The alkaline diet is a diet that emphasizes foods which have an alkalizing effect on your internal pH. This theory is not new, but over the past several years, and its future looks bright.
A great deal of confusion is created because “alkaline” and “alkalizing” are not always synonymous. In other words, a food that has a sour, acidic taste, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, can actually be strongly alkalizing once it has been absorbed by your body. By the same token, a food that does not seem at all acidic, such as cane sugar, is often highly acidifying inside your body.
Why the Alkaline Diet Is Better Than Atkins or South Beach
If you have been considering the alkaline diet, you may be wondering how it contrasts with other well-known diets, particularly low-carb diets like the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet.
At first glance, the alkaline diet seems to be the exact opposite of the low-carb diet, but the truth is somewhat more complicated. As you are undoubtedly aware, the low-carb diet drastically restricts your consumption of high-carb foods, including bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, beans–even fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, you can eat unlimited quantities of meat, cheese, and other foods that are high in fat and protein.
In contrast, the alkaline diet restricts consumption of meat and dairy products, virtually all of which are acidifying. Another difference is that while low-carb diets restrict fruits and vegetables, produce is strongly encouraged on the alkaline diet. This is because fresh produce has the most nutrients and the fewest calories of any type of food, so it’s perfect for anyone who wants to lose weight, increase energy, or overcome chronic health problems.
From another angle, the alkaline diet and the low-carb diet do have something in common. Both diets restrict consumption of sugar and processed grains, but for different reasons. Fans of the low-carb diet say that these cheap carbs are a major reason for the explosion of obesity over the past few decades. In the words of diet guru Barry Sears, the central aisles of the grocery store are basically one big lump of carbohydrates cut up into different packages. (Although there’s plenty of fat in those packages as well.)
Nearly all of these junk carbs are acidifying. This is because the most commonly consumed grains, namely corn, rice, and wheat, contain acidifying compounds.
In the end, the major difference between these diets is that the low carb diet eliminates virtually all carbs, but the alkaline diet only targets “bad” carbs. True, some carbs are very harmful to your health, especially when you eat too much of them. But it’s kind of crazy when people begin to remove even apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes from their diets. These nutrient-dense foods are highly beneficial, and they’re definitely not why so many people are fat. On the contrary, they are the key to losing weight, because they fill you up without being packed with calories.