Alkaline diet: benefits, The weekly menu, Reviews of nutritionists
An alkaline diet is sometimes mistakenly considered a diet for weight loss. However, initially, it was created to neutralize the acidity of the blood with the help of nutrition. According to nutritionists, losing weight with this diet is not the main goal.
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The menu for the week will help you try a new type of food, and the dining table will help you come up with your own menu options.
what is the Alkaline diet
death. Diabetes mellitus, poisoning, alcohol consumption, circulatory disorders, heart disease, and starvation lead to excessive accumulation of acidosis. In this case, immunity decreases, nausea occurs, and the absorption of nutrients is defective, which causes beriberi vitamin deficiency.
The benefits of an alkaline diet
The inventors of the diet believed that eating alkaline foods generally balances pH and neutralizes acids, which improves overall health and reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney stones, heart disease, and even cancer. Numerous studies and publications in journals (such as the American Journal of environmental and public health) claim that an alkaline diet reduces the risk of chronic diseases and reduces pain.
Cons of the alkaline diet
Opinions about the alkaline diet differ. Some sources indicate that the diet has no scientific basis and cannot significantly affect the total pH of the blood. This is explained by the fact that the stomach is very acidic since there are a lot of acids in gastric juice for digesting food.
The pH of gastric juice can fluctuate under the influence of diseases, infections, and nutrition, but it remains acidic. Therefore, any food that enters the stomach will have an acidic pH when it comes out of the intestine.
Further, the acid is neutralized by special enzymes
the pH of the food changes to alkaline, the digestion process continues and the absorption of nutrients begins. Thus, all foods in the stomach become acidic, and in the intestines - alkaline, regardless of their original acidity.
Homeostatic mechanisms in the body maintain the acidity of the blood in a very narrow range since the slightest fluctuations can lead to death. With a sufficiently strong reaction to a change in nutrition, this can become dangerous for the body.
Therefore, the mechanisms of maintaining the constancy of the internal environment do not allow external phenomena to excessively affect the acidity of the blood.
Notes:
The alkaline diet is prohibited for pregnant women, and athletes, as well as for many diseases. Before following them, a doctor's consultation is required.
The diet eliminates a lot of foods, and the body suffers from a lack of vitamins and nutrients. With an alkaline diet, malaise and fatigue are often present.
Allowed foods (alkaline)
- Herbal decoctions, green tea, milk, fruit, and vegetable juices.
- Goat cheese and tofu.
- Pike perch, flounder.
- Wild brown rice, pearl barley, sprouted grains, soy.
- Honey, molasses, jams,
- Seeds and other nuts,
- Vegetable oils.
- Fruits: citrus fruits, figs, dried apricots, watermelon, avocado.
- Vegetables and greens: root vegetables, spinach, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, seaweed, garlic, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, radishes, and corn.
Forbidden foods (sour)
- Black tea, coffee, alcohol, soda, cocoa.
- Cheese,
- Poultry, red meat, oily white fish, red fish,
- White rice, wheat, wheat flour, pasta.
- Sweet: chocolate, ice cream, flour, pure sugar.
- Peanuts and walnuts,
- Animal fats, butter,
- Eggs.
- Smoked products, pickles, fast food, and mayonnaise sauces.
The weekly menu of the alkaline diet
An alkaline diet involves the rejection of all foods with an acidic pH, replacing them with alkaline ones:
The diet is similar to a vegetarian diet, as it consists mainly of vegetables and fruits and practically excludes meat. Vitamins are required.
Day 1
- Breakfast: sprouted cereals, fruit, toast with jam, tea
- Lunch: mashed asparagus and green bean soup, a glass of orange juice ،
- Dinner: stewed eggplant, cheese slice
The second day
- Breakfast: plain yogurt, dried bread, and a spoonful of honey.
- Lunch: vegetable salad, herbs, boiled potatoes.
- Dinner: a glass of milk, soy cutlets
Day 3
- Breakfast: fruit salad with yogurt, tea ،
- Lunch: tofu cheese, tomato soup, herbs ،
- Dinner: boiled white fish, corn on the cob
Fourth day
- Breakfast: barley porridge, a handful of dried fruits, and tea.
- Lunch:
- Vegetable soup, soy cutlet, vegetables.
Day 5
- Breakfast: muesli with yogurt
- Lunch: baked zucchini, celery, and boiled broccoli
- Dinner: spinach salad, goat cheese, and grapefruit
The sixth day
- Breakfast:
- Cup
- From yogurt, a handful of berries, and almonds.
The seventh day
- Breakfast: fruit juice, toast with jam, a piece of goat cheese
- Lunch: fish soup, vegetable salad ،
- Dinner: baked vegetables with sesame seeds, and a glass of milk.
Results
The main purpose of the diet is to improve health, prevent diseases, and not lose weight. The fat mass may decrease in the process if a person has abused foods that have been excluded from the alkaline diet.
It is also widely believed that an alkaline diet can reduce the risk of cancer or even cure it. This statement has some scientific basis: in the foci of the appearance of malignant tumors, the pH balance is usually disturbed.
Therefore, the idea arose that reducing acidity can reduce the likelihood of tumor initiation. But studies have shown that cancer cells themselves initially change the alkaline environment to an acidic one since cells develop more actively in it. Therefore, an alkaline diet cannot prevent the development of cancer.
Reviews of nutritionists
The diet began as an experiment and subsequently gained popularity as a diet for weight loss, as huge restrictions led to weight loss. However, an alkaline diet is contrary to the principles of rational nutrition.
With a normal diet, according to WHO standards, vegetable and animal proteins are split almost equally. In this diet, we control the pH balance and significantly change the proportions: 80% alkaline food, and 20% acidic.
The diet is not recommended for obesity, as well as for certain types of diseases inherent in obese patients: hypothyroidism, pituitary dysfunction, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It can be tried by people with a weight close to normal as experimental nutrition. You should contact a specialist to prescribe this diet.