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When I set out to write my first book, it was in response to the one thing I heard again and again from people who were first finding out about the alkaline lifestyle.
“Why is it SO confusing?”
If you look around online, it’s understandable that you’d come to the conclusion that it’s complicated to try to kick acid and live a healthier lifestyle.
But the truth is, it’s all about making a few smart choices consistently – with no rocket science degree required.
This is all common sense stuff. Eat the food your body craves for health and wellness. That’s the premise of my bestselling book, GET OFF YOUR ACID, and it really does make it easy to go from acidic to alkaline.
But before we get to 7 of my best, easiest tips on how to successfully make the change from an acidic diet, let’s first talk about WHY it’s so important that you live alkaline.
Why Does it Matter If You Kick Acid?
The purpose of eating alkaline is NOT to try and raise the pH of your blood. The whole purpose of getting off your acid is to prevent your body from having to do all the regulating.
Since your body needs to tightly regulate its temperature at 98.6, it will do anything to maintain that. If you were to stand on an iceberg wearing nothing but shorts, what will happen?
If you’re there long enough, you will die. But before that happens, your body will start to shiver and will expend massive amounts of energy to generate heat to maintain that temperature. Next, your body will start to move all the blood from the arms and legs to the organs, causing hypothermia. Why? To keep you alive.
The same goes for your pH. Your body has a built-in buffering system to neutralize daily acids created by breathing, digestion, energy production, etc. Just like the iceberg, your body will do what it takes to counteract the acidity of the soda you drink or the ice cream you eat.
Did you know it takes your body about 32 glasses of water to neutralize 1 cup of coffee, carbonated water, or soda?
This is why it is a problem when we consume too many acid-forming foods. They deplete our innately intelligent buffering system.
That’s why it matters that we take small steps to kick acid!
How Do You Get Off Your Acid?
If you’re trying to transition from an acidic lifestyle – full of fried foods, refined sugars, meat, and dairy – to an alkaline lifestyle with lots of plant-based, nutrient-dense foods, it might seem daunting or confusing at first.
But the great news is that there are small steps you can do each and every day that add up in a big way. Here are my 7 favorite tips to help you ease the transition to the alkaline lifestyle so you can get off your acid and keep your body’s naturally alkaline state balanced and disease-free.
1. Don’t think of it as a diet.
This is the best place to start. Going alkaline is NOT a diet. This is not about 30 days and then back to whatever you were eating before, or only eating “shakes” with who-knows-what ingredients until you’ve lost 10 pounds. Nope. This is different.
You are making a lifestyle change. No crashing and burning here. The idea is to make small changes, one after another after another, and keep them up for the rest of your long, healthy life!
Does that mean you’ll never indulge in another slice of birthday cake again? Or a steak or whatever your idea of indulging is? No, not at all. You can have those things on occasion – with no sense of failure or guilt – because then you’re right back at it with your next meal.
Now, I’m going to let you in on a secret about that cake, steak, fries, or whatever you think you’ll miss when you go alkaline… Chances are, once you stop eating those foods, when you do eat them, you’re going to feel the difference. You may experience a headache, stomachache, or other symptoms. But for myself and many people who have gone alkaline, sooner or later, we decide those foods aren’t worth it. I feel so GREAT eating alkaline. Why would I eat any other way?!
2. Moderation. Not deprivation!
Depriving yourself of things you want never works. Kelly Ripa is a perfect example of this. When she came to me, desperate for a solution to her aches and pains, the one thing she could not embrace about going alkaline was giving up coffee. She said, “If I have to give up coffee, I won’t do it.”
And I said, “That’s fine. Eat alkaline with everything you put in your mouth other than your morning coffee, and you’ll still get off your acid. And guess what? She did exactly that, and her aches and pains went away. She felt amazing.
So rather than focusing on what you’re NOT eating, I encourage you to focus on what you ARE eating. By slowly adding nutrient-dense foods and habits into your lifestyle, eventually the good will outweigh the bad.
That kind of moderation will sustain itself. And your body will thank you for it
3. Keep it simple!
Some people get caught up in all of the details of going alkaline, and that’s why it can seem so complicated.
It doesn’t have to be this way. After all, this is the benefit of not having to count calories, or fat grams, or net carbs! Those days are OVER.
Stay super hydrated with water. Eat more raw, organic greens, healthy fats, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Eat less sugar, dairy, meat, soda, and alcohol.
It’s that simple and you will be amazed at how quickly you can reclaim your health and energy.
4. Reduce (or eliminate) the 3 P's.
What are the 3 P’s? Packaged, prepared, and processed foods.
Processed foods are not only acidic, they are usually high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, which fuel disease. So your body has to do a lot of work to recover from even a small snack. Think of it this way…
Processed on the outside…
Process on your insides.
You’re better off eating whole foods that look like the form nature created them in. The more you do that – whether you’re strictly paying attention to the pH of foods or not – the more alkaline and healthy you will be.
5. Know your body.
The more you move toward the alkaline lifestyle, the easier this one will get. Pay attention to what your body is telling you… Are you bloated? Feeling brain fog? Tired?
How about after eating that pizza? Did you feel better or worse?
Likewise, how about after that green salad with tomatoes, chickpeas, and avocado? Did you feel a spring in your step? Did you avoid the late afternoon crash that hits after a heavy lunch?
Knowing your body is about paying attention – and tracking if you need to – what you eat, how you feel, and what symptoms you experience.
I’ve got a free download available: the 7-Day Acid Tracker (no email address required) that will allow you to keep track of your symptoms, your diet, your supplements, and how it all makes you feel.
6. Use the 80/20 rule.
When you think about what you eat now, how much of it is alkaline? And how much is acidic?
80% acidic to 20% alkaline? That’s where I was when I first learned about the importance of eating alkaline.
Now I’m eating the opposite: 80% alkaline and 20% (or less) acidic foods. That’s what you want to aim for, but you can work your way to that incrementally.
First, strive for 50/50, then 60/40, and so on. That’s the way to make it last because you won’t feel like it’s a huge lifestyle change. It’s small.
It’s the same reason I don’t tell you to eat 100% alkaline. It’s hard to sustain that and most people will rebel against it, sooner or later.
The great thing about striving for 80/20 is that when you notice that your 80/20 lifestyle has come closer to 60/40, you can course correct. Again, no guilt or feeling like you failed. Just time to do a cleanse or detox and get back on track.
7. Begin a daily exercise routine.
You already know that exercise is important for fighting all kinds of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Well, working out regularly is also the key to keeping acid in check. Sweat excretes toxins from the body. As your blood is pumping oxygen at a greater rate with increased activity, it’s also carrying away toxins from your muscles and digestive system.
So find what you love doing to work up a sweat, and do more of it! Do something you enjoy, because the likelihood of sticking with it will skyrocket after the honeymoon phase wears off.
If you don’t currently exercise at all, you can start with something as simple as going on a daily walk or a couple of crunches, squats, or even a swim, which is so good for your spine and your joints.
Rule of thumb – whatever exercise you choose to do, you should always be able to maintain a conversation. By doing so, you will be aerobic, NOT anaerobic. This will alkalize your body, not acidify it.
You can also follow your work out up with a scoop of Acid-Kicking Minerals in water to replenish the nutrients that your muscles crave post-workout.
I recommend when someone starts to transition to the alkaline lifestyle that they take Minerals twice daily (after working out and at bedtime) and Greens once daily (every morning), because the combination will increase your weight loss results by 50-70%!
You’ll also get better rest, feel more energized throughout your day, and have fewer symptoms of acidosis like reflux and headaches.
No more acid reflux!
“I have been on this mineral supplement since the beginning of April. This and the naked greens I take every day. I take the minerals before bed and I swear I haven't had acid reflux since! I swear by Alkamind products, and they are the foundation of my better health now. I'm so so happy. Almost in tears right now (so dramatic I know lol) but true!” –Kirsten N. (Verified Buyer)
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl
