Maintaining a balanced diet doesn’t just mean eating an adequate portion or serving from each food group in the food pyramid. Health professionals recommend that individuals keep pH balance in mind when choosing what foods and beverages to consume on a daily basis. Avoiding certain foods can go a long way in decreasing the potential for diseases and medical conditions like acid reflux to arise.

Classification

Food with a pH of 7 is considered neutral. Higher pH levels are classified as alkaline and lower pH levels are classified as acidic. Human blood typically ranges from 7.35 pH to 7.45 pH. While this falls just above neutral and within the alkaline classification, people shouldn’t eat a large share of acidic or alkaline foods. Striking a balance between the two groups is ideal for a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention.

Health Risks

Consumption of large quantities of acidic foods can lead to undue emotional stress, toxic imbalance and changes to naturally occurring immune system functions. Mineral absorption rate is compromised by the abundant intake of acidic foods and can cause a significant decrease in energy and cell repair. Cancer forming cells may increase as well as the likelihood of fatigue, disease and death.

Making a Change

Regulating your diet is the most effective method of adjusting your body’s pH level. People with high pH levels are prone to illness and should make every attempt to change their diet. By replacing some foods that are acidic with foods that are alkaline, you can ward off several harmful conditions.

Food Groups

• Vegetables: Instead of acidic olives and winter squash, try cucumbers and pumpkins.
• Fruit: Replace blueberries, cranberries and currants with strawberries, raspberries and raisins.
• Protein: Nix high fat animal protein like beef and pork and opt for almonds, whey, and chestnuts.
• Dairy: Products like ice cream, cheese and butter are highly acidic. Balance them with non-traditional products like lecithin granules, molasses and bee pollen.
• Sweeteners: Alkaline sweeteners such as Stevia, can be used instead of corn syrup and sugar.
• Alcohol and Caffeine: Beer, coffee, and most sodas have high acidic levels. Drinking water or vegetable juices are a much healthier option.

Acid Reflux and Diet

A perfect diet is not one that features alkaline foods only. It is essential to eat a variety of foods that will help the body maintain the appropriate pH balance. Knowing the types of food that will help to prevent acid reflux is very important. Eating foods that hinder the symptoms of acid reflux is one method of controlling this medical condition. Eating smaller portions throughout the day, limiting meals right before bed, and consuming more meals per day will decrease the occurrence of acid reflux. In general, the consumption of citrus, fatty foods, caffeine and alcoholic beverages should be closely monitored. Diet is an excellent tool for remedying acid reflux and should be taken seriously.

If? you are one of the millions of American’s who suffer from acid reflux? disease, it is not news to you that a diet high in acidic foods will only irritate your condition and cause your symptoms to be more severe. There are many natural ways to help alleviate the symptoms that accompany this condition, and changing your diet is one of them. Knowing the difference between alkaline and acidic foods is a great way to help incorporate nutritional foods into your diet and a great resource for self managing your acid reflux.

An alkaline food is technically any food which is not acidic and whose pH level is greater than seven. Basically it?s any food low in acid. Not only do these foods help to neutralize some of the natural acids in your system, but they also have some other great health benefits for you to consider. Alkaline foods include almonds, grapes, cantaloupe and mangos among others.? Maintaining a diet that is roughly eighty percent alkaline based foods and only twenty percent acidic will help your body to better process the raw nutrients that are found in the foods you eat.

Maintaining a balanced diet can also increase function in your muscles and joints as well as improving oxygen levels. You may also see improvement in the regulation of blood sugar and this diet change can also help those suffering from high blood pressure. There are plenty of foods in this category that you can eat freely without worries of excess acids. These foods include most types of meats, most vegetables and leafy greens. Also, most foods that are high in fats such as seeds and oils are low in acid, and when part of a balanced diet can help manage acid reflux..

Acidic foods, although more condition-irritating than alkaline based foods, are still necessary for our body’s proper function. Essential fatty acids and other beneficial types of acids can be found in some foods and are helpful to the body. Overall however a diet that is high in acidic foods (these are any foods with a pH level lower than seven) can wreak major havoc on the body and can consistently irritate acid reflux.

Some of the more dangerous foods include citrus fruits, anything with caffeine and alcohol.. Most dairy products are also considered acidic and should be consumed sparingly. Also, with pH levels higher than twelve, condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup are also considered mostly basic despite their slightly acidic taste. They are safe to use sparingly. You can never have enough resources when it comes to managing your problems with acid indigestion and heartburn. Knowing the difference between alkaline foods and acidic foods is just one of these methods. If you would like to learn more techniques for managing this condition naturally and safely you may want to consider reading Bob Barton’s Reflux Remedy Report. It is full of valuable information for managing your indigestion symptoms in safe and natural ways.