Hey there viewers welcome back to the Bestie Zone! When you think of acidic foods
citrus, hot sauce and acid reflux probably come to mind. But really,
acidic foods are important for your body, too many however, might cause some problems. That’s
why it’s important for you to know what you’re eating and if your diet is out of balance.
Today we’re gonna highlight some of the most acidic foods so you can gauge if you’re
eating too much, or too little. Is ice cream considered acidic? What’s homeostasis? Wait,
lemons aren't actually an acidic food? We’re gonna answer all these important
questions and we’ll tell you some of the best foods to get body balanced at the end!
What foods do you love but have to avoid? Let us know quickly in the comments section below!
Acid Forming Foods VS Acidic pH.
Ok, so before we start listing foods we gotta get one thing out of the way. And that is,
what do we mean when we say acidic, because it sort of has two meanings.
So the way in which we measure how acidic or alkaline something is, is through the
pH scale. Anything from 1-6 is acidic and anything from 7-14 is considered alkaline.
If you’ve ever made a volcano for science class then you know what we’re talking about.
When an acid, like vinegar, combines with baking soda, an alkaline, they form a reaction.
Now this reaction isn’t going to happen in your body but it’s a
good way of illustrating the power pH levels have in the environment.
Just because something is acidic, let’s say a lemon, it doesn’t mean it has the ability
to create an acidic environment once ingested. For example lemons are acidic on the pH scale, however
once your body digests that lemon, it becomes very alkaline and helps to balance the body.
But why does this matter? Well, our bodies fall around the middle of the pH scale,
that is to say we’re slightly alkaline falling in and around 7.35-7.45 pH.
Keeping your blood in a neutral pH state (around a 7) keeps your energy levels up,
and allows the oxygen in your blood to get where it needs to go. It can also harm the liver and
prevent it from properly detoxifying your body. Acidic blood can also harm bone density and could
up your risk of cancer. Unfortunately a lot of foods we eat fall under the acidic scale,
and that’ll interrupt the important homeostasis or balance our bodies need.
Confusing right? Well, there’s so many more foods that seem either acidic or alkaline but aren’t,
but don’t worry we’ve got you covered, let’s get to the list!
#1 RED MEAT This one includes processed meats as well. So
those hot dogs you packed away all summer, might be catching up with you in more ways than one.
Unfortunately processed meats include cured ham and bacon, beef jerky, smoked and canned meat.
Basically anything that’s been cured, smoked, dried, salted or canned falls under this category.
Other animal products like chicken are foods to be mindful of when considering the acidic levels.
Red and processed meats are acid producing foods, so while they may fall on the alkaline
side of the pH scale, once ingested, they produce acid in the body. Not to mention
processed meats up your risk for many chronic diseases like COPD,
heart disease, high blood pressure and certain forms of cancer.
#2 EGGS
We might as well lump this in with the animal products like meat we just talked about because,
unfortunately eggs fall under the acidic category once you eat them.
That being said, eggs are highly nutritious and, if incorporated into a balanced diet
with lots of fruits and vegetables, will probably benefit you more than harm you. If you’re eating
a lot of foods on this list and haven't had a salad in a month, you might want to cut back.
#3 Refined sugar in general is pretty bad for your
health. If you’re trying to eat better than sugary drinks and foods should be the first to go. Sugary
drinks in particular are damaging to your health because your body doesn’t realize how much sugar
it’s ingesting, it sort of tricks it. You don’t feel full after drinking a glass or juice or a
sugary latte. When you consume these liquid sugars you’ll probably consume way more calories than you
would if you we’re eating. That’s just with weight loss, if you drink soda on the regular then you’re
at a much higher risk of prediabetes, kidney issues and decreased bone density. Diet soda isn’t
much better so if you can, try limiting yourself or drink more water in between cans of soda.
#4 DAIRY This would be the last type of food I would think
to be acidic?! Maybe milk isn’t the answer when it comes to heartburn? Not ice cream too! I’m afraid
so. Cheese, milk, ice cream, all of these are high in phosphorus which means once you ingest them,
it turns acidic. Again, if you can’t remember the last time you ate a salad and you had ice cream,
milk or cheese everyday this week, you may want to try and balance out some of that acidity.
#5 PROCESSED GRAINS Fresh baked bread is one of the
best smells on the planet, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Processed foods like baked goods
and fluffy white bread are not really that good for us in general. Even though they’re delicious.
Bread is hard to digest on a good day and causes inflammation in the body which we know is
bad. This is another food that, one eaten, turns acidic and can up your overall pH levels.
Anything in moderation is probably okay, so if you wanted doughnuts for your 40th birthday,
go ahead. Just make sure you slip in a few salads and add
some extra fruit on your oatmeal leading up to your special day.
#6 ALCOHOL Ok, yup you knew this
was gonna be on our list. It’s true alcohol is highly acidifying once ingested. Not to mention
if you have issues like GERD or acid reflux, drinking will only exacerbate the problem further.
Besides raising your level of acidity, heavy drinking has been linked to upping your risk of
cancer. So with that in mind it’s recommended adult women have no more than one drink per
day and that men have no more than two a day. This is summed up as moderate drinking. If you
avoid drinking altogether, you are actively lowering your risk of cancer down the road,
but if you’re partaking in the fun a little too often you’re probably doing the opposite.
#7 LEGUMES & UNSPROUTED BEANS These are probably the least offending food on
this list, but we had to throw them in. When you eat certain acid forming foods, like legumes and
unsprouted beans, they leave a chemical substance behind known as “ash” in the medical community.
This is what actually turns either acidic, or alkaline depending on what you just ingested.
That residue is what changes the pH in the blood raising the acidity levels.
Legumes are pretty good for you in general, but if you’re piling this kind of food on top
of a strictly fast food and processed food diet, you may want to skip em next time.
#8 NUTS
It’s true, this is another one that usually falls into the healthy category. When it comes to their
acid levels, they sort of fall around the middle, so they’re not the worst thing you could eat.
They’re a better source of protein than animal products and will be less acid forming,
so if you’re stuck with the choice? Snack on some nuts instead of that burger.
#9 COFFEE Yes, we’re afraid so. Coffee is acidic
any way you slice it, pH wise and acid forming wise. Some forms will be worse than others, but
the acid forming effect will be similar. Again, coffee does have a few health benefits so if you
drink it in moderation, paired with a healthy diet you don’t have to cut it out completely.
But, if you’re a 4 cups of coffee kinda gal,
the acid levels will rise in your blood and your body compensates by draining alkaline
minerals like calcium from your bones trying to balance you out. Afterwards,
you’ll just flush all that precious calcium out when you use the bathroom. What a waste.
Do you drink coffee everyday? Then check out this video titled” Drinking
Coffee Everyday Does This To Your Body” to find out the effects!
OK, so that list was kind of a bummer - here’s some foods you CAN have
that will balance out all the acidity in your daily diet.
Basically ANY Vegetable Leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms
you name it! Vegetables hold the key to longevity, and making them part of your daily meals will pay
dividends in the end. Try adding veggies to your smoothies and curries if you’re just starting out,
soon you’ll be eating them raw as a snack because they make your body feel amazing!
The only veggies we recommend avoiding are: corn, olives, winter squash and lentils.
Fruit Ok, now this is a good sign,
fruit is delicious and super versatile. This one is easy because fruit is delicious
to snack on any time of the day. Try to avoid fruit juices because you’re just
getting a 100% of sugar (including added sugar) and zero% of the fiber.
Some fruits that score extra high on our health meter are: Avocados,
Watermelon, Berries (especially blueberries), lemons and sour cherries.
What is your favourite acidic food? Could you ever give it up?
Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you!