There are 3 major factors that contribute to acidification in the body:
1. Overconsumption of acidifying foods which form an acid ash in your body.
This can easily be regulated with proper dietary regime because by incorporating 80% alkalizing foods in your diet, you can stop the production of excess acid in your body.
2. Bacteria, yeasts, fungi and other microorganisms form acidic toxins in your body.
The thing here is that these microforms not only produce acidic toxins in the body, but they actually thrive in an acidic environment meaning they further acidify your body. That’s why, body detoxification is essential before starting the process of balancing your pH.
3. Deficiency of alkaline nutrients like some minerals which counterbalance acids.
You can easily stimulate your body to neutralize excess acids if you increase your consumption of alkaline-mineral rich water and alkaline supplements.
When it comes to knowing pH levels in food, one may often get confused as even within a single food group, not all foods are unvaryingly alkalizing or acidifying. The list below organizes food groups into three basic categories – alkalizing, slightly acidifying, and very acidifying.
For one thing, alkaline foods (vegetables) range from strongly and slightly alkalizing, to acidifying. Similarly, acid foods are classified as alkalizing, slightly acidifying, and strongly acidifying. This classification is quite beneficial for people suffering from acidification as it helps them to avoid choosing only weakly alkalizing foods instead of strongly alkalizing foods, which are much more efficient in regulating the imbalance of their internal pH levels.
However, one should bear in mind that this is not an exact hierarchical categorization (where each food stands in relation to the others), because at present, there isn’t enough objective criteria required for establishing such a precise hierarchy. For one thing, determining food’s chemical structure is not relevant as it does not evaluate the process that follows food ingestion. Scientific evidence shows that digestion and the body’s utilization of foods modify their characteristics. Therefore, this division is established on observation of the effects these foods have on the body.
There’s another thing to consider and that’s the particularity of each organism, which determines the strengths and weaknesses with which each person’s body can digest certain foods. That’s why you may feel that one food or another belongs more to a different category than the one it is assigned to here. In fact, one food can be strongly acidifying for one person, while it’s weakly acidifying for others. Thus, it’s highly recommended to follow your metabolism first instead of basing your dietary regime on theory.
Even so, the categorization below applies to most people. For the rest, it can be a valuable parameter when taking the first steps or while they are in the process of determining how to adapt their diet to their particular needs and the inherent abilities of their own bodies.
Fresh Fruits
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: Golden Delicious Apples, Pears: Bartlett, Comice, Bosc, Seckel, Grapes, Plums, Very ripe apricots, Bing Cherries, Peaches, Figs, Yellow plums (mirabelles), Melons, Watermelon
Very Acidic: Winesap apples, Other Pears, Nectarines, Greengage Plums, Other Apricots, Morello Cherries
Berries
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: Strawberries (big and sweet), Gooseberries, Blueberries
Very Acidic: Strawberries (small and tart), Red Currants in bunches, Black Currants, Sea Buckthorn, Mulberries
Citrus Fruits
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: Clementines, Lemons, and Blueberries
Very Acidic: Mandarins, Oranges, Citron, and Grapefruit
Exotic Fruits
Alkaline: Bananas
Slightly Acidic: Mangos, Pomegranates, and Persimmons
Very Acidic: Pineapples, Kiwis, Citron, and Grapefruit
Dried Fruit
Alkaline: Raisins, Sweet Apricots (dried naturally),Bananas, Dates
Slightly Acidic: Prunes, Pears, Apples, Peaches, Figs, and Mangos
Very Acidic: Tart apricots (sulfur treated)
Vegetables
Alkaline: Potatoes, Grasses, Salad Greens: Chicory, Escarole, Lettuces, Mache, Dandelion; Green Cabbage, Celery Stalks, Green Beans, Fennel, Beet Greens, Artichokes, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus
Slightly acidic: Green Vegetables
Very acidic: /
Colored Vegetables
Alkaline: Spinach, Red Beets, Red Cabbage, Yellow Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Garlic
Slightly acidic: Carrots, Endive, Celeriac, Salsify, Artichoke, Cauliflower, Radishes, Turnip, Onions, and Shallots
Very acidic: /
Fruiting Vegetables
Alkaline: Edible Gourds, Zucchini, Squash, and Cucumber
Slightly Acidic: Avocado, Tomato
Very Acidic: Eggplant, Sour Pickles
Nuts
Alkaline: Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Black Olives in oil
Slightly Acidic: Cashews , Sesame Seeds, Pine Nuts, Coconuts, Green Olives
Very Acidic: Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Pumpkin Seeds, Olives in Brine or vinegar
Cereal Grains
Alkaline: Corn, Buckwheat
Slightly Acidic: Wheat, Brown Rice, Rye, Barley, Spelt, Millet, Quinoa, Pilpil, Whole Semolina, Cream of Rice
Very Acidic: White Rice, Couscous, Semolina
Breads
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: Whole Grain Bread (without yeast), Dark Bread
Very Acidic: Yeast Bread, White Bread
Other Grains
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: Crackers – Whole Grain, Pasta – Whole Grain, Cereal – Whole Grain soaked for about 10 hours, Naturally Baked Corn Flakes, Granola Bar – Whole Grain with little sugar, Cookies and Cakes – Whole Grain with little sugar, Cookies and Cakes – Whole Grain with little sugar, Cookies and Cakes – Whole Wheat
Very Acidic: Crackers -White Flour, Pasta – White Flour, Sugar Frosted Cereal, Sweetened Granola, Granola Bar – With lots of sugar, Cookies, Cakes – White Flour with sugar, Cookies, Cakes and – White Flour with sugar, Pies and White Cake Flour
Dairy Products
Alkaline: Raw Whole Milk, Banana Smoothie, Fresh Butter, Soft Unripe Cheeses – Well drained, Acidophilus Milk, Fresh Whey, Fresh Buttermilk, Egg Yolk
Slightly Acidic: Pasteurized Milk, Fruit Smoothie, Creme Fraiche, Soft Unriped Cheeses – Slightly drained, Soft Cheeses – Camembert, Brie, fresh young cheese with little fat content, Hard Cheeses – Swiss, Provolone, Yogurt Drinks without sugar, Slightly Aged Whey, Whole Eggs
Very Acidic: Ultra pasteurized Milk, Chocolate Milk, Heated Butter used in cooking, Soft Cheeses – Camembert, Brie, old cheese with high fat content, Hard Cheeses – Stronger flavor, Parmesan, Yogurt Sweetened with Fruit, Aged Whey, Aged Buttermilk
Meat and Fish
Alkaline: /
Slightly Acidic: White Meat – Chicken, Rabbit, Veal, Young Lamb, Lean Fish – Whiting, Sole, Flounder, Trout, Perch, Oysters
Very Acidic: Red Meat – Cow, Mutton, Pig, Cold Cuts, Fatty Fish – Salmon, Carp, Herring, Mackerel, Crustaceans – Lobster, Shrimp, Crayfish, Mussels
Miscellaneous Foods
Alkaline: Raw Cane Sugar – Succanat, Sea Salt, Virgin Cold Pressed: Sunflower,
Olive, Safflower, Non-hydrogenated vegetable margarine
Slightly Acidic: Maple Syrup, Honey, Table Salt, Heat Pressed: Sunflower, Olive, Safflower, etc.
Very Acidic: White, Brown Sugar, Fatty Fish – Salmon, Carp, Herring, Mackerel, Peanut, Walnut, Hazelnut oils used in cooking (heated), hydrogenated margarine (palm or coconut oil)
Beverages
Alkaline: Water with pH of 7 – 10, Herbal Tea – Mint, Verbena, Linden, Green Juices from Grasses – Wheat Grass, Fresh Vegetable Juice
Slightly Acidic: Tap Water, Herabl Tea – Green Tea, Birchbark, Rose Hips, Fruit peels, Tomato Juice, Fresh Lemonade, Beer, wine
Very Acidic: Heavily Carbonated, Coffee, Black Tea, Hot Chocolate with sugar, Commercial Lemonade, Soda, Liqueurs, Cordials, Strong Spirits
Christopher Vasey is a naturopath residing in Chamby-Montreux, Switzerland. After studying at a naturopathy school in Paris under the supervision of P.V. Marchesseau and Alain Rousseaux, he started his own practice in 1979. Together with his therapeutic work, he continued his formation by studying the works of famous naturopaths such as Dr Paul Carton, Shelton, Robert Masson, R. Jackson, Kneipp, etc.
Since 1981 he has been running his own introductory courses to naturopathy for the public and has been teaching in various health-oriented associations including natural medicine therapists, their staff and health shops, etc.
Source: TheMindUnleashed
