Typical American diet consists mostly of toxic and acid-forming foods, including refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, refined grains, conventionally produced meat and dairy products, and genetically modified organisms that are usually hidden.

These, in combination with other environmental factors like lack of rest, psychological stress, and medications, are probably the answer to your question why more and more people are diagnosed with chronic, degenerative diseases and deadly conditions for which conventional medicine believes there is no cure.

One of the underlying problems with this health-threatening lifestyle is the lack of understanding that in order to survive, our body must maintain a slightly alkaline blood pH value, or 7.365.

When we eat food that is supposed to be the fuel for our bodies, through many digestive and metabolic processes it is transformed into an “ash” that is either acidic or alkaline.

Modern biochemistry explains that it is not the organic matter of the food, or whether it is acidic or alkaline, but its inorganic matter, such as such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorousm or how it breaks down in the body, that determines whether the ashy residue is alkaline or acidic.

For this reason and because of the fact that all foods have both alkaline and acid-forming elements, as explained by the Conscious Living Center, balance can be either achieved or thwarted as a plain result of the food we eat.

An abundance of acid-forming foods affects health, and “acidosis” is a common diagnosis in diabetics, for instance. This occurs because the nutrients needed to maintain a slightly alkaline levels cannot be obtained from the food we eat, and the body draws from its reserves in the bones or other vital tissues, and thus damages its ability to heal and eliminate heavy metals.

This makes individuals prone to fatigue and diseases. And the margin is terribly small. Even a slightly acidic pH value of 6.9 may lead to coma and death.
Balance is your ultimate goal. However, eating too many alkaline foods may lead to severe complications over time, but that is less likely to happen, because of the current state of modern highly addictive dietary habits. To relieve the effect of such diet, check these alkaline-forming foods, and add them to your everyday menu:

1. Root Vegetables
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the healing “yang” nature of root vegetables and the fact that they are more rich in minerals when compared to other veggies, it is totally okay to say that you just cannot get enough of them. Eat more radishes (black, red or white), beets, carrots, turnips, horseradish and rutabaga. Steam-cook them for 15-20 minutes.

2. Cruciferous Vegetables
We all love these, and they are even more delicious when combined with some healthy, homemade sauces, like pesto, for example. Always choose organic broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and etc.

3. Leafy Greens
Kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens, and spinach are the healthiest choice, and take into consideration that spinach is the best option. It is especially rich in vitamin K and folate, and it is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber. This makes it great for digestion and vision.

4. Garlic
Garlic is a real gift of nature, and it is always at the top of the healhy and alkaline-forming food lists. It promotes cardiovascular and immune health, lowers blood pressure, cleanses liver and fights diseases.

5. Cayenne Pepper (capsicum)
It is part of the family of potent and tropical peppers packed with enzymes that are essential to the endocrine function. Cayenne pepper is one of the most alkalizing foods. It has strong antibacterial properties and provides a great amount of vitamin A, which makes it a potent agent in destroying free radicals that cause stress and diseases.

6. Lemons
Probably the most alkaline-forming food out there. It is a natural disinfectant, heals wounds and relieves hyperacidity and viral conditions, as well as coughs, colds, flu and heartburn. Lemons energize liver and enhance detoxification.
You may want to think twice before making your next meal. “Eat your veggies” is the best advice your mother gave to you, and it is the first step to a healthier lifestyle.