Friday, October 5, 2012

Can The Alkaline Diet Really Improve Your Health?

Believe it or not, our ancestors had a very different diet then the one most of us are used to these days. As technology advanced throughout the years, the types of food available to consume have dragged along as well. Grocery stores are filled with aisles and aisles of processed foods for both people and their pets. Finding a quick meal at a fast food joint is as easy as driving down to the nearest busy intersection.

You can point the finger at fad diets for introducing whole new eating habits. One of the most common is the high-protein diet. In the last few years we are eating more and more animal products and refined food items. And we are also forgetting about the fruits and vegetables that our bodies need each day. 
It is no wonder why so many people suffer from allergies of all kinds. Bone disease and heart problems are common as well. There are health experts that point the finger to the types of foods we eat when trying to explain the increase in these types of health issues. There is a certain balance in our bodies that must exist. Some foods cause this balance to be off. In return there is an increase in the chance of health problems. If we can change our eating habits there is a good possibility that prevention of disease and restoration of health can happen.

The Importance of Alkaline

The pH level, or alkaline to acid ratio in our bodies needs to be maintained at a healthy level. This pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A level below 7 is considered to be acidic. Processed foods like meats, sweets, and some beverages cause high levels of acidity in the body.

One of the things that is linked to several different diseases is acidosis which is abnormally high acidity levels in the blood and other body tissues. There are health experts that feel acidosis is responsible for many fatal diseases that people are dealing with every day.

The body naturally neutralizes excess acidity by using alkaline. But, the alkaline in your body becomes depleted when there is too much acid to get rid of. Generally, we do not eat the types of food required to replenish our bodies alkaline levels.

Maintaining a Healthy pH Level

We mentioned earlier in this article that many health-related issues stem from acidosis. Tissues and organs are infiltrated by dangerous levels of acid when not properly neutralized. We must maintain a healthy pH balance in order to combat this. In order to reduce the excessive levels of acid, the bodies alkalinity level needs to be increased.

Easy-to-use pH level strips can be purchased in drug stores to determine whether or not your pH level is in the safe range. There are a two different types of pH level strips, those that test saliva and those that test urine.

The saliva pH level strip determines how much acid your body is producing. Throughout the day it should be somewhere between 6.5 and 7.5. The urine pH level strip works differently in that it determines how well you excrete excess amounts of acid. This level should be between 6.5 and 7.0 at night and 6.0 and 6.5 when tested in the morning.

The Dangers of Excessive Acid

Having high levels of acid in your body could be the cause of the exhaustion and headaches that you experience. Frequent colds and the flu can also be a result of excess acid. There are many other ill effects caused by having dangerous acid levels in your body. You may be surprised by the wide-ranging types of disease attributed to Acidosis.

Some diseases linked to excessive acid levels in the body are depression, hyper-acidity, ulcers, dry skin, acne and obesity. Some more serious results can be joint disease, osteoporosis, bronchitis, frequent infections and heart disease.

Many of us take medications to fight these illnesses but if we don't deal with the root of the issue our health will not improve because the symptoms are masked. In fact, taking pills, anti-inflammatory medication and such actually will cause our bodies to become more acidic.

Alkaline Diet Approach

The bodies pH level needs to be brought to normal in order to get to the root of these health problems. There are alkaline foods that will replenish the low alkaline levels in your body. In return the excess amounts of acid will be neutralized. Through and alkaline diet enough alkaline is added to the body in order to bring back the pH level to predominantly alkaline.

Exactly how do you introduce an alkaline diet into your everyday eating habits? The first step is to cut down on the amount of processed foods you eat each day. The chemicals in these foods increase the acidity of your body when they are digested. The second step is to avoid meat and meat products, dairies, and alcohol. The last step is to eat many fresh fruits and vegetables, which are naturally high in alkalinity.

As a matter of fact oranges and lemons,which are acidic,become alkaline after they have been digested and absorbed into the body. Ideally, 75% of your daily diet should consist of alkalizing foods. Excess acid is neutralized more efficiently when we provide our bodies with a sufficient amount of alkaline. 



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Monday, October 1, 2012

Best Fast Food Nutrition Choices

In this society, people are always on the go. It can be hard to find quality, healthy foods that are cheap and easy. A nutritionist Brooklyn can help clients plan ahead, but even in New York City, it is possible to be left with only fast food options. Following these tips will can help a diner make the best choices.

The first, and most important, thing to keep in mind is calories. Choose a meal with 500 calories or less. Drinking diet soda or water will help keep these calories in check. Smaller sandwiches, such as a cheeseburger, will also help lower the calorie count. Chili is also a great choice. Choosing a side of fruit, salad or a baked potato will also help lower the calorie count. The next thing to look for in a healthy, fast food dollar meal is fiber. Fiber is indigestible so it leaves the diner filling full without adding calories. Value menu choices with plenty of fiber include bean burritos, salad, fruit and baked potatoes.
Ensuring enough protein is another important aspect. Look to get 10 to 25 percent of calories from protein when eating fast food. In a 500 calorie meal, this means between 50 and 125 calories should come from protein. Each gram of protein has four calories, so a fast food meal should contain 12 to 31 grams of protein. Good options for quality protein include grilled chicken wraps, cheeseburgers, bean burritos and chili.

The final thing that must be kept in mind when choosing a healthy fast food meal is fat. The meal should be as low in fat as possible. No more than 30 percent of the calories in a meal should come from fat. In a 500 calorie meal, this equals 150 calories or 17 grams of fat. Bean burritos, soft tacos, salad, chili, baked potatoes and grilled chicken wraps are all great, low fat options. What is often overlooked when counting calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates is sodium. While the obvious value meal French fries are loaded with salt, so are many of the other low grade beefs and flavorful marinades. Continued and prolonged consumption of high amounts of sodium can lead to high blood pressure and other heart problems. A nutritionist Brooklyn can help educate you on the pitfalls of cheap value meal selections.

With 36% of all adults considered obese, and two-thirds of the adult population overweight, fast food should never be a first option. When left with no other choice, however, a nutritionist Manhattan can help a prospective diner learn what the best choices are. When choosing fast food, keep calories, fiber, protein and fat in mind. Combining these factors with a healthy, active lifestyle will increase the chances of living a long, healthy life.


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About the Author I have always believed that anyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle should have the opportunity. For more information please visit neighborhoodtrainer.com.