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Acids and Alkalizing Foods

RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

One of the most important concepts of eating a raw diet is to get the right acid/base balance. Our diet should consist of 70% alkalizing foods or more. Acids decrease your overall health when the balance isn’t right, and even if some books or magazines tell you you need to eat some acids, they are wrong. You don’t need to, as they are already naturally existing in your blood.

The most common acidic elements in the body are chlorine, sulfur, iodine, and phosphorous. The most common alkalizing elements in the body are calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

All nuts and seeds are acidic except almonds, sesame seeds, pine nuts, and fresh coconut.

All fresh fruits and vegetables are alkalizing, with the only exceptions being blueberries, plums, prunes, and one other fruit that I can’t remember.

All beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds are acidic unless they are sprouted. Sprouts are alkalizing. Soaking does have an effect on making nuts more alkalizing, however, it’s important not to eat many of them because they are acidic.

I thought you might find this interesting. I recently learned this and am curious what you think. I never knew blueberries were acidic, what a shame! They are one of my favorite fruits.

Comments

  • ajchanterajchanter Raw Newbie

    I agree! This is extremly important, as cancer cells trive in acidic bodies! All i eat is alkaline,, except maybe the occational nut or two :)

  • As I am reading this, I am sitting here eating blueberries! What a bummer! I keep hearing about the importance of eating alkaline, but I never knew why.

  • This is very interesting. I have been high raw since last September and started to suffer from terrible reflux around February. When I removed nuts from my diet-and granted, I often didn’t bother soaking and sprouting-it resolved. Your post explains that RKC. Thanks for the info.

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Here’s the chart of all foods

    Remember, fruits and vegetables need to be RIPE to be alkalizing (for example, green bell peppers are acidic, because they’re not ripe)

  • I definately a fan of the alkaline diet.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I have read repeatedly about the link between cancer and acid, but have never been able to find any scientific/medical study to back it up. Most accepted alternative theories have at least been documented in one or two small studies.

    I read about a doctor in Italy who was treating cancer patients with sodium bicarbonate under this theory, but when pushed it was reported he could not come up with anyone that recovered under his treatment. I understand that many of these doctors receive patients whose bodies are already further abused by conventional treatment.

    I don’t dispute that this theory may be true and generally accept it, but it would be great to find anything close to a legitimate study that supported the theory. All I ever read are anecdotal incidents, which are nowhere near proof, or an occasional doctor stating the theory but never backing it up. Has anyone come across a legitimate scientific study or anyone that quoted a study while making their statements?

  • Studies are usually backed by pharmacy companies that have something to gain from them. I believe in the acid-alkaline approach because there have been many cancer patients and others that have gotten well using raw foods which is very alkaline. So many studies are engineered for a desired outcome anyway that I choose not to use them as my final source of information.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    I’m sure there is some aspect of cancer being caused by an acidic body, even if it is not clear.

    cherie, you know what, I bet it was grapes. I’d better go get that magazine and clarify it.

    Yes, fruits and vegetables must be ripe, but it is important to buy tree ripened fruits and vegetables, as foods forced to ripen off the tree can become acidic. Are red bell peppers the best ones?

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    I think strawberries are acidic.If I see I am eating to many acidic fruits, nuts or grains, for the day or week, I like to do the litmus paper test.I try to keep the alkaline at 7+.

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    THIS is why I crave greens soooooo freaking bad if I have too much coffee at work! I knew it before this forum, but this is just an opportunity for me to emphasize that HOLY COW! THE BODY IS SO INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!

  • Soaked and rinsed almonds are not acidic so almond milk would also be alkaline. Litmus paper will not work as far a testing of foods for alkalinity or acidity becuase, take lemons for example, they are very acidic but in the body they are the most alkalizing food you can eat. Many foods are acidic when cooked though. This is according to a dietition’s lecture I attended this week.

  • So hemp is acidic? I’m always grinding up hemp seeds to make smoothies!

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    I don’t test the food with litmus. Right when I get up in the morning I put a dab of my urine on the paper. It will turn different colors depending on what the body is. There is a chart for color information. Before I went raw I was always between 4-5 Which is very acid. Now that I am raw it is between 7-8. Once in awhile it will get over 8. Then out comes more acid foods. I think with the testing we learn what our body needs to be just right.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    If hemp oil is acidic, I figure hemp seeds have some level of acidity because they naturally contain oil.

    cherie, did Winona say this list came from a raw website? If they are referring to pasteurized almond milk, then anything cooked will have some level of acidity. Ah, yes, it wasn’t grapes, it was currants. I was close though. Almonds are known to be alkaline hmmm, maybe they are trying to say a food that is blended loses some of it’s form and alkalinity? Though I’m not really sure.

    Watermelon and lemons are extremely alkaline forming according to winona’s chart. That’s a good thing, because I eat one huge watermelon a day!

    I am glad fresh coconut is alkaline. But dried coconut is acidic? This proves changing form will reduce alkalinity.

    I think we should all start an alkaline cleanse!

  • kminty3kminty3 Raw Newbie

    I drink about 2 tablespoons of acv in the morning in some water with a little cayenne. seems to be great for digestion. Is this messing up my acidity/alkaline levels?

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    Well, pepper is acidic but apple cider vinegar is one of the few vinegars (along with ume plum vinegar) that is actually alkalizing.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    here’s a basic chart:

    All nuts and seeds are acidic EXCEPT: pine nuts, fresh coconut, almonds, and sesame seeds.

    Most fresh fruits and vegetables are NOT acidic, but the ones that are are: blueberries, currants, plums, and prunes. The two most alkalizing foods are watermelon and lemons.

    All vinegars, drugs, alcohol, coffee, pasteurized dairy, pasteurized meat, maple syrup, and pepper, however, apple cider vinegar and ume plum vinegar are alkalizing. Ue plum vinegar is not raw, but it is fermented after being pasteurized, so it is actually considered to be a living food. Living foods and raw foods can actually be different from one another. Raw dairy is neutral in terms of alkaline/acidity levels.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    RawKidChef, thanks for mentioning that germinating affects the alkalinity of the nut. I think it’s good for us to know that there is that difference.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Glad I was wrong about straw berries. Read somewhere that all berries was acid so threw them all into one basket.We are never to old to learn.smile. I to recommend “The ph Miracle,” book. Always using it for a reference book.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    hey beany, I believe plums and prunes are acidic, I just read you liked them. I didn’t know strawberries were acidic? I thought only blueberries were?

    hey germin8, your welcome. But the nuts usually only become alkalizing if they are sprouted. Hence, nuts can’t be sprouted, and seeds only have the ability to become alkalizing. However, almonds are the one alkalizing nut that doesn’t need to be sprouted.

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