One of the best ways to stay healthy, relieve chronic pain, achieve desired weight, and promote longevity is through our diet. Unfortunately, many of us have been misinformed about what, how and when we should eat. This article will describe the alkaline anti-inflammatory diet, why it is so good for our health, and how to use this natural nutritional approach.
A little human history is in order to start. For most of human history on this planet, we were nomads. We traveled the world in search of large mammals that could be killed and eaten. Alternatively, humans grazed mammals such as goats, sheep, reindeer, and other cattle, which required travel to abundant grazing land. Our ancestors used to eat a lot of meat and fat. They did not stay at one place for long, so they were not able to do farming. They collected vegetables, a small amount of fruits and very little grain. Their diet was very low in starchy carbs like cereals, bread, pasta and other grains. By the time the Egyptians began farming about 5,000 years ago, humans had a large amount of starchy carbohydrates to eat.
Now, let us introduce some very simple and easy to understand biochemistry. We’ve all heard of fish oil and its main component of omega-3 fatty acids, sometimes referred to as omega-3 oils. Most people know that these omega-3 oils are good for us. Another, sometimes overlooked oil is the omega 6 fatty acid. When our ancestors were nomadic and ate few starchy carbohydrates, their diets contained roughly a 1:1 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This ratio is very healthy for the body. This makes the body more alkaline versus acidic. The more alkaline we are, the healthier we are.
However, if we become imbalanced in our omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, we become more acidic and have more inflammation in the body. Excess inflammation leads to chronic pain, weight gain, and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, and other disease processes that affect us today. When we eat more carbohydrates such as wheat, corn and rice, we are consuming foods with more omega 6 fatty acids. These can create a ratio imbalance of 1:10 omega-3 versus omega 6 fatty acids or more. For example, potato chips have a 1:60 ratio of omega-3 versus omega 6 fatty acids.
The inflammation resulting from an improper balance of omega oils from too many carbohydrates creates a systemic, general inflammation in the body. Conversely a diet low in carbohydrates, promoting a greater ratio of 1:1 fatty acids to fatty acids, allows the body to recover and function more optimally.
A very simple way to achieve an alkaline anti-inflammatory diet is to eat fewer starchy carbs. If one consumes 100-200 grams of grain products per day, it will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Certainly, this diet will include high amounts of vegetables and reasonable amounts of proteins and fats such as eggs, meats, fish and nuts. It is also recommended that the diet be low in sweets and sugar, such as candy, cookies, soda, sports drinks, and cakes and pies.
There is no need to be very strict in this diet. Most people who do not have severe metabolic diseases can certainly have a “cheat day” or two days each week when they can exceed 100–200 grams of starchy carbohydrates and a few sweets.
Not all health care providers or nutritionists necessarily agree with what is listed here. However, there are many books and healthcare practitioners who align themselves with this scheme. Some of these include The South Beach Diet, The Paleolithic Diet, The Keto Diet, and The Mediterranean Diet.
Those interested in this dietary approach can certainly find an expert who can give them more guidance.
Most people who use an alkaline anti-inflammatory diet will find that they have improved health within a reasonable amount of time. Many of us who initially used this approach found that within a year we had reached a desirable weight, eliminated chronic pain, had increased energy and better sleep. While an alkaline anti-inflammatory diet may not be mainstream, there is certainly enough scientific and anecdotal evidence to investigate this lifestyle.
