Acidic Foods and the High Glycemic Sugars

     Any list of acidic foods will have sodas at the top of the list. I'm going to have to be a wet blanket here...these drinks are high glycemic and fat storing drinks!

     With the exception of a few sodas made with low glycemic sweeteners, sodas cause fat storage.    Oops.    They're also super addictive. Even the low glycemic ones should be consumed only occasionally because there are other health risks to bones and teeth associated with the acid in carbonated beverages.

     In fact, sodas and sugary foods are the acidic foods you need to be concerned about.   Others that could cause a problem if you consume too much of them are alcohol, coffee, meat, tea and vinegar. All vegetables, especially when they are eaten raw will balance the acidity and alkaline levels in the blood.

     Normal ph for the human body is 6.8 if you are inclined to check with litmus paper purchased in a health food store. Your body takes care of it's ph when you eat a balanced diet including lots of greens and other fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

     The high glycemic sugars below are at the top of any list of acidic foods. These are sugars that cause fat storage. Period. (This does NOT mean you never eat anything fun again!)

     Especially if you eat them with any type of fat, the glucose goes straight to make more fat cells!    They are in commercial sodas and sports drinks.   You really have to read the labels carefully and AVOID drinks with these sugars or any added additives that you don't recognize from our "good sugars" list.    This goes double for anyone who is on a diabetic diet.

Avoid High Glycemic Sugars

     All sodas are highly acidic foods and in combination with the carbonation they cause dental erosion.   The acid eats away the enamel in your teeth over time.   Yipes, that's a disturbing thought. With a soda habit, you'll not only be fat but you may lose your teeth!   Because of the high amount of acid in sodas, your body has to take alkaline minerals (including calcium) from your teeth and bones to neutralize it.   When bones are weakened by depletion of calcium they are susceptible to arthritis, osteoporosis and fracture.

     Highly acidic foods are a strain on your kidneys which have to filter the acid.   That's what happened to me as a matter of fact, as a coffee drinker. As I got into my fifties I started getting back aches over my kidneys.   A health care practitioner told me to give up my 3 cups of coffee a day habit and voila!   The back aches went away.

     Acidic foods are hard on your stomach too because the acid makes it impossible for your body to digest food. Your body needs to make it's own acids to break down foods. Soda is the worst drink to consume with a meal! It contributes to bloating and other digestive problems. Stay away from sodas which are acidic foods as well as being full of high glycemic sugars and caffeine.

     Seriously limit or better yet eliminate sodas and all the high glycemic beverages below. If you are a coffee lover, fresh ground coffee in moderation should not be a problem. It probably depends on your sensitivity to caffeine.

      Limit yourself to 1 or 2 cups a day and don't put anything high glycemic in it. Decaf coffee is low glycemic.

Avoid
High Glycemic Beverages

     Unhealthy energy drinks, the latest "big thing" in the soda industry tout quick energy for a reason. Everyone these days seem to need more energy because they don't eat properly. The soda manufacturers are appealing not only to your sugar addiction but also that need for a quick energy boost.

      Energy and sports drinks are acidic foods. They are full of the "bad sugars," the high glycemic sugars. Too much caffeine over time is a burden on your kidneys. Of course these energy drinks also raise your blood sugar and are acidic foods.

     Thirty five hundred calories equals one pound of fat. A sixteen ounce coke has 200 calories. If you eliminate one soda from your diet every day, in 6 months you will have reduced your calories by 36,000 and reduced your weight more than 10 pounds!   Imagine if you gave up all your sodas!  

     The health benefits of fresh green tea with it's high antioxidant content reduces the high glycemic effects of what little caffeine it contains. Again it depends on your sensitivity and whether you drink it in moderation. If you add cinnamon you will reduce the glycemic affect even further.

You would think that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, but the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalizing effect in the blood. So if you like lemon in your tea you will not be making it more acidic.

     The natural sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, turbinado sugar, date sugar are also high glycemic.   Molasses is a low acid food and contains iron.     Natural sweeteners are much healthier for you than the "bad sugars" but they can raise your blood sugar and must be eaten sparingly.

* Many commercial foods became high glycemic foods when they became low fat. While reducing the fat in products, manufacturers often replaced the fat with high glycemic sweeteners to make up for the taste of the fat. You have to read labels. Many of the fat free foods are much more fattening now than before they had the fat removed. They have also become acidic foods. *

     Any time you add a high glycemic sweetener to a meal, whether it's natural or not you have increased the amount of fat the body absorbs after a meal.

     Sodas, sugar, high glycemic sweeteners and sports drinks are the acidic foods on any list of acidic foods that are best avoided if you want to experience good health. Meat, alcohol, tea and coffee can be consumed in moderation.

     Be your own food police and arm yourself with knowledge about good food practices with more articles below.

Alkaline Diet Foods

These are the foods you need to considerably increase in your food plan! You will have a juicing high instead of a sugar high.

Portion Control Tips

Find out exactly what a serving size looks like and get lots of ideas for low glycemic snacks.

Daily Healthy Eating Plan

Here's an entire week of menus for your low glycemic eating plan.

Reading Food Labels

Did you know that sugars are not labeled as sugars on ordinary food labels? You have to know what to look for.

Drinking Water to Lose Weight

Sounds too good to be true but it's a fact.

Burn Belly Fat

You can get rid of belly fat no matter how long you've had it.

High Glycemic Foods

These are the only ones you really need to avoid most of the time.

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