Alkaline Diet - How it Works

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The alkaline diet is really just the opposite of a high fat, high protein, low carb diet that has become the norm in recent years. If you haven't heard of an alkaline diet you aren't alone, yet it could benefit you.

If you feel poorly if you eat a diet low in carbs and high in protein you should consider the alkaline diet. You should also consider if you have symptoms of excess acidity. These symptoms include chronic fatigue, low energy, nasal congestion, frequent infections or colds, nervous, anxious, stressed, dry hair and/or skin, weak nails, muscle pain, leg cramps, hives, and gastritis.

Before you begin, you can measure your salivary pH and see what it is. If its very low such as a 4, then this is an acidic result. If it's high such as an 8, then this is alkaline. Once you know what your pH is and you know which foods are alkaline and which are acidic you can begin to balance things and return and maintain your body at an alkaline pH.

There are several charts available online for free that can provide the details. Let's look at few alkaline fruits - bananas, apples, coconut, nectarines, pineapple, and tomatoes are just a few. Alfalfa, celery, cabbage, carrots, garlic, lettuce, and mushrooms are a few of the alkaline vegetables. There are also alkaline dairy products, cereals, and nuts.

How does it work? Most foods are either alkaline or acidic depending on the residue they leave in the body and how they are metabolized. It's a good idea to strive for a balance in the body with just a slight alkalinity. You should not assume your diet is too acidic or to alkaline based on what you eat. There are many things that can affect that pH of the body. For example, an orange is acidic when you eat it but turns alkaline in the body.

An alkaline diet that keeps the body slightly alkaline can benefit you by improving your overall health. There is speculation that it may prevent cancer cells from developing, and an alkaline diet has shown to make some chemo drugs more potent and more effective. It can help you regain your health and stay disease free. It can restore energy and vitality and eliminate nasal congestion, headache, joint and muscle pain.

Although there may not be a great deal of direct research on the alkaline diet, there is plenty of research that shows that people who are sick most times have acidic blood, which leads to an imbalance. Seldom is blood too alkaline so you do not need to worry about eating too many alkaline foods.

Here are a few sample recipes.

Green Raw Soup

2 Avocados
1 Cucumber, peel and seed
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 Yellow or red onion, diced
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1-2 cups Water or Veggie stock
2 cloves roasted Garlic
1 Tbsp. Coriander
1 Tbsp. Parsley

Instructions:
Puree all ingredients (except onions) in a food processor or blender. Add more or less water to desired
consistency. Top with diced onions for garnish.

Autumn Tomato & Avocado Soup

Ingredients:
5 large ripe tomatoes.
2 ripe avocados
1/2 spring onion
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup broth from a natural vegetable stock with no preservatives or artificial additives
1/4 teaspoon dill seed
Dash cayenne pepper
Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:
All you need to do is place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend! Place the soup into a pan and warm.

The alkaline diet may not be for everyone but is certainly the right choice for some. If you think that the Alkaline diet could help you, talk to your doctor before you start it.

The Cabbage Soup Diet - Improve Your Boring Soup

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The Cabbage Soup Diet is a "miracle" diet supposed to make you lose up to 10 pounds in a 7 days period.

But eating the cabbage soup each and every day, several times a day may end up tiring.

Indeed, the basic recipe (white cabbage, green peppers, carrots, onions, celery and tomatoes) has a sweet taste that is not always appreciated. Moreover, tomatoes and green peppers may provide some acidity that will harm our digestion.

That is why we are allowed to replace peppers and/or tomatoes by zucchini, for instance. The cabbage soup, normally red, will thus become green but that does not change the fact that eating such a soup, over and over again, is boring.

However, there is a way to improve the cabbage soup without having an adverse effect on the quality of the diet.

For a few years, I have been following the cabbage soup diet each summer in order to lose a few pounds.

But I have been quickly disgusted and I started to look in bookstores for some alternative recipes and discovered three recipes created by great Chefs that can completely change the taste of this boring soup.

Unfortunately, I do not like to eat vegetables and some ingredient included in these recipes did not suit me so, I adapted the recipes to my own taste and prepared each recipe for two days - keeping the excess in the freezer for the last day of the diet.

Here are the recipes that I adapted to my taste:

Southern France Cabbage Soup:

1/2 white cabbage,
2 sliced green peppers
4 carrots,
3 large white onions, chopped
4 celery stalk
2 zucchini, chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
100 mashed mixed green and black olives
3 mashed anchovy
50 g mashed capers
1 small chili
thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe:

1 chinese cabbage, chopped
2 sliced yellow peppers
3 sliced carrots,
2 large white onions, chopped
1 stalk celery
1 can peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 can bamboo shoots
1/2 pound sliced lotus root
1 small chili, lemon grass
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 chopped red pepper if you like
1 or 2 teaspoon vegetable soup mix
Salt, pepper, garlic, herbs to taste

The Cabbage Soup Made In Spain:

1/2 white cabbage,
2 sliced red peppers
3 sliced carrots,
3 large white onions, chopped
3 stalks celery
1 or 2 canned peeled tomatoes, chopped,
1 chili pepper, chopped
1 or 2 turnips, chopped
1/2 pound green beans
Garlic, coriander and cumin
Saffron
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 or 2 teaspoon vegetable soup mix
Salt and pepper to taste

These three recipes will help you to change the taste of the cabbage soup diet. Preferably eat a different taste every two days.

Bon appetit.

Amish Soup Recipes

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Good things come to those who wait! These two Amish soup recipes do take a little time to make, but are well worth it. Each use basic ingredients which aren't hard to find, and whole chicken.

Amish cooking can be a wonderful experience, as long as you take the time to make the recipes right. Be sure to also see our website for other recipes, including more Amish recipes, soup recipes, chicken recipe ideas, and much more.

Recipe #1 - AMISH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

3 lb. chicken

2 qts. water

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

2 c. celery, chopped

2 c. carrots, chopped

1 tart apple, chopped

1 c. onions, chopped

Dash pepper

4 c. egg noodles

Place chicken in kettle with 2 quarts water. Cover until tender (about 2 1/2 hours). Remove chicken from kettle and strain broth. Debone chicken and return to kettle with strained broth. Add chicken stock, celery, carrots, apple, onions, and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Add noodles and cook 8-10 minutes.

Recipe #2 - AMISH CHICKEN - CORN SOUP

2 lbs. cut up chicken

5 c. water

1 med. onion, chopped

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1/2 c. chopped celery

2 c. corn

Salt and pepper

1 c. flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. milk

Simmer chicken in boiling water, remove bones and skin. Strain the stock. Return to pot, add onions, celery and corn. Simmer till vegetables are tender. Mix flour with egg and milk. Rub mixture with fork till it crumbles. Drop crumbs in soup. Cook 10 more minutes covered. Serves 3 to 4.

Need some more recipes? Be sure to see our website below for more great recipe ideas.

Enjoy!