You had black tea sweetened with agave, low-fat yogurt, and mango for breakfast; lunch was a turkey breast sandwich on whole-grain bread. You snacked on grapes and organic peanuts. But these innocent and healthy-sounding choices may be creating an overly acid condition in your body.
Chronically acidic blood causes a variety of troubling conditions and illnesses, including fatigue, foggy thinking, weight gain and heartburn. New research suggests that acidosis may also be linked to Alzheimer’s, bone loss, kidney malfunction, decreased levels of growth hormone, increased levels of stress hormones, and a reduction in the body’s ability to detoxify itself. And some studies point to acidosis as a factor in the development of cancer.
Our bodies need both acid and alkaline compounds in foods. When a food contains a preponderance of alkaline-forming minerals, like calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and potassium, relative to acid-forming minerals, like phosphorous, copper and sulphur, it’s acid-forming. So soft drinks, for example, are acid-forming because they’re high in phosphorous, while kale is alkaline-forming because it’s rich in calcium and magnesium.
If your body is too acid, a simple shift in diet can restore balance. In general, processed foods, meat, dairy, eggs, fish, corn, peanuts, chocolate, sugar, artificial sweeteners and wheat tend to be the most acidic. Plant foods tend to be more alkaline, in varying degrees. Beyond that, individual lists of acid and alkaline foods vary, and even the experts disagree. One point of debate is a category called weak acids, or foods that contain a fair amount of acid—like tomatoes, lemons, and sweet fruits—but may become alkaline in the body. It all depends on how you metabolize it; some bodies can oxidize the acids in those foods to make them alkaline, some can't. So a lemon may be acid-forming for one person, and alkaline-forming for another.
You can test your individual response: Measure the pH of your urine with test strips from any drug store. Then eat a weak-acid food, like a tomato, and measure your pH again several hours later. If it’s unchanged, you may be able to oxidize the acids in the tomato. Or just try cutting out all weak-acid foods for a few weeks, and see if you notice any difference in troubling symptoms or conditions. (For a list of some common acid, alkaline, and weak-acid foods, see the sidebar.)
Many good-for-you foods—beans, nuts, fruit—fall on the acid end of the spectrum, but that doesn't mean you should avoid them. The pH balance diet strives for balance; shoot for a 70-to-30 ratio of alkaline-to-acid foods, and choose your acid foods wisely. Don’t waste the acid portion of your diet on unhealthy choices like coffee, soda, white flour or sugar. Instead, choose the most nutrient-dense acid foods, like beans, peas, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fruit. Then balance those out with alkaline fruits and vegetables.
Even sugar, salt and meat—highly acid-forming foods—aren’t necessarily forbidden. Just use them in very small amounts, and in their unprocessed forms, which are rich in naturally occurring minerals: raw, unfiltered honey, unrefined sugar, and sea salt. And choose organic meat, eggs and dairy—which are less likely to be contaminated with acid-forming pesticide residues, antibiotic and added hormones—and eat them in small quantities.
Ready to kick acid? Arm yourself with a book or two—The Ultimate pH Solution, by Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAC, CNC, is short but comprehensive, and Eat Papayas Naked by Susan Lark, MD offers dozens of recipes. Or start with these simple transitional recipes to make the shift. And for hundreds more low-acid recipes, get The Healthy Gourmet: Inspired Eats app!
Warm Chickpea and Shallot Salad With Spinach Confetti
Serves 4 to 6
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 small garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
3 cups baby spinach leaves
4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1 small red pepper, cored and diced
1/4 cup minced basil leaves
Sea salt, white pepper, and paprika to taste
1. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, and rosemary. Let stand for 15 minutes to blend flavors.
2. Meanwhile, stack spinach leaves on top of each other, and cut crosswise with a sharp knife into very thin, confetti-like strips.
3. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a full boil. Add chickpeas and red pepper and cook for 2 minutes to soften and warm through. Drain chickpeas completely and return to cooking pan. Remove from heat.
4. Add spinach confetti and basil to the chickpeas, and toss together until spinach is wilted.
5. Pour olive-oil mixture over chickpeas, toss to mix, and season with white pepper and sea salt. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with paprika; serve immediately.
Sweet Potato, Chard and Yellow Pepper Terrine
Serves 6 to 8
1 1/4 cup millet
1 large sweet potato, chopped small
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 head chard, lower stems removed and finely chopped, leaves chopped
1 small yellow pepper, cored and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves, plus 5 whole leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1. In a medium pot, combine millet, sweet potato, and onion with 2 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are almost soft. Add cashews to pot and cook for 5 minutes longer, until millet is cooked and sweet potatoes are very soft.
2. While millet mixture is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a medium skillet and cook mushrooms over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook chard stems and yellow pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add chard to same skillet with 1 teaspoon water, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green. Stir in garlic and 1/4 cup minced basil, remove from pan and set aside.
5. When millet mixture is cooked, remove from heat, add nutmeg and white pepper, and mash with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Lightly oil the sides and bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan with coconut oil. Arrange 5 basil leaves in a decorative pattern on the bottom of the loaf pan. Pack half of the millet mixture into the loaf pan, gently pressing down and smoothing top. Alternately layer mushrooms, chard stems and yellow peppers, and chard leaves, pressing down gently between each layer and smoothing top. Layer remaining millet on top of chard, pressing down firmly.
7. Let terrine stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 20 minutes. To unmold, gently run a lightly oiled butter knife around sides of loaf pan. Invert loaf pan onto a plate; tap tops and sides of loaf pan to loosen terrine, then carefully remove loaf pan. Serve immediately.
Creamy Cauliflower, Fennel and Leek Soup With Almond Oil
Serves 4
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), washed well and thinly sliced (reserve a few slices for garnish)
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large head cauliflower, cored and chopped (about 5 cups)
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons almond oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded, for garnish (optional)
1. Warm coconut oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, celery and fennel, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and broth, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Stir in almond milk. Purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender, until creamy and very smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the almond oil. Divide soup among four bowls and drizzle remaining almond oil over each bowl. Sprinkle with basil leaves, if desired, and serve immediately. (Soup may also be served chilled.)
