Perhaps you’ve heard the term “alkaline diet” and have wondered what it is. Maybe you’ve even found some misinformation and need to be clear on what it isn’t. Here’s a quick guide:

• An alkaline diet is a diet high in fruits and vegetables. This includes leafy greens, citrus fruits, and more.

• An alkaline diet is a diet designed to lower acidity and promote alkalinity in the body. This doesn’t just mean avoiding acidic foods. Some foods that are considered acidic actually promote alkalinity once in the body.

• An alkaline diet is a good diet for weight loss. When people decrease the amount of meats they are eating, and increase their fruit and vegetable intake, an interesting side effect is that they tend to lose weight!

• An alkaline diet is often a vegan or vegetarian diet. For those who are already vegan or vegetarian, switching to an alkaline-promoting diet would require minimal changes.

• An alkaline diet is a disease fighting diet. Your body is healthiest when your pH is in balance. Excess acidity can cause a plethora of problems if left untreated. Promoting alkalinity in your body through your diet and through drinking alkalized water can help your body work more efficiently.

What an alkaline diet isn’t:

• It isn’t just another fad diet. Acidosis (excess acidity) is an epidemic. To be a healthier society, we need to experience a permanent change in lifestyle.

• It isn’t the answer for everything. It won’t put gas in your car, bring your slippers to you, or change the channel on the TV.

• It isn’t the same as eating whatever you want and taking antacids. The drugs used to treat acid related conditions treat primarily the symptom of excess acidity. The alkaline diet is an attempt to address one potential cause (i.e. a poor diet).