Is Your Diet Too Acidic?

Health Wellness

As we get older, our bodies change and so do our diets. Many of us have dietary habits that we developed as children that we still live by in our later years, but even they are subject to change as we age. We may not eat as much of those favorite foods or we’ve eliminated some while increasing others.

Then there are those of us who make changes to our diets as we get older, often for various health reasons. Sometimes, we develop a sudden intolerance to some foods and sometimes that intolerance is due to a specific health condition or to medication we are taking. Some of the dietary changes are made to eliminate unhealthy foods and try to eat a healthier diet to prevent health problems and help us live longer.

I fall into many of those reasons for dietary changes in my older years. About 25 years ago, developed an irritable bowel which made me give up coffee (the oil in the coffee) and cooked spinach (I love cooked spinach with little bit of dill pickle juice on it). I also have to be careful eating corn too often or fatty meats like bacon and sausages. Then I developed type 2 diabetes, which caused me to make a LOT of dietary changes, cutting out many bad things and eating more fruits and veggies.

I love to garden and right now, I’m picking about 5-10 pounds of small tomatoes every few days. Since tomatoes keep better OUT of the fridge, there is always of bowl of cherry or grape tomatoes in kitchen and from noon on, every time I go into the kitchen, I eat several tomatoes. They are a healthier snack than many other things I used to snack on. I also eat apples, grapes, bananas, cantaloupes, peaches and cherries, all healthy choices.

However, there may be a draw back to eating all of these healthier foods, other than regular trips to the bathroom.

Our bodies operate best at a slightly alkaline pH of about 7.35 to 7.40. A pH of 7.0 is neutral and a pH lower than 7.0 is acidic and most of those healthier fruits tend to be acidic and eating too many can cause one’s system to become more acidic, which can be problematic.

I found a list of acidic foods that surprised me as I would never have thought of them as being acidic or a health problem. They include:

Processed foods such as frozen dinners and store-bought cakes

  • Soda and carbonated drinks including seltzer water
  • Alcohol
  • Milk
  • Caffeinated drinks
  • Processed cereals
  • Eggs
  • Artificial sweeteners
  • Peanuts
  • Walnuts
  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • Bread
  • Wheat products
  • Oats
  • Cold cuts

To that list, allow me to add foods like tomatoes or tomato-based, citrus, many fruit juices, blueberries, apples, corn, mushrooms, pomegranate and pineapple.

So, what are some of the negative effects of eating a diet that is too acidic?

Acidic foods, especially drinks, slowly eat away the enamel on your teeth, and currently, medical experts have no idea how to replace or rebuild the enamel, once you lose it.

An acidic diet can increase the risk or the problems with acid reflux (GERDs).

An acidic diet can also lower bone density, a problem with many of us as we age, especially the ladies.

An acidic diet can increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

An acidic diet can add to chronic pain.

An acidic diet alters the levels of various hormones.

Don’t cut out acidic foods because of this as some of them have a lot of health benefits, such as walnuts, oats, blueberries, apples, broccoli and tomatoes. Like everything else, it’s best to eat these things in moderation or balance them out with foods that are more alkaline.

Alkaline foods are:

  • Beet greens
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Swiss chard
  • Bananas
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Kiwi
  • Cauliflower
  • Cherries
  • Eggplant
  • Hazelnuts

Be smart and eat smart. Balance your diet with some acidic and some alkaline foods and you should be okay.

Acidic Foods Alkaline Foods Diet

Related Posts