If you’ve taken even a mild interest in health and diet in recent times, you’ll know that food is either acidic or alkaline. If a diet is too rich in acidic foods, it can cause problems, such as inflammation....
See, all of us have a pH level that plays
a key role in how healthy we feel. A neutral pH level of 7 is standard.
If it’s less than 7, it’s considered to be acidic.
This means we’re probably going to feel pretty lousy and might be complaining of indigestion and other stuck issues.
This means we’re probably going to feel pretty lousy and might be complaining of indigestion and other stuck issues.
On the other hand, a more alkaline pH of 7.4 is good.
To make sure our pH level leans towards the alkaline side of things, we have to eat less acidic foods.
In this article, Beauty and Tips gives you a rundown of the best non-acidic fruits and vegetables that should be playing a key role in your diet.
But first, here’s a list of foods that are highly acidic:
- High-protein foods
- Sodas
- Processed meats
- Fresh meats
- Processed foods in general
- Fish
- Sugar
- Certain dairy products
- Grains
If
you feel as though a high acidic diet is contributing to you feeling
less-than awesome recently, you might want to put yourself on a much
more alkaline diet. When the human body is too acidic and a person
doesn’t change their diet, it can create the breeding ground for the
onset of disease, including some pretty serious diseases, such as
cancer.
In the meantime, a person will feel exhausted
and low on energy, they might experience brain fog and anxiety, and
their skin might breakout in acne.
Moreover, they might
find that they’re constantly susceptible to the common cold. Anyone who
is serious about their health should be looking to create a much more
alkaline environment because it’s in an alkaline environment that our
body thrives. So let’s take a look at the list.
Best non-acidic fruits and vegetables, including their benefits:
Spinach
Spinach was one of those vegetables that our mom tried to
make us eat when we were kids, bless her. Of course, we weren’t having
any of it. Spinach? Eew. Pass the fries, mom!
Now in adulthood, most of us should have realised that spinach is very good for us, and moreover it doesn’t taste bad at all!
In
fact, spinach goes especially well with fish and eggs, and because it’s
stuffed with iron, it’s essential for giving you a boost in energy.
Spinach
is rich in calcium too, and it’s also highly alkalising. In fact,
you’ll find it in plenty of pre-made juices because spinach is
well-known to be anti-cancer.
Kale
The thing with kale is that it’s a lot like spinach. You could have spinach one day and kale the next!
Although
the two vegetables have lots of similarities – they’re both dark leafy
greens, they’re both rich in calcium and iron – kale is more nutrient
dense and has a different, crunchier texture.
Kale has
been nicknamed the “queen of green” by some nutritionists and has even
been described as “the new beef.” This is because, as well as being
stunningly nutritious, it’s also very satisfying and can help you gain
muscle.
Because it’s also hugely alkalising, it makes it on this list as one of the best non-acidic vegetables you can eat.
There are many way to enjoy it, but our favourite is thing to do is add kale to a bean and tomato soup. Delicious.
Bananas
We saw a funny thing the other day – someone referred to bananas as “potassium sticks.”
Haha!
Well,
it’s true that everyone knows bananas are rich in potassium, but that’s
not all they’ve got: Bananas contain lots of fibre too, and this makes
them an awesome addition to your diet if your digestive system has been
causing you a few problems lately.
True, bananas do
contain lots of sugar too, but they’re still a far healthier, non-acidic
alternative to the processed junk that so many of us eat instead.
Bananas
also combat one of the most glaring symptoms of a highly acidic diet –
low energy. They also protect your heart from disease, and contain
vitamins and minerals including iron, folate, calcium, manganese, niacin
and magnesium.
Sweet Potatoes
Ah the sweetest, orangest of all the potatoes!
The
super cool sweet potato is a high starch food, but it’s also a
non-acidic vegetable that arms your body with lots of powerful minerals
and vitamins.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre, and
this is important if you’re struggling with high blood sugar levels.
Fibre better regulates blood sugar by releasing sugar ever so slowly
into your bloodstream.
As a result, instead of giving
you instant energy that’s followed by a sudden, horrible crash, sweet
potatoes give you a longer bout of fuel that can keep you going for a
few hours.
And, yes, this means that you can indulge in sweet potato fries (although not too much!).
Other
than that, you could try sweet potato waffles for breakfast, although
as a complex carb the sweet potato is much more effective at night time
if you’re trying to lose weight.
Pears
Pears have kind of a dumpy shape that’s either
unattractive or attractive. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
But when does a girl like it when someone describes her as “having the shape of a pear”? Hmm!
Anyway, back on topic: Pears. Awesome, right? Absolutely.
Pears are refreshing, tasty and full of texture.
They’re also rich in nutrients.
For
one thing, pears are fibre-busters, containing more fibre than most
other fruits or vegetables. This means they help you to feel fuller for
longer – which is great for weight loss – and they help your body to
better regulate your blood sugar levels.
Pears contain
lots of vitamin C too, which help your body clean up the mess left
behind by free radicals that are intent on doing as much damage as
possible.
And because they’re non-acidic, pears lower inflammation and look after your heart, preventing disease.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a funny one because – don’t get us wrong, it’s an amazingly healthy vegetable that you should eat more of – it makes your urine smell kind funky.
There, we said it!
The reason for this is that it contains a specific compound that affects some people more than others.
HOWEVER, back to the non-acidic bit.
If
you can stand the weird thing it does to your urine, asparagus is well
worth adding to your diet because it’s got lots of great health
benefits. For one thing, it’s rich in vitamin K, which means that it
helps your blood to clot faster.
Asparagus is also a
rich in antioxidants, and it’s anti-inflammatory, too. It replenishes
your digestive tract as well, and can also help you have a very healthy
pregnancy, yay!
There are many ways you can cook
asparagus, and many types of dishes you can add it to. Asparagus can be
boiled, steamed, stir-fried or even blended. As well as complementing a
meat and potatoes dish, it can also be added to risottos, pastas – and
it even makes for an interesting pizza topping of choice!
Garlic
Health experts, dieticians and nutritionists around the world agree that we should try to eat garlic every single day.
That’s kind of a tall order for many of us. Firstly, how do you fit garlic into your diet every day?
And secondly, garlic kinda makes your breath smell.
However,
there’s no denying that this is one amazingly beneficial non-acidic
food that many of us could do with eating more of. It’s very nutrient
dense and contains the likes of manganese, fibre, selenium, vitamin C
and vitamin B6. Despite all these nutrients, it’s very low in calories.
Garlic
protect your immune system, too, combating sickness and warding off the
(all too) common cold. It reduces blood pressure and can lower the risk
of heart disease.
Watermelon
Is watermelon mostly water? It is indeed around 93% water!
This
means it’s an awesome base for juices and smoothies. It contains barely
any calories, but here’s the crucial bit – it’s high in pH and is
therefore a fantastic way to sweeten your dishes without resorting to
sugar, eew.
Try some on your cereals tomorrow. We promise it will be ace.
Apples
Apples are absolutely stuffed with fibre, which makes them the go-to fruit if you want to stay filled up and satisfied for as long as possible.
They’re versatile too, and can be chomped on raw as they add. Alternatively, you can add them to salads, smoothies, bake them into a pie (apple pie isn’t just for Americans), or even add them to soups.
Loosen up and experiment with apples because these are sweet fruits that are non-acidic and very good for you.
(let’s ignore the fact that an apple almost killed snow white)
Avocado
We know, we know: Everyone is eating avocados nowadays,
and it’s getting pretty cliched to talk about it.
Even grandma eats it,
while mom has avocado socks! But no list of non-acidic fruit and veg
would be complete without it.
Avocado is one of those
rare fruits that can actually make you feel stuffed.
This is because it
contains dietary fibre, as well as lots of fats – the good type of fats,
of course.
Avocado is also incredibly nutritious and contains vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, B6 and vitamin E. Wow.
In fact, avocados contain more potassium than even bananas!
Grapefruit
Like avocados, grapefruit contains lots of fibre.
Crucially, they contain few calories and are ideal if you’re looking to
shed some pounds.
They’re also rich in plenty of plant
chemicals that reduce your risk of developing chronic disease, and they
also give your immune system a boost.
Remarkably, grapefruit is used to treat malaria.
Cucumber
Cucumber is one of those vegetables that, strangely enough, kids seem to enjoy.
This makes them super rare!
Like
watermelons, cucumber are around 95% water, which makes them a perfect
non-acidic food for when you want to hydrate and cool down a bit.
They’re anti-inflammatory, rich in fibre and super duper low in calories.
Enjoy them in a salad, on a sandwich or pour yourself a refreshing glass of cucumber water.
Mushrooms
There are so many different types of mushroom available
that it’s almost impossible for someone to say they dislike mushrooms.
There’s literally one for everyone!
Mushrooms are fungi
that have recently been termed a super food – and for good reason.
Mushrooms are non-acidic vegetables that help you lose weight, boost
your immune system, prevent cancer, improve your digestion and destroy
viruses.
Awesome.
Tomato
The luscious red and green tomato is one of an all-star fruit that fully deserves its place on this list.
Tomatoes
are really versatile and can be added to pizzas, sandwiches, salads and
pasta dishes.
They can be purified and added to smoothies and soups,
and they also make an excellent addition to a fried breakfast. We love
‘em!
Whether you consider them to be a fruit or a
vegetable, the health benefits are the same:
Tomatoes are a great source
of vitamins and minerals and look after your heart, improve your
vision, reduce your risk of cancer, promote better digestion and lower
hypertension.
Celery
Oddly enough, celery is the one vegetable that can
actually trigger an allergic reaction.
If you’re not allergic to them,
you should definitely add more celery to your diet as these bad boys
have lots of health benefits.
Celery is rich in vitamin
K, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and calcium and
they reduce high cholesterol, lower inflammation, treat high blood
pressure, prevent ulcers and look after your liver.
Celery also reduces bloating and improves your digestive health, fights infections, treats urinary tract infections and could even reduce your risk of developing cancer.
So here you go, this was our list of non acidic fruits and veggies that you can include in your diet to feel more energy and strength and to improve the ph levels of your body, which actually helps fight ageing process very effectively.
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