Every single body system has its own ideal pH level, while even small fluctuations in this balance might cause disastrous consequences.
Our blood is on the alkaline side, with a pH level between 7.35 and 7.45, while the stomach acid needs to have a pH of 3.5 or below in order to break down food. To ensure the proper pH level of the blood, our urine changes its pH value.
Alkaline diets are rich in alkaline foods to balance the pH levels in the body, as modern diets are high in acidic foods that promote inflammation and disease.
Therefore, they prevent bloating, insomnia, poor memory, kidney stones, poor energy levels, high blood pressure, headaches, diabetes, heart disease, muscle pain and weak bones.
These diets are a popular trend these days, but despite this fact, they are a powerful tool against numerous diseases, including cancer.
Many people report their personal positive experiences with these diets, but there are also many others who cannot understand the way they work.
The medical community doubts the success of these diets as every body system has its own ideal pH levels. Yet, facts show they work and they energize the body and provide health and vitality. This is a 7-day alkaline diet plan that will transform the way you feel in your body!
Alkaline diets also support weight loss, treat arthritis, inflammation, and cancer.
Namely, high sugar and high-fat foods are acidic, so they increase the blood acidity, and the body leeches minerals from the bones and organs to restore the proper pH balance of 7,4.
High acidity or acidosis promotes inflammation, and thus causes diseases such as multiple sclerosis, joint pain, arrhythmia, immunodeficiency disorders, lethargy, and cancer.
Conversely, cancer cells cannot strive in an alkaline environment. The pH levels are also important for cell signaling, which is vital for your cells to perform their individual tasks.
The nutritional therapist Vicki Edgson and organic chef Natasha Corrett created the Honestly Healthy Alkaline Programme, whose goal is to maintain the pH between 7.35 and 7.45. They believe this could be achieved by consuming 80 per cent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods.
These are the basic rules:
You should consume vegetables, most fruits, peas, legumes, beans, soybeans and tofu, some nuts, and seeds, and plenty of healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and flaxseed oil.
This is a list of the alkaline musts:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Beetroot
- Dates
- Figs
- Cauliflower
- Fennel
- Lemon
- Kale
- Spinach
- Watercress
On the other hand, you should avoid processed foods, sugar, dairy, meat, eggs, alcohol, most grains, caffeine, as well as soy, processed corn, safflower and sunflower oils, hydrogenated oil and margarine.
You should follow this plan and significantly boost your overall health. Moreover, we also give you the recipes of some simple, alkaline, but tasty meals.
7-Day Alkaline Diet Plan
Day 1
- Breakfast: Chia and strawberry quinoa
- Snack: an orange
- Lunch: Sweet and savory salad
- Snack: 1/2 cup toasted nuts and dried fruits
- Dinner: Simple green salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, 3-4 oz. roasted chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips.
- Chia and Strawberry Quinoa
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds
- ½ cup quartered strawberries + 4 sliced strawberries
- 2 pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons chopped almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
Instructions:
Cook the quinoa the night before, and in a blender, mix the dates and coconut milk to prepare a puree. Pour it in a jar, and add the chia seeds. Stir well, cover with a lid, and leave it in the fridge. In the morning, add the quinoa and chia seeds in a bowl, and add the toppings. Enjoy!
Sweet and Savory Salad
Ingredients:
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 large head of butter lettuce, washed
- 1 pomegranate, seeded or 1/3 cup seeds
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
In a bowl, tear the lettuce, and add the ingredients. In the end, add the dressing.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 1 1/4 pounds parsnips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions :
Peel and cut the parsnips, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the parsnips on a rimmed baking sheet, along with the sweet potatoes. Season with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for half an hour, until they become golden and tender.
In a smaller bowl, mix the mustard and maple syrup, and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley.
Day 2
- Breakfast: vegan apple parfait
- Snack: 1 pear
- Lunch: Savory avocado wraps and white Bean Stew
- Snack: 1 Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds
- Dinner: Simple cucumber salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. 3-4 oz. roasted chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts with red peppers
- Vegan Apple Parfait
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped apples
- 1/3 cup rolled oats, uncooked
- ½ cup soaked raw cashews (soak 20 mins-1 hour)
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Instructions:
Blend the coconut milk, cashews, and vanilla together. In a small cup, layer the ingredients, first pour the cashew cream, then the apples, and the oats and hemp seeds on the top.
Savory Avocado Wrap
Ingredients:
- ½ avocado
- 1 teaspoon chopped basil
- Small handful of spinach
- 1 tomato, sliced or chopped
- 1 butter lettuce or collard leaf bunch
- 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
- ¼ red onion, diced
- Sea salt and pepper
Instructions:
Spread the avocado onto the leaf, add the toppings, and fold in half.
White Bean Stew
Ingredients:
- 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
- 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 14 to 15 ounces of tomatoes
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (5-ounce) bag baby arugula (10 cups loosely packed)
- 8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices baguette
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
Over moderately high heat, cook the garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, cut the tomatoes and add some oil.
Add the pepper, beans, and broth and bring the mixture to boil. Lower the heat, and leave it to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the greens and cook for a few minutes more, until it is wilted.
Brussels Sprouts with Red Peppers
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts, smaller
- 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut in small dices
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated lemon zest
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (to taste)
Instructions:
You should initially trim the Brussels sprouts at the base, in order to get rid of the unattached leaves. Then, cut them in halves and put them in a larger bowl.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt. Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. Over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet.
Add the Brussels sprout halves, cut side down, and sear until they get a nice brown color, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Then, transfer them to a baking sheet, put them side down, and repeat with the other sprouts. Put the baking sheet in oven and roast until they become tender, for another 10 minutes.
Over medium heat, heat the oil and add the red pepper, stir often, and cook it for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the roasted Brussels sprouts, stir again, and then add the mint, lemon zest, and freshly ground pepper. Heat a bit and season. Enjoy!
Day 3
- Breakfast: Berry Purple Smoothie
- Snack: 1 mango
- Lunch: Asian Sesame Dressing and Noodles
- Snack: a handful of dried apricot
- Dinner: 4 oz. oven-roasted salmon, ½ baked sweet potato, curried beets and greens
- Berry Purple Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, strawberries
- 1 banana (peeled and frozen)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups homemade almond milk
- 1 tablespoons chia
- 4 tablespoons raw almond butter
Instructions:
In a blender, mix the almond milk and the spinach, and then add the remaining ingredients, except for the chia. As soon as it is smooth, add the chia, and blend again at low speed. Leave it a few minutes for the chia seeds to expand.
Chicken Sesame Noodle Salad
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 5-6 cups baby kale or spinach
- 4 ounces brown rice noodles
- 3 large carrots, cut into small, thin pieces
- 3 bell peppers, cut into small, thin pieces
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup cashews or peanuts
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 4 green onions, green parts only, chopped
For the dressing:
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- a few squeezes of lime juice
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions:
In a bowl with cold water, soak the noodles. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, mix the dressing ingredients apart from the peanut butter.
To marinate it, add the chicken in a plastic bag and add ¼ to ½ cup of the dressing for about 15-30 minutes. In the food processor, add the peanut butter, and pulse.
Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Bake the marinated chicken for 20 minutes leave it aside for 10 minutes and then pour the vegetable mixture.
Then, drain the noodles, and cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add some oil, a bit of the dressing, and toss them around while soft. Add some water if needed. In the end, garnish with cilantro and crushed peanuts.
Curried Beets Greens
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch beet greens
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup stems, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 serrano chili
- 1/4 semolina
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch of salt (or to taste)
Instructions:
Over medium heat, heat the oil in a skillet, and add the beet stems, garlic, chili, and onions. Cook them until the onions become transparent. Next, add the semolina and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the cumin, chili powder, and turmeric, and then the beet greens, salt, and water. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Cook for 5 more with the pan uncovered, and stir frequently. In the end, sprinkle with lemon juice.
