The alkaline diet has been around for some time now, fueling Kate Hudson and other celebrities’ daily intake for over a year now. The idea is that our bodies need to be in a relatively alkaline state to keep us healthy. The pH scale is between 1 to 14 units with anything above 7 being alkaline and anything below it being acidic. So for instance water is pH neutral so it lies at 7, kale, cabbage, legumes, broccoli and many other vegetables and fruit are above 7, and meat, processed sugars and alcohol are all below 7 (see chart below).
Shape US spoke to a nutrition sciences instructor who explained that the diet doesn’t actually affect our bodies’ pH level, as food is acidic in the stomach and alkaline in the intestine. There are however claims that an alkaline rich diet can prevent certain illnesses like osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes. Whether it’s true or not, there is no doubt that alkaline-rich foods are good for our health as it includes most green vegetables, wholefoods and some superfoods, while eliminating most of the bad stuff that zap our energy and causes weight gain.
Here are some recipes that focus on alkaline ingredients:
1. Courgette and quinoa salad – this one is super simple and perfect for a pre-made office lunch.
2. Cauliflower gnocchi – totally tasty and totally vegan.
3. Warm avo and quinoa salad – it only takes 25 minutes to prepare.
4. Thai coconut and broccoli soup – contains both broccoli and spinach which are high alkaline vegetables.
5. Kale and rainbow Swiss chard frittata – this recipe does contain dairy, however it is nicely balanced with many alkaline ingredients, like dried cumin and coriander.
6. Kale and cucumber kimchi – this is packed with probiotics and alkaline ingredients to balance those PH levels.
7. Cauliflower tabbouleh salad – leave out the sausages.
8. Grilled courgette salad – served with a lovely chilli mint dressing.
9. Roasted vegetable and coconut milk soup – a very nourishing, warming Winter meal.
10. Crunchy quinoa salad – try this wonderfully wholesome and filling salad.
(alkaline chart from iStock)
Click here to see 15 antioxidant rich recipes.