Are You Getting Enough Alkaline Foods in Your Diet?

I have this conversation about food with my dearest friend through YM (add me: suealeen40) somewhere around April last year. She was having a stomachache after she returned from her lunch. We're trying to figure out why and what she ate during her lunch, plus how to solve her problem.

We talked and talked until we reached this kind of conversations:

Saya (me) : sakit perut lagi ke.. ke dah baik dah dok sembang2 ni
RM : sakit la..
RM : dah ada rasa mcm nak muntah sbb sakit perut
Saya : ke ko ambik makanan banyak angin
Saya : ada ambik air gas ka?
Saya : ko makan apa tadi selain nanas
RM : tak..tadi tgh hari aku mkn nasi lauk sayur taugeh, telur itik masak lemak, daging goreng (I ate rice + bean sprout + duck egg (in coconut gravy), fried meat)

RM : then aku beli buah nanas (then I bought and ate slices of pineapple)

Saya : taugeh tu pun bleh jadi menyebab pedih perut kot

RM : aku minum lime juice

RM : nasi = asid, taugeh = asid, telur = asid, santan=asid, daging=asid, nanas=alkali, lime=asid (rice=acid, bean sprout=acid, egg=acid, coconut gravy=acid, meat=acid, pineapple=alkaline)

RM : lime=alkali (lime=alkaline)

RM : so..perut aku terlebih asid (so, I've consumed more acidic foods than alkaline)

Saya : kan senang cari root cause camni (it's easier to find the root cause like this)

RM : tu ler..bukan aku sakit sbb nak buang (it's not about going to poop or something like that)

RM : imbalance diet (it's because of an imbalance diet)

Saya : telur asid ka

Saya : aku tengok telur dalam tu alkali

Saya : arghh pening

RM : tadi table tu kata telur/susu/product berasaskan susu sumer acid based

RM : #-o

Saya : telur = alkali, susu = asid, dairy product = asid la

Saya : cuba ko tengok balik

Saya : tapi kalo dah sakit perut mana nak lalu makan telur

RM : hmm..aa'h..

Saya : ada air mineral? (do you have a bottle of mineral water?)

Saya : cuba minum air mineral (try to drink mineral water)

RM : ada (yes, I've)

RM : air mineral alkali eh? (is it alkaline?)

Saya : ha'ah (yep)

During the conversations, we searched for the following as our sources:-

1-http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html

2-http://www.thefruitpages.com/citrus.shtml

3-http://www.mpib.gov.my/v1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=68

4-http://web.sahabathijjaz.net.my/viewtopic.php?p=22400

5-http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/foodchart.htm

You can read the rest of our conversations here. After reading the chart, I have increased my awareness on my daily intake.

This is not as difficult or as technical as it sounds. When we talk about eating alkaline foods or starting an alkaline diet we are referring to consuming those foods and drink which have an alkaline effect on the body. This effect is based upon the mineral content of the food and therefore the ash residue that remains after our foods are consumed. Some foods leave an acid ash, whereas others leave an alkaline ash. Conveniently for us, it just so happens that the foods that contain alkaline minerals (and leave an alkaline ash) are all the foods we already know are good for us: low sugar foods, fresh vegetables etc. And the foods that contain minerals that leave an acid ash? You guessed it, sweets, alcohol, saturated fats, meats, dairy etc.

Of course, everybody is different - but most of us should aim to eat 70-80% alkaline foods and a maximum of 20-30% acid forming foods. Even in term of to feed your babies, you should consider this.

This does not have to be measured in calories, grams or anything technical, just look at your plate! Is 70% of the food on it alkalising? And for the other 30%? You can do with this what you like (how acid is up to you - dependent upon the results you want), but feel free to go for some oily fish, wholemeal pasta or wild rice for example.

Maintaining a pH Balance is vital to our health:

'Your health depends on an alkaline environment, created by eating foods such as tomatoes, avocados and green vegetables...striking the optimum 80/20 balance and regulating your body's acid/alkaline chemistry through simple changes in diet can result in weight loss, increased stamina and strength,a stronger immune system and a greater sense of wellbeing.'

Dr Robert O. Young, Pioneering scientist and author of The pH Miracle (click here for Dr Young's Supplements)

Try to cross check your menu today. Especially for your lunch and dinner. As for Syafiah, the menu for her today is blended rice (acid) with boiled mackerel (acid) + carrot (alkaline) + spinach (alkaline). I somehow add spirulina in her meal or milk.

p/s : Our classmate, Anas, has accidently sucked a kind of alkaline through pipette when we've a lab test during our school years. I can't imagine how would it be if he sucked hydrochloric acid at that moment. Surely it would turn out to be something else. An event to be remembered!