Most of the food we eat has the potential to alter our pH. When digested, some foods leave acidic by-products in the body (acid-forming foods); others leave alkaline by-products (alkaline-forming foods). Acid-forming foods include most high-protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, and most legumes (beans and peas, except lentils, which are alkaline-forming). Sugar, coffee, alcohol, and most grains are also acid-forming. Alkaline-forming foods include nearly all vegetables and fruits, many nuts and seeds, and spices (see our charts of acid-forming foods and alkaline-forming foods).

For millennia, our Stone Age ancestors ate hundreds of different types of natural whole foods. Seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and roots were supplemented with game animals and fish, providing on average a pH-balanced diet. Our organs and body systems evolved in adaptation to this diet. It’s as if Nature said, “You can eat acid-forming meat, beans, and other high-protein foods, but you must balance these with an abundance of the alkaline-forming vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices.” And for thousands of years, that’s exactly what we did.

Unfortunately, we’ve strayed from the acid-alkaline balanced diet that our ancestors achieved. We favor meat, sugars, grains, low-mineral processed foods, and other acid-forming foods and get far too few alkaline-forming vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The net result is that our eating patterns create a condition known as “chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis.” While our bodies can easily handle an occasional acid load, long-term acid build-up can exhaust our available alkalizing reserves. Unless we take steps to neutralize these acids, they can damage our health in many ways — and this is the underlying cause of many of our modern health problems, including osteoporosis.

The obvious solution to this problem is to do what countless nutritionists and doctors are always telling us: eat more fruits and vegetables, and cut back on processed foods, meats, and sweets. But how much is “more” when it comes to vegetables — and which ones are best? And how much of those acid-forming meats and sweets should we “cut back on?”

weight gain
nonspecific aches and pains, especially in the bones and joints
acid reflux or heartburn
poor digestion, irritable bowel, intestinal cramping
fatigue, feeling of being “run down”
muscle weakness and loss of muscle
urinary tract problems
receding gums
kidney stones
bone loss
skin problems

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That really depends on how far your internal pH has shifted toward acidity. Elsewhere, we talk about how to assess your pH balance, but here’s our quick rule of thumb. There are certain symptoms of acid imbalance that we’ve listed in the box. If you have three or more of these symptoms, we suggest that you eat 80% of your foods from the alkaline-forming group. The other 20% should be high protein items and other acid-forming foods. Later, when your pH balance has improved (which you can tell either by urine or saliva testing or by the fact that your symptoms have resolved), you can lower the alkaline-forming part of your diet to around 65%.

The general guidelines for an alkaline diet emphasize whole foods, particularly vegetables, root crops, and to a lesser degree, fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, whole grains, and beans (especially lentils). It also includes alkalizing beverages such as spring water and ginger root or green tea, and smaller amounts of essential fats, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy (if tolerated). Processed and artificial foods, caffeine, white sugar, and white flour are eliminated, when possible, but don’t be afraid to use real butter and full-fat milk (if you use dairy), and you may dress salads or cook with high-quality fats such as cold-pressed virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

We’ve put together a sample menu from our Alkaline for Life® meal plan to give you a sense of what you might eat if you’re trying to achieve an 80% alkaline diet. This is not a “diet” in the sense of restrictions on calories or elimination of certain foods altogether (although it’s true that you’ll have greater success if you avoid sugary foods and limit how much meat you eat). Calorie-counting isn’t part of this — you can indulge in as many alkalizing fruits and vegetables as you want, but you should limit things like meat, dairy, and grains to avoid boosting your acidity.