The Alkaline Diet and If it actually works

Hey everyone, welcome back to another day of learning. Today we are gonna be learning about the alkaline diet. Before we get started like always please consult with a trusted doctor, nutritionist etc before trying anything new or making drastic changes.

Back in 2020 I created a 4 part series on the alkaline diet and its many benefits. Two years later I’m realizing it’s some information that I have missed and would like to share now.

The Series: https://humblesoullifeofajuicer.wordpress.com/2022/08/04/alkalinity-vs-acidity/

https://humblesoullifeofajuicer.wordpress.com/2020/03/29/alkaline-diet-what-you-need-to-know-first-hand/

To do a quick review The average pH of the human body is 7.40. A diet is not defined as acidic or alkaline based on the actual pH content of the food but, rather, how foods may affect and impact the body’s pH level.

The pH scale is a tool that measures the amount of acid or base in something. 

On a scale from 0 to 14: 

7 is neutral

Less than 7 indicates acidity

Greater than 7 indicates a base (more alkalinity) 

The Alkaline Diet claims to improve your health, help you lose weight, and even fight cancer. The Diet is based on a theory that some foods cause your body to promote acid, which is harmful. They say if you eat certain foods or drink only certain things when you change the acid level in your body, your PH level will change as well.

What are some examples of acid-forming foods?

When digested and broken down in the body, the following foods are considered acidic: Meat (fresh and processed) / Poultry (chicken, turkey) / Fish / Dairy/ Eggs / Grains

The popular alkaline diet focuses on acid-forming (low-PRAL) foods and suggests avoiding them. But do the claims behind the alkaline diet hold up? Let’s take a look.

If you look at a high-PRAL foods like red meat and dairy depending on your body type, health, family history this may create increase risk of cancer, diabetes etc. Now of course cutting those foods out or cutting down on them may erase that risk, but please remember restrictive eating is not for anyone can lead to nutritional deficiencies if not one properly.

Rather than focusing on the acid-forming potential of a food, it’s best to focus on eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods. This can definitely include some high-PRAL foods, such as animal proteins and grains.

I will say now if someone were to adopt a strict alkaline diet with 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods as some websites recommend, there can be an increased risk of certain vitamin or protein deficiencies. It is important to remember hat our overall health isn’t just dependent on what or how we eat. Optimal health includes maintaining a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, quality sleep, stress reduction and social connections. Health and wellness is more than 1 stop shop.

I encourage you to be gentle with yourself eat when you’re hungry and DO NOT let anyone shame you.

for more info https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/#:~:text=Increased%20fruits%20and%20vegetables%20in,such%20as%20hypertension%20and%20strokes.

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Dieting Vs Mindful Eating Vs Intuitive Eating

Hi everyone, today we are gonna be talking about dieting, mindful eating and intuitive eating and how they work. Always consult a medical professional if you feel you need support with your health, both physical and mental. I personally have been practicing mindful eating because I have a problem with “eating my emotions” whenever I feel sad or upset I use to eat even when I was not hungry which is called emotional eating.

Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness. It is important on your healing journey to not beat yourself up no matter what happened to you as a child/ adulthood you deserve to be happy, healthy and live your best life. It is also important to eat when you are hungry. Sometimes we get so caught up in overthinking we cause more stress unknowingly. Take things one day at a time and be gentle with yourself.

A few tips that work for me are below.

Getting down to the root cause. A bad day at work or a fight with a friend are short-term issues / A long term issue may be not getting your needs met as a child / Ask why you’re eating / Swap out your unhealthy snacks (but do not overthink it if you want to eat a cheeseburger then do it and do not beat yourself up about it) / Choose foods that fight stress(goji berries, chamomile tea, lavender tea) / Make emergency packages (pre-portion snacks such as nuts, popcorn or sliced veggies into baggies or containers. Consider these your emergency snack packages or just your healthy snack options on an ongoing basis.)

Consider your eating habits: how you ate? did you eat slowly?/why you ate? were you hungry? /what you ate? /when you ate? /where you ate? /how much you ate? Keeping a food journal may help as well.

If you feel you having trouble with your eating habits or stress levels please talk to your doctor or trusted physician.

Mindful eating (i.e., paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment) is an approach to food that focuses on individuals’ sensual awareness of the food and their experience of the food. Mindful eating takes practice. Try to eat more slowly, chew thoroughly, remove distractions, and stop eating when you’re full.

Mindful Eating

Trust
Self empowerment
Internal cues
Health enhancement
Acceptance
Integration
Quality calories
Flexible
Satisfaction
Lifestyle

Intuitive Eating is an anti-diet, weight- inclusive model and is aligned with the Health at Every Size movement. Unlike Mindful Eating, IE includes physical activity, body respect, rejecting the diet mentality and using nutrition principles, but without judgment, to help with food decisions and wellbeing.

It should be known that Intuitive Eating is an evidenced-based, mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 Principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. It is also important to know intuitive eating weight loss can happen. However, you could also gain weight or simply maintain your weight. A good blog post to check out for more information is https://www.self.com/story/intuitive-eating-myths .

Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated way to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight, or to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet. Biologically, “dieting” can lead to unhealthy changes in body composition, hormonal changes, reduced bone density, menstrual disturbances, and lower resting energy expenditure. It is important to know that everyones body is different and it is always best to find what works for you.

Dieting 🥗

Willpower
Cultural Conformity
External cues
Weight loss
Avoidance
Rigid
Counting calories
Restrictive
Denial
Quick fix

A balanced diet is a diet that contains differing kinds of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins and alternative nutrients is adequate and a small provision is reserved for additional nutrients to endure the short length of leanness. There are seven essential factors for a balanced diet: carbs, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water.

If you are interested in weight loss don’t forget to subscribe as we will continue to talk about diets and how they work.

Thank you!

Environmental Wellness

Wellness is becoming more aware of the choices you make for a balanced life. Wellness is the pursuit of continued growth and balance in the seven dimensions of wellness. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Today we dive into Environmental Wellness. Environmental Wellness is creating or finding spaces where you live, work, and study that help you feel motivated to reach your goals. Environmental wellness refers to your sense of safety, comfort, and connection with your physical surroundings. Environmental wellness can be enhanced by living more in harmony with the planet and your community.

 Environmental Wellness is 

• Conserving energy (shutting off unused lights)
• Recycling paper, cans, and glass as much as possible
• Enjoying and appreciating time outside in natural settings
• Not polluting the air, water, or earth
• Being respectful, inclusive, kind, and supportive to others. 
• Being aware of risks in your surroundings.
•  Being aware of the impact of your decisions. 
• Taking personal responsibility for your actions.

Strategies to Enhance Your Environmental Wellness

Be cautious about your security when drinking and out with friends:

• Be aware of who is around you and leave with the same people you came with
• Buy your drinks and keep your drink in sight at all times
• Keep condoms and other contraception with you when you go out
• Get tested every 6 to 9 months if you have multiple partners or even in a relationship
• Always use the buddy system 
• Make sure your phone is charged before going out

Reduce your allergies:

• Avoid outdoor allergens whenever possible. If pollen counts are high, stay inside with the windows closed and use the air conditioning.
• Avoid bringing pollen indoors. If you go outside, wash your hair and clothing when you come inside. Pets can also bring in pollen, so clean them too.
• Reduce indoor allergens. Keep humidity levels low in the home to keep dust mites and mold under control.
• Avoid upholstered furniture and carpets because they harbor allergens.
• Wash your bedding in hot water once a week.
• Vacuum once a week 

Stay safe during hot weather:

• Beat the sun and heat with an early morning or evening activity.
• Use a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, preferably 30, and reapply frequently.
• Use sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB.
• Try to stay in the shade when outdoors during peak sunlight.
• Go to an air-conditioned gym, do water workouts, or use a fitness video at home.
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.

Environmental Wellness Apps:

• Fill it Forward (iTunes / GooglePlay) – Use this app to track your environmental footprint, contribute to charitable projects, and join community groups.
• JouleBug – organizes sustainability tips into Actions that you can put into JouleBug to make your everyday habits more sustainable.
• Oroeco – This app automatically calculates your carbon footprint to track your climate impact.
•  Recycle Coach – Helps you reduce contamination through reminders, material search, and drop-off information.

The core principle of environmental wellness is respect—respect for all nature and all species living in it. It does not mandate that you join a movement or organization, but it does encourage you to practice habits that promote a healthy environment. When you become environmentally aware, you will be able to realize how your daily habits affect the environment. Improving this dimension of wellness is simple and results in a more balanced lifestyle.

Check on with yourself:

• Is your room a place that you feel comfortable, safe, and at ease in?
• Do you have mementos of things that are important to you?
• Do you find time to explore nature?
• How often do you clean and sanitize your space?
• Does my tribe support my health and wellness? 
• Is my environment truly my own? 
• Am I living in a dark environment? 
• Am I in harmony with the earth? 
• Which local community organization supports the earth?

Check back later this week for another post! I have a lot of exciting things coming up!

Peace and Love

Gabby ❤

Health Wellness: Emotional & Physical

Wellness is becoming more aware of the choices you make for a balanced life. Wellness is the pursuit of continued growth and balance in the seven dimensions of Wellness. This week we will go through each one and learn how to take care of selves. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. 

We start with emotional health, which is an important part of overall health. Emotionally healthy people are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They’re able to cope with life’s challenges. They can keep problems in perspective and bounce back from setbacks. You are able to acknowledge and feel the emotions but not be the emotions. Now always remember never to judge your journey with anyone else’s. Be kind to yourself. If you woke up this morning and just took a shower, I am proud of you, and even if you didn’t, I am still proud of you! Since this whole covid thing started, stress and doubt has been filling a lot of homes.

 Remember these things:

You are loved, You are important, You are needed, You deserve rest, You deserve Peace of mind. 

Emotional Wellness:

Having the ability to talk with someone about your emotional concerns and share your feelings with others. things you can do to stay on track:

Saying “no” when you need to without feeling guilty

Feeling content most of the time

Feeling you have a strong support network i.e.

Feeling good about who you are

Sticking up for yourself  

Speaking your mind 

Being emotionally healthy doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time. It means you’re aware of your emotions. You can deal with them, whether they’re positive or negative. Feeling stressed is normal and learning how to cope with stress is essential to being emotionally well. How each of us responds to stress is as individual as we are.

Check-in with yourself:

Do you see stress as something you can learn from or something to avoid?

Do you allow yourself to experience emotions, just as they are?

Are you able to ask for help when you need it?

Do you set clear boundaries with family, work, school, and friends?

Do you allow yourself to feel the emotions you are feeling, or do you self-sabotage? 

Be Positive: Focus on the good. Few things are all good or all bad. You’ll feel better if you look at the positive aspects of people, new experiences, meals, and everyday activities. Also, don’t be so hard on yourself!!! Everyone grows through hardships in life. Reach out for help and never be ashamed about it. 

Physical Wellness:

Physical Wellness promotes proper care of our bodies for optimal health and functioning. Being physically active is crucial to keeping your body in its top condition. A few proven benefits of physical activity are strengthened bones and muscles, reduced risk of disease and stroke, and more energy.

Understanding the relationship between your body’s physical health and mental health is crucial to develop balanced Physical Wellness. Physical Wellness is listening to and taking care of your body for optimal health and functioning. Taking care of your physical body will help you get through the stress of life.

Things to do for yourself:

Drinking 8 cups of water a day

Stretching every morning

Eating a balanced meal every day

Practicing safe sex

Exercising 30 Min or more a day

Check-in with yourself?:

Do you eat foods you enjoy, stay hydrated through the day, and listen to your hunger cues?

Are you able to keep a consistent sleep schedule and get 7 hours of sleep/night?

Do you move your body daily?

How much water do you drink a day?

Be kind to yourself: In the internet age, Youtube has well over in the thousand at-home workouts. And even if you don’t have the time do what you can today and try again tomorrow. Keep moving forward; if you wake up the next day, there is your chance.

Check back in a few days!