Dr. Lori Shemek is back again to share her 5 easy steps to living alkaline. Dr. Lori is the best-selling author of books such as The Ketogenic Key, Fire Up Your Fat Burn and Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting. Dr. Lori is a certified nutritional consultant and weight loss expert who spreads awareness of the negative effects of inflammation. Enjoy!!
The majority of people on a global scale are sedentary and eating an inflammatory, acidic diet. The average person’s intake of processed, refined foods such as the Western diet is promoting poor health, weight gain, obesity, poor gut health, reduced immunity and much more.
Taking easy, small steps to living a more alkaline diet and lifestyle are powerful choices in bringing back not just an alkaline body, but protecting you from illness and disease, helping you create a life with more health, energy and vitality.
1. Eat Your Greens!
Eating all veggies is not only healthful while feeding gut microbiota vegetable plant fibers, (optimizing our gut health), but alkalizes the body as well. Leafy green vegetables are a powerful source! These include spinach, chard, kale and collard greens. Remember that all veggies are excellent but leafy greens are a vital part of living an alkaline lifestyle.
2. Hydrate
The majority of people are walking around mildly dehydrated and do not even know it. Unfortunately, this is not only creating multiple symptoms, it is creating an acidic body that causes electrolyte imbalances resulting in a more acidic blood pH.
To stop dehydration and an acidic body, drink alkaline ionized water – this is the most optimal way to hydrate and promote an alkaline body. Additionally, drinking ionized alkaline water naturally creates molecular hydrogen that promotes a whole host of health benefits from reversing inflammation to adding more energy and vitality to fat loss.
Drink lemon water: 2 cups of lukewarm, filtered, alkaline water with freshly-squeezed juice from 1/4 lemon. It helps boost your metabolism and buffer excess acids. Despite the lemons being acidic in their natural form, lemon water is alkaline-forming to the body once consumed
Drink half your body weight in ounces daily. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, drink 60 ounces of water daily.
3. Take It Slow
Ease into eating alkaline foods. Many people are motivated and change their diet 100% which sets them up for disappointment. The alkaline diet is not restrictive at all, not difficult, and is really simple, once you become familiar with it.
Transition slowly by choosing one or two alkaline foods at each meal vs a whole meal. Approaching your new alkaline way of eating in this way, will set you up for success in the long term. This will give you the chance to try different foods and recipes that you love.
4. Breathe
When we take deeper breaths we produce an alkalizing effect on the body. Shallow breathing promotes an imbalanced pH condition which means that our body is in the sympathetic nervous system – the fight or flight stress mode making it more acidic thanks to the stress hormones.
Simply using any deep breathing technique will alkalize the body. Try this one:
- Inhale slowly for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale for a count of 4 seconds
5. Supplements
If you’re eating the standard American diet, chances are your body is very acidic. Supplementation can have a therapeutic healthful effect on your body. Unfortunately, many people are confused as to which ones. With your doctor’s approval, here are my recommendations to kick-start your new alkaline way of living.
- Greens Powder. Greens powders make it easy and quick to alkalize the body with nourishing greens that are very nutrient-rich and alkalizing. Add the powder to your smoothies, shakes, water or yogurt each day.
- Baking Soda. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a natural substance. It has an alkalizing effect when mixed with water and ingested, which means it reduces acidity. Keeping your pH and the acid of your body in proper balance is crucial for performance, recovery and general health. 1-2 teaspoons mixed in water.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Drinking a small amount of apple cider vinegar each day can powerfully alkalize the body. Unlike many other kinds of vinegar, raw organic apple cider vinegar turns alkaline when you ingest it and is therefore alkalizing to your body. Apple cider vinegar is also loaded with enzymes and potassium, and it helps to regulate insulin levels. Use 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in water each morning.
- Alkaline Minerals. The main alkalizing minerals are calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Any deficiency in these minerals can promote sub-optimal health and lead to an acidic body. Eating foods rich in these minerals is important. Choosing a raw leafy green salad each day and/or a green smoothie will be of great benefit in promoting an alkaline body.
Take things slow and very shortly, you’ll be living an alkaline life.
Recommended Reading | Dr. Lori’s Vault
