The facts behind some Hollywood food fads have as much substance as celery stick. But the new Alkaline A-lister diet passes the acid test. Here's why...
Our body is naturally alkaline, but produces acid. Add to this our predominantly acidic western diet and your digestive system could end up wholly off-balance. Acid built-up can lead to bloating, indigestion, IBS, bad breath, kidney and gall-stones, troubled skin and lank hair. Having a sluggish digestive system can also cause weight gain and loss of energy.
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But by reassessing our cultural food habits and eating a balanced alkaline and acid diet we can restore the chemical harmony in our body and beat tummy troubles for good. Nutritionist and co-author of Honestly Healthy alkaline cookery book Vicki Edgson says, ‘It’s about getting the balance right. We can eat both types, but we need to ensure we eat more alkaline foods than acidic ones.’
Vicki recommends eating 70% alkaline foods which include grains, green vegetables, avocados, apples, garlic, mushrooms, green tea, oily fish, berries, lemon (which become alkaline when digested), tomatoes, beetroot and watermelon. Nuts are also alkaline except cashews, pistachios and peanuts, which are acid forming.
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Only 30% of our intake should then be acidic. These foods include red meat, cheese, cream, coffee, alcohol, seafood (other than oily fish), eggs and sugary foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, and sweet fruit juice.
Celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow and Kirsten Dunst both 'eat alkaline', while Jennifer Aniston drinks an alkaline smoothie every morning and Miranda Kerr drinks only specially filtered alkalised water.
The creator of food delivery service Honestly Healthy and the book's co-author Natasha Corrett says, 'Discovering alkaline was a turning point in my life. I was a yo-yo dieter who struggled with extra weight.
'I did a 21-day alkaline cleanse, which involved cutting out dairy, sugar, meat and wheat. Everything from my skin to my concentration improved and now the extra weight's gone too.'
It’s easy to introduce more alkaline foods into your diet - without sacrificing taste or substance. ‘This way of eating is entirely non-fatty and doesn’t involve counting calories,’ says Vicki. Click through to try some recipes from her Honestly Healthy cookbook to get you started.
Honestly Healthy: Eat with your body in mind, the alkaline way by Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson, photography by Lisa Linder, published by Jacqui Small, £20.
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