Trying out some Alkaline Recipes is a great first step toward a healthier lifestyle. The Alkaline diet has long been known to decrease the chances of disease and boost energy. These great benefits are achieved by giving your body the nutrients it needs to work at its optimum potential.
The term “Alkaline” in dieting is used to point out foods that are “alkaline-forming” once metabolized by the body. Different foods are categorized as alkaline-forming or acid-forming. By eating a wealth of alkaline-forming foods and staying away from acid-forming foods, the alkaline diet can help reduce the chances of developing certain diseases.
Examples of such diseases are osteoporosis, inflammation, urinary tract issues, digestive problems, and a host of other diseases. Eating alkaline foods gives your body the tools it needs to maintain a healthy state. Maintaining an alkaline lifestyle can even help with cancer prevention. Check your body alkalinity often and keep track of where you are. We know for certain that alkaline-based foods are healthier options. So using these alkaline diet recipes will improve your overall health and lifestyle.
What is Required of the Alkaline Diet?
When following an alkaline diet, knowing what to eat can sometimes take some time to figure out. An easy rule of thumb is to follow the 80/20 rule. When choosing your meals, 80% of the foods that are eaten on the diet should be alkaline foods and the other 20% can be low to medium acidic foods. Highly acidic foods are not recommended.
So how do you figure out which foods are alkaline and which are acidic or even highly acidic??
Well, that’s the problem that most people have when starting an alkaline diet… learning what foods to eat!
A lot of the food charts out there have confusing information, especially when it comes to fruit. We use a food guide that designates the alkalinity of foods based on blood tests done on hundreds of people. This method checks the food’s effect on body alkalinity after it has been metabolized by the body. We feel this is the most accurate way to check the alkalinity of food.
You can find our online food list here. It’s a list of common foods that tells you which ones are alkaline and which are acidic. Sort common foods by alphabetical order or by their alkalinity/acidity level. This is useful when shopping for ingredients for your meals and alkaline recipes.
Finding a balance is the most difficult part of this journey. You do not have to give up everything. Moderation is key. For instance, you do not have to ditch your morning cup of coffee to maintain a healthy balance.
Making the Transition from Acidic to Alkaline
One of the hardest parts of any dieting plan is transitioning over to it. We have a specific mindset imbedded in us right now. Food companies have spent lots of money to make us believe that processed foods taste better. What has actually happened is that our taste buds have gotten used to these foods. Once you start eating whole foods, you will realize that they actually taste so much better. But we have to get there first and that’s hard!
Simple Tips to Get you Started
- Always keep things simple. Most people try to overcomplicate their diet. They end up frustrated and annoyed. There is not even a need to count calories at first. Just focus on filling your plate with alkaline-based foods and work from there.
- Drink plenty of water. Hydration is the key to any diet. Most people spend most of their morning dehydrated. There is actually a quick fix for this and it works! Squeeze some lemon juice into a glass of water and drink it. Do this first thing every morning. It offsets dehydration you accumulate while sleeping and provides a boost of alkalinity.
- Never deprive yourself. It doesn’t work! You have to slowly remove foods. Do not take them all away at once. Slowly work toward that 80/20 ratio.
- Do not depend on willpower alone. Remove all unhealthy foods from your home. If you keep unhealthy foods close to you, you will eventually cave. There are many yummy alkaline-friendly recipes you can use to replace the junk food. We will share some below! In addition, check out our Instagram or Facebook page for delicious alkaline recipes daily.
- Remove the junk. Slowly remove processed and packaged foods.
- Exercise daily. I know this is part of every diet. I’ve seen so much advice given about what the best exercise is. But do you know the best exercise? It’s the one that you’ll actually do! Just stay active and you’ll be fine.
- Take action today! Knowledge is powerful but it’s pointless if you don’t take action. Find one action that you can take and do it today.
You are responsible for your own health. Make changes that are working towards a long-term goal. Then decide to stick with those choices and keep track of them.
So, what’s next???
We’re going to show you some recipes to make this transition easier!
Start your Day Off with a Smoothie!
Smoothies serve as a wonderful dietary tool that can be used to detox your body. They also present an amazing opportunity to put greens into your diet. Plus they give you an alkaline boost so you can get off on the right track.
Energy-boosting smoothies are our favorite choice because they can replace coffee. Most people don’t even realize how much energy is going to waste with their poor choices. Get your fiber, antioxidants, and immune boosters all from the same amazing source.
Strawberry & Spinach Super Smoothie
This refreshing Strawberry-Spinach smoothie will help keep you energized throughout the whole day. Like blueberries, strawberries are also rich in antioxidants that help fight chronic diseases. Spinach and other leafy greens are the pillars of alkaline foods due to their high alkalinity content. Other health benefits include bone health, aiding digestion, and preventing chronic & heart diseases.
Coconut water’s antioxidant properties help reduce inflammation and prevent kidney stones.
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup strawberries
- 1 lime
- A cup of coconut water
- 1 tbsp hemp seed
Prep
- Put all the ingredients in a blender
- Blend them until smooth. Note: Don’t place the whole lime in the blender. Instead, squeeze the juice out of it.
- You can add some stevia to sweeten the smoothie.
Serving Size: 1
Blueberry Delight Alkaline Smoothie
Blueberries are great anti-oxidants. They are also one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can find. The antioxidants help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Blueberries make a great addition to any alkaline smoothie. This blueberry breakfast smoothie will boost your energy and keep you feeling fuller longer:
Ingredients
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 tbsp raw almond butter
- A handful of spinach
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- A cup of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp hemp seed powder
Prep
- Blend the ingredients and your smoothie will be ready. Note that you can replace the coconut milk with hemp milk, depending on your preference.
Serving Size: 1
Find more alkaline smoothie recipes here:
Super-Easy Green Alkaline Smoothies
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
(Image Source: http://www.alkalinesisters.com/spelt-and-vanilla-vegan-pancakes-on-why-we-wait-to-improve-our-lifestyle-when-cancer-lurks/2125/)
It’s important to get your day off to a positive start. Breakfast is one of the best ways to do that. The Western diet breakfast choices are highly acidic. No wonder most people find themselves out of energy by lunch. These alkaline diet breakfast recipes are both healthy and filling.
Breakfast Alkaline Diet Recipes
Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Strawberry Coco Chia Quinoa Breakfast (We recommend skipping the dates in this recipe. Reduce the amount of strawberries to ¼ cup to reduce the sugar content).
Apple and Almond Butter Oats (For this recipe we don’t recommend using an entire grated apple. Only use a few pieces of grated apple to garnish. Also, try to eat the high sugar fruits in moderation).
If you are in a hurry, you can always grab a yogurt made from coconut or almond milk. They are an easy and quick alkaline breakfast food.
Lunch & Dinner Make up Most of Your Dietary Intake
These alkaline diet lunch and dinner recipes will make up a large portion of your everyday diet. In a lot of cases, you can use leftovers from dinner to make the next day’s lunch if you are in a rush. These two meals are going to make up most of your food intake. You need to find ways to pile on the greens. Don’t worry though! We’ve got you covered.
(Image Source: http://www.thenewpotato.com/2015/11/01/zucchini-pasta-recipe/)
Lunch & Dinner Alkaline Recipes
Melted Tomatoes & Greens with Sprouted Lentils
Quinoa Burrito Bowl (Only use Quinoa(not rice)for the base of the burrito bowl)
Green Goddess Bowl with Avocado Cumin Dressing
Some Delicious Dessert Alkaline Recipes for you
One of the pain points for diets is that people feel they have to give up their desserts. What happens when we have an urge for dessert?
The key to a successful lifestyle change is to never fight against your urges. Willpower is going to eventually fail. That’s why we develop ways of eliminating the need for willpower altogether.
One trick is to make healthy desserts that can act as delicious substitutes to what you are used to. Just remember that even healthy desserts must be enjoyed in moderation.
Dessert Alkaline Recipes
Raw Cacao, Pistachio & Almond Bliss Balls
Raw Chocolate Truffles (Eat in moderation. For an occasional treat only).
Healthy Vegan Chocolate Mousse
For more alkaline recipes daily, follow our Facebook or Instagram page.
How Do You Track Your Body’s Alkalinity?
These alkaline diet recipes will help you kick off your new lifestyle. But you will need to take it from there. Just remember that it’s a marathon and not a race. Long-term changes happen gradually. Now that you are on your way to an alkaline journey, how can you be sure that the dietary changes you are making are working?
One way is to check your body’s overall pH and see if it is getting more alkaline. You can easily do this by tracking the pH of your urine or saliva on a daily basis. pH test strips are an easy and inexpensive way to track your body’s alkalinity over time. Alternatively, you can just pay attention to how you feel. Do you have more energy? Are you losing weight? Do you feel better overall? You should start feeling the difference in your body as time goes on.
The Key to Lifelong Change
As with any diet, you may find naysayers who try to debunk the alkaline diet. Just remember one thing: this diet puts your focus on nutrient-rich, plant-based foods. It eliminates processed foods and high sugar intake. That alone automatically makes it healthier than the typical Western diet. If anything, you’ll develop better eating habits. It’s going to lead you on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
Elena Daisley is a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist (MT, ASCP certified) with over 10 years of experience in the medical field. She holds bachelor’s degrees in both Biology and Laboratory Science from the University of Central Florida. Elena enjoys helping others on their journey to healthier living.
