Acidic Joints

This post is dedicated to my younger sister :) She has been struggling with joint pain in her fingers for several years, and she is finally starting to explore the diet-health connection. (She likes to joke that she does not have blood running through her veins, but cola.)

The doctor recommended to my mom that she push alkaline foods for Carolyn, as an acidic body can exacerbate joint inflammation and pain. There are a lot of health problems that are beginning to be linked to an overly-acidic diet, and sadly, the standard American diet is very acid producing! However backwards as it may sound, an acidic body is NOT caused by eating acidic foods, like lemons and pineapple. Oddly enough, fruits are very alkaline-forming in the body as your body digests it. On the contrary, an acidic body is the result of a high meat, high refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, sugars, pop, etc), high dairy diet! I know it can sound somewhat confusing, but a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. There is a difference between a food being acidic, and being acid-forming.

So, whether you're trying to battle arthritis, bone weakening, or fatigue (all of which may be linked to an overly acidic body!) we could all use a little more alkaline foods.

And what are the best alkaline foods? Yep, you guessed it – fresh fruits and veggies!

Some of the most alkaline-forming vegetables include asparagus, spinach (raw), broccoli, parsley, celery, zucchini, beets, carrots, and tomatoes. Some of the fruits include all citrus, watermelon, cherries, papaya, grapes, kiwi, pears, blueberries, and peaches. (This list could go on.... I can post a more extensive version if you prefer.)

Start your morning off with a glass of water and squeeze in some lemon - cool, or warmed is fine, but don't have boiling water! :) Remember, too much heat will begin to degrade the nutrition of your lemon! Start small, if you like. I now enjoy a half of a lemon squeezed into about 8-12 ounces, but even just a small wedge can provide benefits. It's a wonderful enzyme-full, vitamin C-rich way to kick off the day! (ESPECIALLY with this cold weather! Keep that immune system rolling!)