chunked down in nice smallchunks. Cook this all together for aboutfifteen to twenty minutes.Now you can add the lovely creamytexturedcannelini beans, the water,salt, pepper and cook over a mediumlowheat for another twenty minutes.Once the beans are soft you’re good.Now you can add the spelt pasta andcook for another ten minutes until it is aldente.Once the soup has cooled a little bit,stir in the olive oil and add the basilleaves.

SNACKS73

74Crispy Cauliflower‘Buffalo Wings’Preparation Time: 45 minutesServes: 4InstructionsFirstly, get the oven heated to 230 degrees(450f).Now in a bowl, mix together the flour,water, garlic powder and salt and whiskthis until it is like a smooth batter.Toss through the cauliflower and thenbake for around 15-20 minutes, giving ashuffle around half way through.If you’re making your own barbequesauce as per the ingredients above, thisis what you’ll do while the cauliflower iscooking:Ingredients• 1 head of cauliflower, choppedor snapped down into bite-sized pieces• 1 cup of chickpea (garbanzo) flour• 1 cup of water• 1 tsp of garlic powder• 1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan salt(finely ground)Warm the coconut oil in a pan over lowheat and then add the onion, garlic, coriander,cumin, allspice and cayenne.Cook these together for about four tofive minutes and then add the lemonjuice.After another minute or so add thetomato sauce, mustard and Worcestershiresauce and 250ml of water.Turn up the heat to a medium level andseason with fresh Himalayan salt andblack pepper and once it’s almost boiling,reduce the heat again and simmerfor 10-15 minutes.Once it has thickened, allow it to cool alittle and then blend smooth.

75Coconut EnergyBallsPreparation Time: 10 minutesServes: 16 ballsInstructionsIngredients• 1/4 cup cold pressed coconut oil,room temperature• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup• 1/3 cup organic cacao or purecocoa powder• Pinch of sea salt• 1 cup raw pecans or walnuts,soaked and dehydrated• 2/3 cup organic shreddedunsweetened coconut123456In a bowl, mix together the coconutoil, maple syrup and cacaopowder. Stir and press the oil untilthoroughly blended.Toss the remaining ingredients inand stir together.Layout a sheet of wax paper on aplate.Then, with your hands, form mixtureinto 3/4-inch round balls.Freeze each plateful of balls for 15minutes.To preserve them nicely keep themrefrigerated.

76Alkaline Home-BakedPumpkin BreadPreparation Time: 30 minutesServes: 2InstructionsIngredients• 1 small pumpkin• 300g gluten-free flour• 2 tsp baking powder• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning• 2 tbsp of oil (udo’s choice, hempoil, flax oil etc)• 50-75ml of water12345First and foremost, the oven mustbe preheated to 200C (or gasmark 6). Once this has preheated,put the entire pumpkin ontoa baking tray and bake for at least40-50 minutes or until thepumpkin has become quite soft.Cool the pumpkin (still on the tray)for at least half and hour.Remove the skin from the pumpkin,cut out the stalk and removethe seeds. Mash the pumpkin well,and then stir in the remainingingredients.Next, put the pumpkin onto afloured surface and knead until themixture becomes sponge-like. If itfeels too sticky, add a littlemore water.Shape the mixture into a circularloaf shape and place on alightly oiled baking tray. Make apattern in the top of the loafsuch as a cross.Bake for 30-40 minutes or untildone (you can tell by tapping thebase of the loaf - if it sounds hollow,it is ready).

Simple Steps toGet Started78

How to Get Alkaline As Quickly &Easily As Possible79My approach to coaching the alkalinediet is based around a five keyprinciples:1. Trying to be perfect from the startleads to failure in 90% of cases – goeasy on yourself!2. For the first month, focus on the20% of actions that make 80% of thedifference3. Take it slowly, baby-steps, day-bydayand celebrate each success5. If you have a bad day, don’t giveup – take time to think what happenedand start again right this minute!If you want to get alkaline, see it as alonger-term shift, rather than a quickdiet fix.If you can take it slow and start to incorporatethese tips into your daily lifestyle,it becomes a habit and secondnature, rather than feeling like workevery day.4. Give yourself a cheat day, or relaxevery now and then – treat yourself!Getting Alkaline & Energized in FiveSimple Steps:Step One: Going GreenGoing green is so important becauseit gets a huge amount of chlorophyllinto your body.Chlorophyll has the power to regenerateour bodies at the molecular andcellular level and is known to helpcleanse the body, fight infection, helpheal wounds, and promote the healthof the circulatory, digestive, immune,and detoxification systems.Chlorophyll consumption increasesthe number of red blood cells andtherefore, increase oxygen utilizationby the body.Chlorophyll also reduces the bindingof carcinogens to DNA in the liver andother organs.It also breaks down calcium oxalatestones for elimination, which are createdby the body for the purpose ofneutralizing and disposing of excessacid.So getting a big injection of chlorophyllinto your diet is hugely important tohelp you get alkaline!

80As per point two, above in my five priciples– you have to focus on the small,simple stuff that has the most impactand in my opinion, getting green foodsin is the single most powerful thing youcan do to dramatically change yourhealth, energy and vitality.You have to get greens in and while thismay seem daunting – here are a fewsuggestions to make it a LOT easier andless intimidating:Have a salad with every meal:Carry on eating what you’d normallyhave eaten, but just add a side salad(no unhealthy dressings though!). ThisTOTALLY takes the pressure off but thecumulative effect of having several saladsa day will have a big impact.Disguise green foods:You can shave broccoli heads with aknife over foods or into pasta sauce givingyou heaps of broccoli, but you can’tsee, taste or smell it. OR wilt spinachdown with a little butter, salt and pepper– this gives you a HUGE amount ofspinach in just a couple of mouthfuls.OR make pasta sauce by blendingtomatoes with steamed pumpkin, broccoli,spinach, watercress etc. When it’sall blended down it still tastes very richand tomato-ey, but you’ve got a heap ofgreen foods in there too!Get into Sprouts:Sounds weird but it’s SO worth it –sprouts are sprouted seeds of plantssuch as broccoli which, when harvestedat the sprout stage, contain all (or more)of the nutritional content of the fullygrown plant – this means you can easilyeat one handful and get a HUGE hitof nutrients. I’ve blogged heaps aboutsprouts (and have a guide coming) soclick here to read all about sprouts.Making sure you up your green foodconsumption from 0-1 times per day to3-5 times per day is easy and it will blowyour mind the difference it makes. Yourbody will thank you, I can absolutely assureyou.Step Two: Get Oiled Up!This is another really easy fix and issomething 90% of people are notcurrently doing:You HAVE to get at LEAST 2 tablespoonsof Omega 3 EVERY dayEating more oily fish is great for thehealth benefits this can bring, butyou’d have to eat a really silly amountto get enough omega 3 – and thisgoes twofold for eating nuts andseeds to get enough omega 3.Omega 3 deficiency was named in aHarvard Medical School researchpaper as being the 6th Biggest Killer inthe USA – yes it’s that important.It’s critical for our health, energy,metabolism, cardiovascular system,eyes, hair, skin, digestive system…everything – yet around 90% of peoplein the Western world are chronicallydeficient.If you change nothing else but add 2tablespoons (30ml) of omega 3 to yourdiet you will really see a massive differencein your body.

I really recommend a supplement toensure you get enough and Udo’sChoice is my personal favourite.If you want to learn more about Fats& Oils I really recommend Udo’s websitehere and also check this article Iwrote on oils back in April 2011: WhyEssential Fatty Acids are So Essentialwhich you can find on my blog.This is another 80/20 suggestion – itis SO easy to just have 30ml of omega3 every day (even if you just buystraight flax oil and use this in salads)but it will make a HUGE difference.Note: Omega 6 and 9 are also importantbut we tend to get enough ofthose through consumption of oliveoils, vegetable oils etc - for now focuson omega 3..I also strongly recommend adding atleast a teaspoon of coconut oil toyour daily diet too.It has now become completely confirmedthrough research what we hadbeen thinking in the natural healthworld for some time: that this saturatedfat is GOOD for you, and the bodyneeds it to thrive!Coconut oil is the healthiest oil to cookwith as it doesn’t become toxic whenexposed to heat, light and air like otheroils - so an easy way to get your tspper day is to just use it in cooking.It has been proven to speed metabolism,strengthen heart health, reduceoxidation in the body, fight inflammation,encourage unwanted fat to shift,ease digestion, support the immunesystem and stop sugar cravings!81Step Three: HydrationMost people are living their liveschronically dehydrated. Unless youare drinking at least 3 litres of clean,pure water every day, you’re in thatcategory.It turns out that most minor ailmentsincluding fatigue, many digestiveissues, reflux, candida, headaches,low immunity and frequent colds,low libido, bad skin, foggy thinkingand more are all a direct symptom ofchronic dehydration.In fact, when I first start working withsomeone and they tell me how theyonly drink 2-3 glasses of water perday it makes me jump for joy.Not because I’m mean or weird. Butbecause I KNOW what a huge, instantimpact it is going to make for them tostart properly hydrating!They will literally get instant results -and so could you.It is widely considered that just a 5%drop in body fluids can lead to a 25-30% loss of energy. This could be ahuge problem, but it’s so easy to fix!You simply have to start drinking aminimum of 3 litres of water (100 fl oz)every day.

This may sound a lot, but really itisn’t when you break it down over thecourse of the day.As a rough rule I tend to drink:1) 500ml of lemon water when I wakeup2) 500ml before I prepare lunch & dinner(linking drinking to tasks helps meremember)3) a 300ml glass after I brush myteeth morning and night4) 500ml glass during my morningwork & 500ml during the afternoon5) PLUS at least three cups of herbaltea during the day and evening.This alone totals 4 litres, and it’s nothard or a big deal.And if you’re worried about trips tothe bathroom? I admit, the first weekyou’ll be peeing more often than normal,but after that this goes awaypretty quickly.And you can mix it up too. Check outmy blog post on flavouring your waterhere and on the top herbal teas here.82Get the Full Definitive Guide to Alkaline WaterCLICK HEREStep Four: Juices & SmoothiesThis is without question the fastestway to get an abundance of nutrientsinto your body - and it makes a hugedifference.Honestly, just starting out by committingto a daily green juice or smoothieyou will REALLY feel it and you’ll seethe difference in the mirror.And while most people think it’s apain to make a juice or smoothie andthen clean up - it really takes lessthan 8-10 minutes from start to finish.Investing that 8-10 minutes of your1440 minutes you have each day reallyis worthwhile.0.5% of your day to this, right?The most important thing to rememberhere is to include very, very little orpreferably no fruit in your juices andsmoothies.Stick to green foods, and as manyleafy greens as possible.For juices think cucumber, celery, spinach,kale, watercress, lettuce, carrots,tomatoes, beets and so on.For smoothies think along those samelines, but add avocado, coconut milk,coconut water, cacao and things likechia seeds for more bulk.

83And that’s all there is to it!Remember, getting alkaline is all about feeding your body with thenourishment it needs to thrive. When you give your body this abundanceof nutrients it will repay you a hundred-fold.I hope this guide has given you the framework and simple steps soyou can get started today, without feeling overwhelmed or confused.My passion is to get people living energized and feeling alive.And from my twelve years experience of teaching and coachingthis stuff I can tell you, if you follow the steps I’ve outlined, stickto getting the good stuff in first (before you worry about the bad),live 80/20 and get green, hydrated, oiled and juiced - you will se aHUGE difference.It’s simple! So let’s keep in touch, stay alkaline & live energized!Ross