Two years I began learning about the acidic or alkaline effect different foods have on our body as well as the subsequent effects of being overly acidic. The journey began when I made the bold move to do my first ever cleanse and detox. I chose a 12 day cleanse using the Wild Rose Herbal Detox kit. It’s a great cleanse for beginners because you can eat as much food as your body needs – as long as the composition of what you eat is 80% alkaline and only 20% acidic. I recently read The pH Miracle by Robert and Shelly Young which further reinforced my belief that the absolute best way to optimum health, a naturally lean body and clear mental focus is through a diet that is 80% alkaline. Not to discount the importance of exercise, but for overall health and disease prevention it’s what we take into our bodies that makes the greatest difference.

The following video is a great synopsis of what an alkaline diet is.

Is Dr. Young’s “pH Miracle” too extreme?What do you think? Post a comment!

3. Fruit juices — skip the fruit juices, even if they’re 100% pure they’re loaded with sugar. Replace it with whole fruits, apples, pears, berries should be your first picks as they’re naturally lower in sugars and higher in fibre.

4. Fries — opt for the baked potatoe alternative, but be careful – loading that spud with cheddar, sour cream and other high fat fixings is counter productive. Of course even better than a baked potatoe is a salad, dressing on the side.

5. White Bread, Pasta, and Rice — always, always choose whole grains! Whole wheat or Ezekiel bread. Whole wheat, spelt or kamut pasta, and organic brown rice are awesome alternatives. If you really want plain white pasta once in a while make sure it’s cooked to just “el dente” – you’ll absorb the sugars from the pasta more slowly.

One last tip – watch for those high calorie, high sugar lattes! Also, if you must have 3 sugars in your coffee or tea, you might want to consider limiting yourself to just one cup a day.