Slow and steady wins the race – haste makes waste – look before you leap: these and other axioms like them all speak to the fact that quick fixes are hardly ever the best answer to life’s problems. The same wisdom applies to what we eat. In recent years, high protein, low carbohydrate diets have become very popular, but not because of their health benefits. High protein, low carbohydrate diets have become popular because they help people to lose weight fast. The problem is, many experts agree that your body is actually suffering in the meantime; and that (because a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is a quick fix) once you go off of it you can put back on the weight just as quickly as you lost it.
But perhaps the most telling aspect of the high protein, low carbohydrate controversy is the fact that most athletes refuse to try it. They say that it wears them down, destroys their bodies, and makes it very difficult for them to perform their jobs well over long periods of time. Instead, they say, they’ve opted for a diet that more closely follows the ideals of the alkaline diet.
The alkaline diet is ideal for long-lasting energy, alertness, good moods, and a general sense of wellbeing. The alkaline diet has been known to fight some forms of cancer and to cure sinus problems. Athletes testify about its effectiveness when it comes to the incredible toll that professional and nonprofessional athletics takes on their bodies. Their bodies recover more quickly on the alkaline diet. Their bodies perform better on the alkaline diet. Their bodies respond happily and enthusiastically to the alkaline diet, providing them with the energy to complete the race or game. And more and more doctors are testifying to the benefits of the alkaline diet; and more and more regular people are using it to their great, great satisfaction.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the alkaline diet is that it doesn’t really require that you make a revolution in your lifestyle. You don’t have to eat just one thing; you don’t have to eat piles and piles of one or two things; you don’t have to cut this or that completely, or buy expensive shakes, or expensive energy bars, or special combinations of foods that are foreign to your body and experience. With the alkaline diet, all you’re basically doing is moderating what you eat, that is, using common sense and common wisdom to take you back to natural, healthy foods in abundance while you eat a little less of those foods that are high in grease and fat and low in nutritional value.
The alkaline diet is basically focused on keeping the alkaline pH level in your body steady and stable. With a healthy body, the alkaline level is up around 7.4. With a distressed, ill, anxious body, that level drops until the body becomes dangerously acidic. Athletes experience dangerous acidic levels after a workout. If your body is too acidic, it basically means that your body is too tired, worn out, pushed to its limit. The alkaline diet, therefore, is designed to keep your body’s alkaline level high and steady.
The basic idea of the alkaline diet, then, is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and to cut down on animal products such as meat, eggs, cheese, milk, and cream. You don’t have to cut all of these good things out, however! – remember, the alkaline diet is more about moderation than taking an extreme stance. The ratio as described by doctors is usually something like 80% fruits and vegetables to 20% percent animal products. You can still enjoy that steak on a Friday night; just be sure to fill up the rest of the day with delicious, nutritious, life-giving raw fruits and vegetables.
Rating of alkaline diet on a scale of one to ten:
Health – 10. The alkaline diet really leads to healthier bodies, healthier hearts, and lower cholesterol levels, as it focuses on raw, natural foods but still allows the user to partake of their favorite meats and dairy products.
Cost – 10. The alkaline diet is easy to afford, as fruits and vegetables are generally cheaper than meat products, and processed foods usually more expensive than non-processed ones.
Ease of implementation – 7. It’s always difficult to make changes in life, and especially when it comes to diet. It may be difficult to get used to buying all those fruits and vegetables, and finding fun and tasty ways to combine them.
Ease of adherence – 7. This one scores about the same because it’s in the same ballpark. Making big changes is always difficult, especially when the body’s addicted to a diet high in animal products.
Speed – 9. You’ll start to feel the results of the alkaline diet almost immediately.
Long-term potential -10. With the alkaline diet, you’re basically eat just like your mother and doctor always told you to. The alkaline diet never goes out of style; fruits and vegetables are always healthy, and it’s always a good thing to take a break from high fat foods.
Busy lifestyle rating – 7. Plain and simple, it’s easier to stop at a fast food place for a burger than to pack a lunch consisting of a homemade fruit or vegetable salad. But the extra time is well worth it.
Family friendly – 8. Your kids might put up a fight at first, if they’re used to pizza or takeout Chinese food for dinner every night – but in the long run they’ll thank you!