In this post, you will get a comprehensive guide on how to alkalize your body. First, you'll learn about the difference between ​your various pH levels. Then you ​will discover a simple strategy to test if your body is alkaline or acidic. Finally you can check out the 15 tips on ​how to make your body more alkaline. 

So let's get to it...

Why Does Your Body ​Become Alkaline​ or Acidic?

Before we get into all ​the tips on how to make your body alkaline, let's discuss h​the reasons why you might have an inbalance in your pH levels.

There are two main factors that contribute making your body too acidic.

  1. The foods we eat. (soda, meats, coffee, chocolate, flour sugar) 
  2. The amount of stress in our bodies. 

Understanding the pH Level in Your Body

Most people don't stop to consider the acid/alkaline balance in their blood, but an optimal pH is actually crucial to one's health. Human blood is a solution, meaning that it is made up of a uniform distribution inside a liquid.

Having a balanced pH protects our bodies from the inside out. Some even say that diseases and disorders cannot grow in a body whose pH is in balance. An imbalanced pH allows unhealthy organisms to grow, damages tissues and organs, and hurts the immune system.

The body’s optimal pH is 7.36, which is just barely alkaline.

Because most people are too acidic, it is best to focus on alkalizing the body to maintain proper health. To measure your pH, you can dip a piece of litmus paper in your saliva or urine as soon as you wake up, before eating or drinking anything.

An acidic environment in one's body will decrease its ability to repair damaged cells and detoxify heavy metals. It also creates an environment for tumor cells to thrive, and it makes the body more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

Acidosis is more common in today’s society than it was in centuries past due to the drastic changes in our eating patterns as compared to those who came before us.

Choosing to eat more alkaline foods can help to change your pH balance. This allows your body to function at its best.

However, many of the foods that people love are very acidic. Eating too many acidic foods over time stresses the body's natural functions and can leave you feeling tired and sluggish.

So, which foods are alkalizing and which are acidic? As stated, the scale goes from 0 to 14, and you want to shoot for a balanced pH of 7. Our food today is far too high in acid-producing animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.

It is far too low in alkaline-producing foods such as fresh vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, collard greens, strawberries, and wild rice.

Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods such as white flour and sugar, and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. Popcorn, cream cheese, chocolate, fruit juices, and nuts are all acidic foods that harm our overall health.

Some more neutral foods that are only slightly acidic include cooked beans, coconut, and salmon. On the other hand, some foods that are only slightly basic are apples, olives, and bananas.

Further, all grains, whether they are whole or not, increase acidity in the body. Many people eat most of their quota of plant food in the form of processed wheat or corn. The problem is, if you do not consume enough alkaline-promoting foods to counteract this, the body can become prone to disease.

Calcium-rich dairy products actually lead to osteoporosis because they create acidity in the body. When your bloodstream acquires too much acid, it will take calcium out of the bones because calcium is an alkaline substance.

This will then help the body balance the pH level. So while many people think that eating calcium is the key to strong bones, the best way to prevent osteoporosis is actually to eat a lot of alkaline green leafy vegetables.

How to Tell If Your Body Is Alkaline or Acidic

The big question here is, “How can you tell if your body is too alkaline or acidic?”

The quickest way to get this information is to measure your body’s pH level by using pH level strips that you can purchase at your local pharmacy or on Amazon. However, if you don't have these handy and you want to know where you stand now, here are some symptoms of being too alkaline or too acidic.

Symptoms of Being Too Acidic

If your body is too acidic, you are likely to experience a lot of fatigue, even if you feel as if you are getting enough sleep at night. You may also have joint pain, headaches, chronic pain, or a stiff neck.

You are likely to feel an overall sense of sluggishness, and even depression at times. Many people whose bodies are too acidic also suffer from irritability and brain fog.

Symptoms of Being Too Alkaline

This is much less common than being too acidic, but can come with equally as disturbing symptoms. People who are too alkaline may suffer from hand tremors, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lightheadedness, and muscle twitching.

15 Ways to Make Your Body More Alkaline

As you can see, there can be a lot of negative consequences if your body is too acidic. An alkaline body is hard work, but worthwhile. If you’d like to balance it by becoming more alkaline, then here are 15 ​tips on how to make your body more alkaline.

1. Check your pH levels regularly.

These pH strips are relatively inexpensive on Amazon. They give a fast and accurate reading of your body’s acidity and alkaline levels. The results of these test strips will help guide you in keeping your pH levels balanced so your body can properly process essential nutrients.

These strips give you a convenient method to monitor your pH levels in the privacy of your home. You can use either saliva or urine to test your pH. Results appear 15 seconds after your test is administered, and the strips come with an easy-to-read chart to see what range you are in.

2. Start your day with a tall glass of water with a hint of lemon.

Lemon might seem too acidic, but it actually has the reverse effect because it helps boost your metabolism. Clean water and a slice of freshly squeezed lemon is one of the most highly rated energy boosters of all time.

Water with lemon gives the body clean energy through both hydration and oxygenation that provide extraordinary energy and mental clarity.

When added to your water, fresh lemon helps oxygenate the body and optimize enzyme function. This fruit is known to stimulate the liver’s natural enzymes and assist the liver in the process of getting rid of toxins such as uric acid.

3. Eat more dark and green vegetables.

When we think of healthy foods, we usually think about the color green. Similarly, when we think about nature, we think about the color green. Green is a color that is associated with all of the good aspects of life, but when it comes to choosing what is for lunch, we typically have a reluctance towards green foods.

Unfortunately, our taste buds have been conditioned to love artificial flavors and sugars. Food manufacturers have made us crave intense flavors that can only be found in packaged products.

So, how can you get yourself to eat more dark and green vegetables? Start by exposing yourself to new vegetables and experimenting with them in the kitchen. You likely don't know that you will like some of these foods until you try them.

Also, make them easily available. When you reach for a snack, make sure that you already have cut-up vegetables in the fridge rather than a bag of potato chips.

4. Get more exercise.

Exercise helps your body sustain and restore its neutral pH balance of tissues, as well as blood and cellular fluids. Doing aerobic exercise is the best way to maintain the acid-alkaline equilibrium in your body because it works your muscles and can help reduce the accumulation of acid in your system.

When it comes to exercising, make sure to do at least one form of activity each day, whether that is walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, etc. Also, the more you exercise, the better off your overall health will be.

5. Limit your alcohol intake.

Alcohol changes your pH by altering your kidneys’ ability to maintain substances such as phosphate in your blood. Imbalances of substances in the blood can significantly decrease the effectiveness of your body’s metabolism.

When you drink a light form of alcohol, like a beer, you are drinking a significant amount of water while also reducing your kidneys’ ability to get rid of that water. This results in a fluid overload and a change in phosphate levels that then decreases the acidity of your blood, making your pH level rise.

In fact, a single drink of alcohol can begin to change your normal kidney function. If your liver is already damaged from previous alcohol consumption, alcohol’s effects on your kidneys will only become more harmful.

6. Add a teaspoon of natural baking soda to water and drink it first thing in the morning.

Sure, this doesn’t taste so great, but is a quick way to alkalize your body. It is an easy method, and you can feel the effects of it right away. To do this, mix a teaspoon of natural baking soda in a cup of water and drink it as soon as you wake up.

Among other health benefits, drinking baking soda dissolved in a bit of water helps balance the body's pH and promotes overall well-being while increasing energy.

7. Reduce your intake of acidic foods.

Limiting your intake of acidic foods can help manage your pH levels, help preserve bone density, prevent kidney stones, and eliminate symptoms of acid reflux.

Foods that are acid-forming in the body should be eaten in strict moderation. Some of these foods include processed cakes and breads, processed cereals, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, pasta, rice, oats, and cold cuts.

When it comes to beverages, limit your intake of alcohol, milk, caffeinated drinks, and drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.