Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Body Balance

Well, technology and I are becoming friends again. It was a tough, but we worked through it. Lets just hope we stay friends.

So there’s my technology update. Lets talk about my Amazing Grass 2 week challenge update. I’ve really enjoyed all the wonderful emails and nutritional information. As a Nutrition Manager, I am bombarded with health fads, diets, etc. so it’s nice to finally see some real ingredients in their products, which is REAL FOOD, REAL WHOLESOME FOOD! But how does real food “balance” us out? Have you ever wondered that? Today’s key point in my 2 week challenge talked about body balance, PH Level balance in fact!

As a wife of a professional athlete (aka the hubs), I’m always looking for foods that might balance his training, keep him nourished, and well recovered! So many factors play into this. Lets take a look at how we become “off balance” and what we can eat or do to get back “in balance.”

Common factors which disrupt the alkaline balance:

 source http://amazinggrass.com/2weekchallenge


“Our thoughts, emotions and stress-levels are very strong factors that are often overlooked when trying to reach alkalinity. They physically create large amounts of acid in our blood when being experienced. Your thoughts are creative and will have a physical manifestation. This is a saying that is very true. Stress can cause serious breakdowns and problems within your body no matter how healthy you are eating. That is why stress-management and deep-breathing exercises are so important and can change the state of your body.

All natural foods contain both acid and alkaline forming elements. In some foods, acid-forming elements dominate and vice versa. Such acid-forming foods include animal proteins, cooked oils, alcohol, pasteurized dairy, caffeine, refined/processed grains & carbohydrates, and most cooked nuts & legumes that have not been soaked and/or sprouted first.

Other prevalent factors that induce an acidic state within us are: tap water, most bottled/spring water, distilled water, smog, radiation, pesticides, chemical preservatives, food dye, and additives.

Lastly, over-exercising your body can actually create an acid state in the body. When people are so concerned about losing weight and go to the gym 2-3 hours daily and are not losing the weight, they get frustrated and stressed. This state of being can create too much acid (lactic acid) in the body. Exercise regularly but moderately.

Identify choices to create a target balance of 65%-80% alkaline-forming food; 20%-35% acidic foods; and a minimum of half your body’s weight in ounces of alkaline water.”
Example categories of alkaline-forming foods and beverages include:
  • All organic fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Sea vegetables such as kelp and nori
  • Fermented foods such as Kombucha Tea, miso, tempeh, unpasteurized yogurt
  • Raw, sprouted nuts & seeds (almonds are the most alkaline)
You can refer to the Acid-Alkaline Food & Beverage Chart below:
 

Alkalizing Foods – Goal 70-85%

VEGETABLES
Garlic
Alfalfa
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Fermented Veggies
Watercress
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Corn, raw
Cucumber
Dandelion Greens
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Dulce
Dandelions
Edible Flowers
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach
Spirulina
Sprouts
Squashes
String Beans
Swiss Chard
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
Nightshade Veggies
FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Dates/Figs
Grapes
Grapefruit
Guava
Lime
Melons
Nectarine
Orange
Lemon
Lime
Mango
Peach
Pear
Persimmon
Pineapple
Plum
Pomegranate
Prune
Raisins
All Berries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

ORIENTAL
VEGETABLES

Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Kelp
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame

SWEETENERS
Stevia
Honey, Raw & pure
PROTEIN
Sprouted beans
Almonds
Chestnuts
Tofu (fermented)
Flax Seeds
Flax Oil, cold-pressed
Pumpkin Seeds
Tempeh (fermented)
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Millet
Sprouted Seeds
Raw Nuts-Soak 1st
Young Coconut meat

OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Agar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Probiotic Cultures
Green Juices
Veggies Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Organic Milk (Raw/un-pasteurized)
Mineral Water
Alkaline Water
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Dandelion Tea
Ginseng Tea
Banchi Tea
Kombucha
Young Coconut Water
Alkaline Water

SPICES/
SEASONINGS

Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Horseradish
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs
So what’s a wife to do for this hard training hubs? Make a good balance snack but of course! I use this snack for post workout for him and/or along with breakfast.

Key ingredients:
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and my secret ingredient that makes it taste delish!
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blend all together, and now you’ve got a perfect alkaline “balancing” green goodness! Yes, I know it green, but its what’s inside that counts, right?
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And yes, I always make extra for me!!
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What foods do you use to keep “in balance?” Name one food from the list that your willing to try, if any? I have yet to try AGAR but I think I’ll pick it up next time I am at Natural Grocer.

Alrighty, stay warm out there!!!! Oh and HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY! Please, no more winter Mr. Punxsutawney Phil.

Cheers,
LC
p.s
Don’t forget enter the Amazing Grass giveaway. I’ll announce the winner Friday along with a workout, YEA!

56 comments:

bamarunner11 said...

Kombucha keeps me in balance ;)

mamarunsbarefoot said...

I do need to work on this, I know that coffee is very acidic! My diet is improving though, thanks to you!

Tina said...

I JUST finished reading Kris Carr's new book, Crazy Sexy Diet (I am going to post my review of it soon), and it promotes a mostly-alkaline diet. This chart is great! I add tons of cinnamon and even pumpkin spice to my green drinks.

Kim K said...

lindsay, i imagine the superfood is what's making the shake green? how does that taste? like dirt?! btw - do you guys juice at all? we bought a juicer a few months ago but keep making the same juice - not sure if you had any recipes?

Heather @ Dietitian on the Run said...

Ooh, I have yet to try Agar too...not even sure I'd recognize it! Ha, sad? Hopefully you find one and educate us all! ;)

Rebecca Lustig said...

WHOA, i never know that about alkaline-forming foods. so so SO interesting to me. but the more i think about it, the more sense it makes!

Heather (Where's the Beach) said...

Thanks for the information. Looks like I do eat a ton of the alkaline foods. But lately I think some stress and the additional running is starting to wear on me. I have not tried the berry flavor wheat grass yet. I almost tried it last night actually. I need to find better recovery alternatives for running. My recovery is so much different than from lifting and I'm not doing so well at it.

Kristina @ Life as Kristina said...

I'm printing this out! I'm always discussing alkaline foods with people and the ph of their blood-this would be a great hand out!

marathonmaiden said...

really interesting information here. i never thought about acid/alkaline states of the body before. i've always just taken for granted that the body itself is really good at balancing out its own pH

Allison @ PickyEatingRD said...

I've never tried nightshade in fact I am not even sure what it is!! Thanks for this list!!!

She Rocks Fitness said...

I have had a pear every morning this week in both oatmeal and Greek yogurt and it's been a nice change up, delicious, and sweet! I still have yet to try coconut water and 3 of my clients keep telling me to get it. Another item to add to my list. Happy Hump Day girl!

Jessie said...

great info and post! thanks for sharing it, great list!!!

Carrie said...

wow! i certainly learned something completely new from this post- thank you!!!! is it embarrassing that i haven't tried any of those oriental vegetables let alone heard of them!??! this has def got me thinking more about organic produce too.. i had no idea how many pesticides were in reg produce and how bad they are- yuck!

Courtney L. said...

Thank you so much for this informative post, Lindsay! It's nice to see some information behind a green smoothie. It's easier to understand its health benefits.

Lisakthrives said...

I love this post! I'm all about the balance in food, and I think having a focus (such as pH) can be very helpful for people when they are working on improving their diets.
I haven't tried agar yet either---but it is definitely on my list.
Have a fab day, and I hope your power is back on!

Monet said...

What a great post! I've been seeing daikon root at our farmer's market, so I'm eager to try that...and of course, I love my apples and broccoli! Thank you for sharing!

Gen said...

Awesome post!
Here, all of our fruits and veggies are organic, and I eat a LOT of them!!!!!!
One thing on the list that I haven't tried but would like to is tempeh! =D

Tawnee said...

Excellent post. It's surprising how many people are unaware of pH balance and how it affects your body! I wonder if my massive consumption of fruits, veggies, sea veggies, kombucha, etc, make up for the acid-forming parts -- training, stress, meat and the occasional glass of vino :)

I was just looking into agar too... intriguing, I'm going to get it soon.

Stephanie said...

This was an awesome post! This is exactly the type of stuff I like to refer to when planning my weekly eats. I'm such an open and adventurous eater so nothing is truly a *no go* from this list! Saving this post!!

Dorry said...

Such an informative post! I bookmarked it to go back and read again/refer to. You know this interests me greatly and I'm in the midst of trying to lower my stress levels (deep breathing!) and eat enough nutritious foods everyday. Thank you Linds!

(what runs) Lori said...

I love that you post pics of yourself! :) It makes your blog so much more personal. Face to the words.

Great post! I think REAL food and paying attention to non-acid forming foods is so important. THRIVE was my bible for so long- I need to go back and reread it. It goes along with everything you've written here for sure! One thing I am doing to help keep my body strong and alkaline: NEW PROTEIN POWDER!

I got it yesterday and made a massive (and amazingly delicious) smoothie this morning! GREAT recommendation! Seriously. It made my smoothie super thick (which is my number 1 goal in smoothie making) and it's nutritional profile is the same as my whey protein but WAY better for me. Vanilla flavor, as you said, is bomb. Will review on my blog soon. You're awesome. :)

purplebirdblog said...

I have really been wanting to get into sprouting grains and beans!

Salah said...

I have definitely been making sure that I am focusing on getting WHOLE foods in my diet :-) I have definitely noticed a HUGE change in my digestive system!

Jenn @ Peas & Crayons said...

I cant wait to make sprouts =) and start growing my veggie garden again! =) I miss it so much!

Thanks for the info on the acidity! I learned a few new things from this post that they certainly toss into my nutrition courses!

lauren@spiced plate said...

Awesome, awesome. Thanks for sharing this -- I studied it a bit when I was on my super kale cleanse this summer, and felt SO much better eating the foods off that list. It's how I eat now -- mostly veggies, legumes, nuts, spices, and lots of good teas. I use ginger and turmeric in everything to keep my health and immunity in check, and going to the gym (but not over doing it) is great for destressing, as is yoga. I always feel better if I eat kale with my meal, or if I snack on a cucumber with sprouted chickpea hummus along with my meal. I also make an apple cider vinegar drink with grated ginger, water, and a smidge of honey. It feels so good! Braggs actually sells apple cider vinegar drinks, too! Would you mind if I linked to this post on my blog's FB page?

Christina said...

Thank you for explaining this!! I've been curious about alkaline drinks for a while!

Lisa @ Bakebikeblog said...

What an interesting and informative post!!!

Unknown said...

never tried bee pollen, but i'd do it once ;) i've used agar agar as a gelatin substitute!

lauren@spiced plate said...

Thanks Lindsay -- I just emailed you (incase it went into your spam folder, my email address is cathedralanatomy AT gmail DOT com -- strange one, eh?)

Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) said...

I am an apple a day (or 3) kind of girl, but I am pretty good at eating mostly fruits and veggies. I am focusing on ginger today to help my belly with this funk it has going on with it. I love this post! Great information!

thefitnessfreak said...

Great post Lindsay! It's always good to have the alkalizing reminders : ) I am going to see an ayurvedic endocrinologist in a few weeks and I'm SO excited! They are so in tune with the body and I know they'll get to the bottom of my quest to be less acidic and more peppy and off of the Hashimoto's carousel! Keep up the good work girl!!

Nicole

Meghan Smith said...

I really enjoyed reading this, I learned A LOT. I have never really considered the pH of the foods I eat, very interesting stuff!

Kristina @ spabettie said...

awesome list, I try to eat many of these foods regularly... one thing I miss about not working at the clinic anymore... Doc bought one of those water ionizers and It Was Awesome. I love that stuff.

now I enjoy my coconut water :)

Small town runner said...

I love a lot of the foods on the list! I wish I could get more shitakes :)) Canaloupe is a seasonal favorite..
very interesting stuff, L!

Sarah Lynton said...

Super informative post! I appreciate the info! Coffee is definitely one of those things that I would have trouble giving up! I'm curious where to find fermented tofu... I don't think that I've ever seen it anywhere for sale. I'd really love to try dulse!

Olivia said...

Eggplant, cantaloupe, avocado, tempeh, almonds, pumpkin, honey, cinnamon, sea salt!!! I love all of these alkaline rich foods! My aunt is a nutritionist over in Spain, and she showed me all of this cool info about alkalizing foods and pH balance in your body...apparently people over there are very into that! But it was really interesting and I loved reading your post because it reminded me a lot of that!

Bre said...

yum! coconut water smoothies! Hmm loving the alkaline/acid- so interesting. I haven't tried many of the veggies on the Oriental list, so I would try those.

hungryrunnergirl said...

Girl, once again you taught me so much!! I really feel like I should pay you for your services!! You are my inspiration!! I am going to try asparagus and tofu....two things I rarely have!! WOW....it is amazing what stress does to our bodies. I think you should send this to biggest looser (um, 10 hours of exercise a day)!!! Your hubs is so lucky to have you be the biggest helper to him...really, you are the best! LOVE YA!

natalie hopkins said...

Love this blog, and I've only been reading it for like, 2 days. Would it be wrong to start from the beginning? ;)

Like I said, I've got the chocolate super food, but everytime i make it, it comes out gritty. Suggestions? ... I should just ask this on twitter instead :P

Jess said...

I need to try cinnamon next time I make a smoothie!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again..you are your hubs are such a healthy, cool coupleeee!!

Abby said...

So informative! I wouldn't think of some of those foods as alkalizing, though! Crazyyyy! Thanks for the lesson :)

Oh, and I wish I had a taste for Amazing Grass.. but I really don't. I think it kind of tastes like dirt :( I still try it from time to time thinking I can trick my taste buds...

Missy Miller said...

Thanks for this...I've been learning about alkalzation for about a year.
I heard that spinach is not acidic...must go back to google. I have been knee deep in macrobiotics and sea veg lately, yum.

jilljub said...

Thank you for letting me know it's groundhogs day. I am so out of it lately.

Ally (oatsandspice) said...

I love this - I have been hearing so much lately about alkaline foods - I recently finished Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr and she said to try to aim for an 80/20 balance - 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic)

I really want to try the Amazing Grass - I'm looking forward to the announcement!

Suzanne said...

I'm new to this! I've always had intestinal issues. I can't tolerate fats, sugar, or much dairy. Processed foods are the worst. I ate deli turkey for the first time in a year today and my stomach bloated out so much I got a rash near my waistband. Maybe I will explore this further, can't hurt! Where can I learn more?

Alisa said...

Im bookmarking this post, this is really helpful!

Kissmybroccoli said...

Wow, I never knew that stress could raise the acid level in your body! That list it interesting too. You would think that oranges, lemons, limes and other citrus fruits would be more acidic not alkaline. Good to know! What exactly is "alkaline water"?

Is it totally weird of me to look at a mason jar full of a liquid that resembles something not so nice that might come out of a baby and my first thought is, "Oh, I want to try that!"?? Haha!

Mindy@FindingSilverLinings said...

I definately feel stress physically. It's just the way my body copes with it I guess. I'll be loading up on those good-for-me foods today!! Thanks for being such a smarty pants Linds. You look so cute sippin away! LOL!
xo
Mindy

Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather said...

Thanks for all the info! It's nice to see a list of alkalizing foods all together.

I wish I could get my husband to drink green smoothies. I love em!

Madeline said...

I definitely carry my stress right in my digestive system!

lindsay cotter said...

I hear ya, and it ain't pretty.

Susan (Oliepants) said...

I have been researching the alkalizing foods for a while - I have say I was a bit lost until this post! This is fabulous! Thank you!

Jess @ FCITC said...

Hmm... I can't say that I've had a lot of balance recently. Hoping to get it back.

Allie said...

Whoa, so weird! I am learning about this stuff in my bio class.. well it is actually called intro to human disease.. but I think it would be much more interesting the way you teach it!! Thanks for sharing :o) Keep warm !!!

lindsay cotter said...

me too! I hope we all do. stay warm up there in NYC!

Pure2raw Twins said...

Love this post! We are big believers in eating an alkaline diet. And we add cinnamon to everything too :)

Stress, man I am trying hard to work on managing that. I am realizing it is causing a lot of problems lately. Thanks for reminding me I need to control it!