Are you eating a plant-based diet, maybe even a raw vegan diet and still having health challenges?

It could be that you are sensitive to acids. Our body’s blood stream needs to be alkaline at all times at a pH of 7.5. It regulates this by withdrawing calcium and other salts from our bones and tissues when we eat too many foods that are predominantly high in acidic minerals or are devoid of alkaline minerals like refined flour and sugar and needs to use the body’s alkaline reserves to neutralize the body’s acids.

We also generate acids while under stress that use up our alkaline minerals to buffer them to safely exit the body.

What are the alkaline and acid minerals?

The alkaline minerals are calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and iron.

The acid minerals are sulfur, phosphorus and chlorine.

What foods are highest in each?

The acid minerals are predominant in animal foods, particularly phosphorus and sulfur. Soda pop is high in phosphorus as are grains–almost all grains and almost all legumes and nuts and seeds except almonds. Fatty ACID foods like avocadoes, nuts, and animal foods also break down into acids in our body. Coffee and chocolate also break down into uric acid inside of our bodies.

Another group of foods that can cause problems that might surprise you are acid FRUITS. Many people have reactions like rashes, sinus problems or acid reflux when they eat lemons, limes, grapefruit or oranges and even tomatoes and strawberries.

Why? Either they are too acid from eating a predominantly acid-based diet or they have a genetic difficulty in breaking these weak acids down and thus they have an acidic effect in these people’s bodies whereas normally they have an alkaline effect in other people’s bodies.

So what’s left? The best way to create alkalinity in the body is through eating lots of vegetables, particularly leafy green lettuces.

All vegetables with the exception of eggplant, tomatoes and some other foods create an alkaline environment in the body. So do potatoes.

The diet should be 70% of these foods. Bananas are highly alkaline as well.

Semi-acid or sweet fruits are weakly acid-forming, but should be balanced with the vegetables to keep the body alkaline.

A great way to do this is with green smoothies. Make sure you have enough fruit to make it palatable, but pack in the greens to get the minerals.

Making sure to eat plenty of salads with a dressing made from fruit is key as well. Keep fats to a minimum if eaten at all.

Now you can see why a vegan or even raw vegan diet can be full of acids if centered around acid fruits or nuts or grains and beans.

Sodium chloride (table salt) which is used very heavily in cooked vegan dishes, is very acid-producing as well.

What are some symptoms of being too acid?

1) Burning urine. Bladder infections.

2) Feeling irritable.

3) Itching skin or rashes.

4) Feeling cold all the time.

5) Sensitive teeth.

6) Constant fatigue.

7) Runny nose especially if immediately after eating. Allergies.

8) Stiff joints and back especially upon rising.

9) Thin splitting fingernails.

10) Dull, brittle hair.

If you have one or more of any of these signs, then it’s time to VEG UP! Start drinking some green smoothies or juices and DROP THE ACID. Make sure 70% of your diet is from alkaline veggies and the rest should be from weakly acidic fruits, alkaline potatoes and weakly acidic grain if you eat cooked foods. Hold the table salt and strong spices as well and season with fresh herbs.