There are so many different products out there now that offer benefits to the health. It’s hard to know which ones to opt for and find out all the benefits that they can offer.
Alkaline water is just one of those products experts recommend.
Alkaline water certainly does have numerous health benefits. There are also scientific reasons for those benefits, based on the body being on the more acidic side.
However, finding out all the information about this one product is hard. You need to look through various books and websites to get it all.
Well, not anymore. In this article, you will find out everything you need and want to know about this drink and why you need to add it to your lifestyle on a daily basis.
Why Is Water So ImporClick to replace anchor texttant?
Before you learn more about alkaline water and the benefits, it’s worth understanding more about water in general; particularly when the body is involved. Just what are the benefits of drinking water and why is it so important for the body?
The body is mostly water. In some people, 78 percent of the body is made up of water. The exact figure depends on your size and shape. All cells need water to survive and thrive. Your organs need it to work at an optimum level and your brain needs it to help you concentrate.
By drinking water, you improve the ability for your body to transport blood around the system. You know that this is an essential function, so it makes sense to stay hydrated. Your blood doesn’t just keep you alive but keeps you healthy. Good circulation helps your organs work and improves the look of your skin and hair.
Another benefit is that your body will absorb nutrients better. Your body needs a variety of nutrients that you can mostly get from food. These include those vitamins that you will hear of all the time (A, the Bs, C, D and E) and the various minerals like iron, zinc and magnesium.
Without them, your body can’t function in the best way and you could end up ill. While you can take supplements, getting them from your food is better for you. And even if you do take the supplements, you need to make sure your body is absorbing them all completely.
Your body temperature is regulated by water, too. This is also essential for healthier living, and just to feel happier so you’re not too warm or too cold.
A fourth benefit is for your joints and muscles. Joints need to be lubricated so they don’t rub together and hurt. There is a lot involved in this, but getting enough water is part of it.
Now you know more about water and the body, it is time to find out more about alkaline water.
What Exactly Is Alkaline Water and Where Can You Get It?
The “alkaline” in the title refers to where the water is on the pH level. You remember that being mentioned in science class, right?
The pH level measures the alkaline or acidic nature of a liquid and ranges from 0 to 14. Acidic levels are at the bottom end and alkaline levels at the top.
Normal tap water is neutral and sits around 6 and 7 on the scale. This can seem perfectly understandable. Why would you want something acidic or alkaline in your body?
The truth is your body needs to be slightly alkaline, and should sit around pH 7.8.
Alkaline water is closer to 8 or 9 on the scale. It’s not overly alkaline, but much more than your everyday tap water.
Experts believe that it helps to neutralise the body, which can sometimes be too acidic; just think about the stomach acid needed to help digest the food.
Let’s go back to science class quickly just to remember how this works. When an acidic liquid meets an alkaline one, they balance out.
So if something at around pH5 met something around pH9, they would neutralise to pH7.
But where do you get this alkaline water? Most grocery stores will sell it with the bottled water. You may need to ask a member of staff to help you, as they may have a specific section in the store.
This is also something you can make at home. More on that to come later.
Is It More Artificially Made Products In Your System?
Many people want natural, and that makes sense. The good news is alkaline water occurs naturally in the world. In fact, most water will be slightly alkaline in nature, due to the rocks it passes over.
Those that run through springs will usually pick up minerals, increasing the pH value. These can be bottled from the source and directly sold. You can also find the locations and bottle it from source.
There are some downsides to this since you don’t know exactly what it has run over. There are dangers of animals urinating in the water further upstream, for example.
Tap water can be gained from these alkaline sources. They are usually filtered to remove some of the minerals and work on the pH level before they reach your tap.
You can make your own alkaline water through the use of ionisers. They will use electrolysis to make the water more alkaline, meaning you can make tap water at the pH level that you require. One downside is that doctors claim there is no comprehensive scientific research done into the ionisers or proof that they really do work. It’s up to you if you want to use them, but nobody knows the potential long-term harm.
So, how can you make it at home if the ionisers are not recommended? Strangely enough, lemon or lime juice can help. These are actually acidic in nature, but mixed with minerals in the water, they actually turn the water alkaline! It is completely natural, and you benefit in many other ways. Lemon and lime juice have many other health benefits worth considering.
Adding these two will also help to add some flavour to your water naturally. Sometimes, people just want the extra flavour to encourage them to drink more tap water, and this is a great way to get best of both worlds.
Try to avoid using normal tap water or bottled water for making your own alkaline water. There are many other minerals and additives that you need to consider. It’s best to use distilled water to create the best option for your health.
Another option is to buy pH drops. These are available online and in specialist stores, and will offer guidance to make sure you only add enough to create water that is around the 8 or 9 level.
Too much alkaline can be far more dangerous for the body than beneficial. Again, you will need to use distilled water to make the most of the drops.
Some of the bottled water available in stores are more alkaline than others. This is something you can check on the bottles.
You won’t need to add anything extra, but it is worth checking the filtration process used to find out how many minerals have been removed during the bottling process.
Does Alkaline Water Really Work and Is It Safe?
Whatever you do to make your water, you need to know that it really will benefit your health. The last thing you want is to end up doing more harm than good.
As mentioned above, the safety will really depend on the method of turning your water more alkaline. Ionisers are popular, but there isn’t that much research into the use of them yet.
Nobody really knows the long-term effects, and doctors and even the World Health Organisation tend to recommend avoiding using them, as there are other options that are much safer.
There is certainly nothing wrong with adding a few drops of lemon or lime to your water. This has been recommended by health and lifestyle gurus for years, and not because of the alkaline water benefits. The two ingredients have been linked to so many other health benefits that it doesn’t make sense not to use them.
Overall, the use of alkaline water is a controversial topic and one you certainly need to do your research in. Some health professionals recommend staying away from the water altogether (despite lemon water meant to be good for you) because there hasn’t been that much research into the long-term effects. There is little evidence to support some of the claims by sellers and even the drinkers.
Health professionals recommend drinking regular water. There’s been no evidence to show that this is harmful to the body, after all. That is debated, though, as some believe the minerals in tap water are dangerous.
That being said, studies have been conducted. IN 2012, one study showed that water with a pH level of 8.8 could help with the destruction of pepsin. Pepsin causes acid reflux, and is a problem for children and adults around the world, usually causing problems on a night and making it difficult to sleep. There have also been studies to show that those with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even diabetes can benefit from drinking the water. However, these studies are short term ones, rather than showing the long term benefits.
So, is it safe? Well, the health professionals don’t exactly say it isn’t safe. They’re more concerned about some of the benefits shared. Medical experts wonder whether the claims are made for marketing, and that can make it dangerous if people choose alkaline water over medical treatment.
However, it is considered a safe option to drink, especially if you make it at home from natural ingredients.
There are concerns that artificially created water will not have all the minerals your body needs, and the pH levels could end up being too high.
There is also a worry that people will overuse the water as some tap water could be beneficial to avoid becoming deficient in some minerals.
Now that you know the possible risks and how to make it, it’s time to look at the health benefits people state alkaline water offers.
There are plenty of them out there, and some may surprise you. These benefits have not just been noticed by marketing experts or sellers.
Celebrities and everyday users rave about these health benefits of drinking this one type of water.
Who Are Making These Claims?
When you’re looking into the benefits of alkaline water and whether it is any better than normal water, you need to consider the people who are making these claims.
Can you trust them or is it just a bit of marketing?
The truth is the claims are coming from a mixture of people. There certainly are plenty of companies just marketing the claims that some people have made.
They don’t have any of their own research to back it up and the marketing team probably wouldn’t have tried it themselves.
These companies just want to sell their product and in some cases the claims don’t even need to be backed up by research!
Celebrities also commonly share their experiences with various products. Before you listen to them, you need to find out if they are spokespeople, are paid to endorse or whether they have just genuinely tried something and want to share their views.
There are plenty of celebrities out there that will do it into all the categories.
Mark Wahlberg and Kelly Ripa have both tried alkaline water and recommend it.
They have seen some of the claims mentioned below, including hydration benefits and improving the look of the skin.
They’re not paid by the water companies to endorse it, and do it because they really believe that they see the claims they make.
In many cases, they may see the benefits but could they see those same benefits with normal water?
It would take research to prove anything like this.
Nutritionists and health professionals have also made claims about alkaline water benefits.
For some, they see the benefits themselves. Others will use studies that have been positive and help their cases.
In some cases, though, the nutritionists have been paid to recommend a product, and while they may also believe what they are saying, you need to be aware that they are sponsored for this.
You need to know more about the celebrities or nutritionists, and not just about how they are potentially linked to the companies.
It’s worth finding out more about their lifestyles and whether they have recommended products that have turned out good or bad in the past.
Are they the sort of people who jump on the latest health bandwagon, or will they spend time focusing on the best things for their own health?
While considering the people recommending something, you also want to consider the people who are saying the benefits aren’t really there; that there’s nothing to back up the claims.
Could they have an ulterior motive to steer people away from a product?
Do they have something they want to promote instead to benefit them financially?
In many cases, it is the medical professionals telling people the claims are just claims; no research to back anything up.
At the same time, they can’t say that the claims aren’t real because there is no research to show the latter.
Alkaline Water Harmful to Plants
Some research carried out has shown that drinking alkaline water in the long term has been dangerous for plants.
They require more neutral water, as alkaline water may not have all the other minerals plants will need.
Of course, plants and people are very different. It could be that while alkaline water is not beneficially for plants, it is the complete opposite for people.
Studies haven’t shown that it is overly dangerous, but moderation is needed. This is the same with anything, even tap water.
Up to two litres of alkaline water, a day should be fine on a regular basis, and has shown no adverse effects in research.
It will also depend on how the alkaline water is made.
Water made naturally is going to be less harmful, because there are not other chemicals at work counteracting against minerals and other ingredients.
Neutralising the Acid Input
While the body is naturally slightly alkaline, we tend to eat food that is naturally acid. Think about the stuff that you’re more likely to eat on a daily basis, like fruits, yoghurts and milk.
Why are high acid levels so dangerous? Well, there are a few problems. Higher levels will likely lead to more acid reflux and indigestion. Think about how you feel after a big cheesy, meaty pizza or those spicy curries. You can end up feeling a little worse in the hours afterwards, as your body deals with the consequences.
High levels of acid have also been linked to other health problems, including osteoporosis and metabolic issues. There can also be some damage to the organs in our bodies as the acid burns through them. It makes it imperative that the body remains on the alkaline side.
Refined sugar, processed foods and even meat are linked to making the body overproduce the acid. Health professionals state that high levels of acid are dangerous, and lead to osteoporosis and various chronic conditions. Some even believe that they can lead to cancer as the cells can end up damaged and repair in the wrong way. Just think of the benefits that you could face by creating a more neutral body.
On the other hand, some health professionals go against this claim. The intestines are alkaline, and foods turn alkaline once they reach this section of the digestive tract.
There are some who try to say that the urine levels change, which suggests foods change the levels within the body. However, the food does not affect the blood’s pH level so drinking alkaline water should have no affect on that at all. That means the idea of alkaline water helping to cure cancer could be debunked quickly, but surely there is also a placebo effect? If someone thinks they are more likely to be healthy, they could actually make themselves healthy. It has been known!
Of course, you can go too far the other way. The acid in the stomach is required, and it should sit at around pH 2. Without this, the food won’t digest. So you do need to find a balance between alkaline and acidic levels.
Your Blood pH Level Doesn’t Change With Water
As mentioned, the pH level of your blood isn’t going to change by drinking alkaline water. Your blood is what affects many aspects of your health, so if you’re looking at them changing due to alkaline water, then you won’t see anything positive.
The blood needs to be alkaline and the body knows this. There is nothing you have to do to make this happen because the body will do it all for you. It makes sure the blood sits between pH 7.35 and pH 7.45. As you can see, this is only very slightly alkaline, so it’s a good job the body takes care of this for you through evolution.
Soothes the Acid Reflux
While it’s already been mentioned, this is certainly a benefit to touch on by itself, before moving onto anything else.
By drinking alkaline water, you are more likely to neutralise the stomach content. This is a major benefit to those who find acid reflux is a terrible pain throughout the day and night.
Acid reflux usually happens on a night, once you are laid down in your bed. The position makes it easier for the acid to travel up, rather than down. Pepsin levels can also make it worse.
As mentioned, studies have shown that pepsin levels reduce because of alkaline water.
The water will also help to neutralise the acid, so even if it does travel up it is less likely to burn!
It’s certainly worth a try if you are a reflux sufferer, and could be suitable for your children if they are.
You would usually use some over the counter medication, so why not try something natural to try and cure the issue?
Not only will you feel healthier, but you’ll also get a better night’s sleep, and that can do so much for your health!
Antioxidant Properties to Fight Cancer
Again, this is another one that has been briefly mentioned. Even if we take out the idea that alkaline water can benefit the blood pH level, there are still antioxidant benefits to drinking it.
The minerals found help to offer other anti-disease benefits, and cancer could be one of those diseases that they ward off.
Antioxidants have been linked to preventing cancer.
They are commonly found in raspberries and blueberries, but can be found in many other foods and minerals.
They fight off the free radicals, which can cause growing cells to form incorrectly. This leads to cancerous cells growing, in various parts of the body. Surely, just doing something to help prevent this from happening is better than nothing.
Of course, there are other anti-disease benefits on top of that. The immune system gets a boost, so you’re more likely to fight off various illnesses, such as common colds and the flu, without being knocked for six. By fighting off more illnesses, your body copes with other problems along the way much better. You also feel better about your mental health, because you’re not constantly feeling under the weather.
Make Your Skin Look and Feel Younger
The antioxidants also have anti-aging properties. So, while you’re preventing cancer and another disease, you’re making yourself look and feel years younger.
This benefit isn’t just about the antioxidants, but also about hydration. Many celebrities recommend the water just to stay hydrated, which leads to many skin benefits. The collagen in the skin is more effective—this is the elasticity of the skin—so stretch marks and wrinkles are less likely to form.
The look of your skin is also improved, regarding colour and quality. The skin needs water to avoid flakiness and some skin conditions. There’s more on this to come as we touch more on the hydration benefit. Some of the properties help to aid in replacing tissues, which commonly cause the skin to look older and more worn.
Image Source: Lifeionizers
Detoxifying properties also lead to improving the appearance of the skin. Toxins can lead to discolouration and skin problems. They can cause pigmentation issues and marks to appear. Like normal water, alkaline water removes the impurities in the skin, leading to it looking more rejuvenated and smoother.
Even if you don’t want to drink the alkaline water, it could be worth bathing in or using to wash and clean your makeup on a daily basis. You’ll get to absorb all the benefits directly, improving your skin quality.
Helping to Boost Weight Loss Efforts
Alkaline water has been linked to weight loss. There are some experts who state that the water helps to boost the metabolism and improves energy levels.
Your metabolic rate determines the number of calories your body burns during the day. To lose weight, you generally need fewer calories in than the ones that go out.
By burning more, you can lose more weight sooner. And with more energy, you are more likely to get out and exercise, burning more calories to help you lose more weight.
That being said, alkaline water is not going to help you lose weight overnight. It’s not a miracle cure (otherwise, there wouldn’t be any overweight people in the world!) but a way to enhancing your current efforts.
You will still need to follow a healthy and balanced diet to make the most of your lifestyle and weight loss efforts.
Some of the ways you can use alkaline water are by drinking it instead of tea and coffee or using it with your diluting juice, or you could cook with it to soak into your foods.
Cooking and mixing with alkaline water do offer more benefits to weight loss. It helps to break down the fatty components in the food, making it all easier to digest.
You won’t just lose weight, but get more nutrients from your food, aiding in a healthier lifestyle.
Exercise is still important to see positive weight loss efforts. There are different ways that you can use it to help with this, and alkaline water can be used in conjunction.
Rather that filling your water bottle with sugar drinks or plain tap water, use alkaline water instead and benefit with energy boosts naturally throughout your day.
Suppress the Appetite
Overeating is a common reason for weight gain. It also leads to other health problems, especially if you overeat things that are considered bad for you—like the foods that are going to lead to higher acidic levels in the body.
This is another way alkaline water benefits the body as a whole.
Water is a natural appetite suppressant. In fact, many experts will tell you that if you feel hungry, the best thing you can do is drink a glass of water first.
There are no calories and there are times that the body will make you feel hungry when you are actually thirsty.
When you have a glass of water, you can force off the feeling of feeling hungry, so you consume fewer calories throughout the day. You’re also getting all the hydration the body needs, and we’ll cover the benefits of that shortly.
Any water will work for this, but alkaline water offers all these other benefits. Plus, if you drink with lemon or lime juice to create the alkaline water, you will find that you offer your body more benefits with few calories while you keep your portion sizes under control.
Make a change to your lifestyle to make use of this health benefit. Rather than snacking, reach for a glass of water first.
If after 10 minutes or so you still feel hungry, there are chances that you needed food in the first place.
Before every meal, drink a glass of water and then have another glass for during the meal. You’ll fill the stomach, so you end up eating less food on your plate.
Improve Hydration for the Body
Touched on already is the hydration. This helps to offer the benefit of anti-aging properties, but it does so much more than that.
It helps the whole body and is something you should concentrate on whether you decide to use alkaline water or not.
The body is made up mostly of water. This can seem like a shock, but the organs all need water to function correctly.
Without it, your kidneys can create stones and your brain may not function in the way that you want it to. You can feel more tired throughout the day, meaning you do much less.
Organs not working properly can also make you feel sluggish. Remember, your organs include your stomach and intestines!
Organs that are well hydrated also won’t have to work as hard. It’s worth making life easier for them, as this puts less strain on your heart.
You’ll feel like you have more energy, and you have a heart that is ready to take on other strains in life that you may not be able to protect from or prevent.
Hydration also benefits the skin.
Yes, the skin desperately needs water. Without it, it becomes flaky and some skin conditions are more common, including psoriasis and eczema.
Dandruff in the scalp occurs more frequently, and you could damage the production of oil within your body.
Giving it the best chance in life will limit problems faced in older age.
The hydration will also improve the look of your hair. It helps with oil production, so you have luxurious locks, rather than dealing with dry or greasy hair.
Again, if you don’t want to drink the water, you could use it on your hair on a daily basis instead.
You don’t even need to wash it with shampoo every day. Just adding the water to your hair can make it look better day in, day out.
Reduce Injuries Experienced
There are people out there who seem more prone to injuries.
It could be from trips or falls, or they may experience muscle and tendon pain. Alkaline water can help with this because it helps to lubricate the muscles and joints.
Those who suffer from arthritis can find their symptoms subside. It’s a natural way to cure it and is good for you in some many other ways. It’s worth trying, right?
Some people have chronic pain in their joints and muscles, and it often seems like for no reason. It could be carpal tunnel that acts up seemingly randomly or fibromyalgia that affects the body now and then.
Taking pain killers and muscle inflammatory medication to stop the pain is often the go-to choice, but do you really know the long term damage this could be causing?
Alkaline water has been linked to pain relief and helping to prevent the pain from occurring in the first place.
While there may be no scientific evidence to currently back this claim up, there is no evidence to show that it is dangerous to try.
Plenty of celebrities and nutritionists have found that alkaline water has benefitted them.
To benefit from this, you will also need to follow other guidance for good joints and muscles.
If you regularly exercise, it is highly recommended that you warm up and cool down before and after.
This helps to get the joints and muscles ready for your workout, and then removes the buildup of lactic acid afterwards.
Warming up increases the blood flow to the muscles, something that alkaline water can reportedly help improve, too.
By improving blood flow, more heat is generated and the muscles and joints become looser and more sustainable to the hits and pressure placed during exercise.
Hydration has also been linked to reducing the risk of injury, and alkaline water certainly helps with that. Lubricated muscles and joints see better circulation than their counterparts, which means better blood flow.
It is also worth considering the minerals in the alkaline water. Water with iron, calcium, protein and other minerals are much better for the body. They keep the soft tissues and bones in an optimum state, meaning that they can handle much more.
Again, this does rely on a healthy and balanced diet, too. One that is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids will also benefit as they offer good joint health.
Linked with this, some studies have shown that alkaline water can help to reduce bone loss. This can lead to the reduction of other injuries and problems linked to bone problems, including osteoporosis.
The research carried out so far has been minimal, and more is needed to make sure it is completely safe.
Help Chemotherapy Treatment
There are some people who have found alkaline water—and the alkaline diet as a whole—as beneficial for chemotherapy and other similar treatment. They have found the treatment gets an additional boost, fighting off the cancerous cells.
While this hasn’t been proven, it is easy to see how this is possible; especially when you take the alkaline diet as a whole into account (more on this later). The diet focuses on healthy, natural foods.
The body gets all the nutrients it desperately needs, including antioxidants to help cells heal naturally.
A healthy diet also helps the immune system, aiding to fight off other illnesses than can affect treatment.
On top of that, you’ll feel happier within yourself and positive moods have been linked to improving health.
Reduction of Yeast Infections
Many women suffer from yeast infections, often due to the build-up of fungus and yeast within their digestive systems.
Acid forming foods have been linked to yeast build-up, and therefore more infections. The yeast can also lead to other chronic illnesses.
Alkaline water can help to balance the build-up of acid and prevent the yeast and fungus growth. Because of this, people will find that they have more energy and don’t suffer from as many chronic illnesses.
Following an alkaline diet will be better than just drinking alkaline water. This way you really cut down on the acid forming foods and give your body the best start it needs.
Getting the Benefits of Lemon in Water
As mentioned, lemon is one way to making your own alkaline water. This is a completely natural method and something you can easily do at home.
Not only will you get many of the benefits of alkaline water by making this, but also the benefits of using lemon juice.
Many productivity gurus will recommend that people add a slice or two of lemon to their water on a morning, and have it as the first thing they do.
This is before breakfast and before that morning caffeine fix.
The lemon and water are supposed to be refreshing and give the body the best start to the day.
This is without many people realising that adding the lemon to the water makes it more alkaline!
The gurus say wait for 15 to 30 minutes after drinking the lemon water before eating to get really all the benefits.
Lemons naturally offer health benefits to people. One of those benefits is the immune system boost.
Lemons are full of vitamin C, which is a vitamin your body can’t store and doesn’t make on its own.
It’s essential, so helping your body get the recommended daily amount as the first thing you do will really help boost your immune system and overall function.
If you’re stressed, the lemon will help even more. Your vitamin C levels drop considerably when you have too much going on and too much weight on your shoulders.
Vitamin C isn’t just for your immune system. You also need it to help your cells repair.
It is an antioxidant and prevents cancerous cells from forming. Your long term health will be greatly benefitted from drinking alkaline water made from lemons.
The vitamin C also helps to improve the look of your skin. It helps with collagen production, which helps to keep the skin elasticised.
You will have fewer wrinkles and stretch marks, and feel more confident about the way you look. It can also help you look much younger than you really are.
The fruit will also aid with digestion. This is beneficial for so many reasons, including feeling better within yourself and helping to lose weight.
This is why it is worth waiting to have your breakfast on a morning because you give your digestive system the best start after a long fast overnight.
The lemons work on the digestive tract by removing the toxin build-up. These toxins often lead to indigestion and heartburn, and can lead to some very uncomfortable moments throughout the day and night. Toxins also lead to bloating, which can make you feel sluggish and overweight.
People tend to find that the way they feel affects what they eat and do. Someone who is happier is likely to make healthier choices than someone who is sad.
They are more likely to skip the treats they know are bad for them, and focus on living a healthier life. This then leads to feeling even happier and the cycle continues. Someone who is sad tries to improve their mood through bad choices, and then feels guilty for them. This cycle then continues.
Your liver is also stimulated through the use of lemon, which helps to flush out other toxins from your body.
This is a great benefit for your organs as a whole. Your kidneys will work better when they are toxin free, and that means less chance of kidney stones (horrible to pass). Again, you’ll feel better in yourself, and will be more likely to make better choices throughout the day.
The water will also encourage your pancreas to work at its best level while helping your body deal with insulin within the system. The pancreas releases insulin to help deal with glucose (blood sugar).
Lemon juice acid encourages the body to process the food slowly, which means you benefit from more of the good stuff.
The body is able to cope with and absorb the insulin much better, so you get more nutrients from your food.
To further understand how this happens, it’s worth understanding that stomach acid and lemon juice are very similar in nature. When the lemon hits the system, the liver thinks that it needs to produce more bile.
This then helps to get rid of the toxins within the system. It sounds all very technical, but the lesson is to trust that lemons are very good for the overall body.
Another benefit of lemon water is all mouth related. The lemon can help to prevent and stop gingivitis, give you fresher breath and help to ease a toothache.
How is this all possible when something is acidic? Doesn’t acid lead to enamel decay?
Well, yes it can, which is why the experts recommend not brushing your teeth directly after drinking it. Try to wait 15 minutes at least, and consider your morning exercise routine beforehand. While it can erode the enamel, the acid will also get to work to fight off the bacteria in the mouth and killing it so it doesn’t cause other problems, like gingivitis and tooth decay.
You don’t just need to opt for lemon water to get rid of a toothache. Really, it’s all about getting the citric acid to the affected area, and you can do that by putting lemon slices directly on the part of the tooth that hurts. However, lemon water will help you get so many other benefits quickly and at the same time as this one.
Weight loss is much easier with the help of lemon water. The lemons are full of pectin, which is a type of fibre. Fibre takes longer to breakdown and is digested by the body, so you feel fuller for longer. By drinking lemon water first thing in a morning, you will likely eat less breakfast so you don’t consume as many calories.
On top of that, you’ll remember from above that you’ll feel happier; and happier people make healthier choices. By cutting down on the treats and focusing on foods that give you energy throughout the day, you’ll eat fewer calories. Of course, fewer calories in than out means that you are more likely to lose weight.
Drinking plenty of water is also linked to weight loss. The body can start retaining water, and you can end up feeling bloated. You’re also more prone to headaches and will feel like you have less energy and unhappy. We know what that leads to, based on the information above!
Cutting Out the Caffeine on a Morning
A cup of coffee is often the first thing people reach for on a morning. They believe the caffeine will wake them up, but that is not necessarily the case. Yes, the caffeine will help but only initially.
This stimulant will leave the body quickly and you can end up feeling more tired afterwards; often in need of another cup of coffee.
There’s also the thought that you need to have something to eat with your coffee, whether first thing in a morning or later in the day.
This leads to extra unnecessary calories eaten, so you end up consuming more and gaining more weight.
Lemon water on a morning is refreshing and the fruit will give you the energy boost you really need. You’ll also find that you have more energy throughout the day, without a top up at any time.
Having more energy naturally makes you feel happier within yourself.
So it really is worth cutting down on the caffeine and opting for lemon water instead. The lemon offers many health benefits and then you have the benefits of alkaline water on top of that!
Following the Alkaline Diet
Drinking alkaline water isn’t just about getting more hydration. The benefits come from following the alkaline diet, which is something that celebrities around the world have started following.
Some have said they went from being 20 and overweight to being 30 and running marathons. Well-known and respected stars like Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston and Jared Leto have all followed the alkaline diet at some point, with many finding it a sustainable option overall and not just to lose weight.
It’s not all about drinking alkaline water, although that does help. There are certain foods involved that will help with the process of keeping the body in a more alkaline state for better function.
Yes, the blood will naturally stay in an alkaline state, but there is nothing wrong with actively helping your body do this. By making it do the hard work itself, you are taking processes away from other parts of the body.
It can’t work in full harmony and this could affect your health in other ways. By helping it, you can allow your body to focus on other important elements and processes.
When you follow the alkaline diet, you’re not necessarily just going to foods that are more alkaline on the pH system. After all, you know all about the benefits of lemons and that they can make water more alkaline.
When following this diet, it’s all about finding foods that take an alkaline form during the digestive process, and these could be acidic or neutral in their physical form.
It’s all about finding foods that have minerals that help to form an alkaline state.
These include magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium. So, foods that are high in these minerals could well be worth focusing on more, even if you don’t want to follow completely the alkaline diet.
When you do decide to make the most of the alkaline diet, you need to know more about the foods that you should and shouldn’t eat.
Foods to Avoid on the Alkaline Diet
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The main focus is on the foods that will process in an alkaline way in the body. That means avoiding caffeine as much as possible. Switching to just alkaline water on a daily basis will benefit your body.
After all, caffeine causes dehydration and can lead to other health problems, so you may just do your overall health some good by cutting it out completely.
If you do struggle to cut it out completely, look for drinks that are lower in caffeine. Switch your coffee for green tea, which has been known to help fight cancer and lose weight.
It’s time to cut completely out the processed foods and refined sugars. These will do you good anyway, and not just stop the body from becoming more acidic. Refined sugars are linked to higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes. The body releases more insulin because of the higher levels of blood sugar (glucose) in the body. If this happens too much, the body can end up being resistant or have far too much insulin being pushed through the system.
With processed foods, you don’t fully know the extra ingredients and chemicals that are added. Just think back a few years when the UK faced a horsemeat scandal in their processed foods. People were shocked to find out their beef and pork meals were actually horsemeat. How do you really know that the ingredients listed on the back are really the ones included? How do you know that something extra hasn’t been added?
Refined sugars and processed foods are also linked to weight gain and other health problems. By cutting them out as much as possible, you improve your overall health anyway. And that’s without all the benefits of the alkaline diet.
Artificial sweeteners are another thing to cut out when following the alkaline diet. These have an acidic process in the body, but they are also linked to many other health problems.
In fact, some artificial sweeteners have been linked to causing cancer. If you find you can’t stomach something without sweetener, look for a natural form. Honey or lemon could be great, healthier alternatives.
Meat and dairy products are also on the list. Some people will find it very difficult and depressing to cut them out completely. When following the alkaline diet, try to cut at least down on your consumption. Seafood could be a better option than red meats.
You don’t want to cut acid forming foods out completely. That means some dairy and meats are perfectly acceptable.
The aim is to reduce your acid forming intake to around 20 to 40 percent of your overall intake. That isn’t too much to cut down on really, is it?
So, What Can You Eat on the Alkaline Diet?
The aim is to focus mostly on raw and organic fruits and vegetables. No, you can’t live on them alone but they should make up the majority of your food intake. Aim for 60 to 80 percent of your food intake to be alkaline forming foods, including organic fruit and vegetables.
Why the raw form? When eaten in this way, you are more likely to get all the nutrients. Cooking, whether frying, baking or boiling, causes the loss of some of the nutrients. If you’re already struggling to get them, why are you risking losing the required ones?
That doesn’t mean you just have to eat carrot sticks or slices of lemon. There are various ways that you can get the raw forms, including through slices or chopped fruit in your water.
Another option, one that many celebrities choose, is to blend or juice their fruit and vegetables to create smoothies and juices. Beware with juicing as you do lose the pulp and will lose the fibre.
Beans and grains are other foods to start focusing on with your diet. They’re not just good for the alkaline forming properties but also for their fibre and energy.
Beans and whole grains are full of complex carbohydrates and protein, which both break down in the body slowly. Not as much sugar is released—limiting the insulin—and you feel fuller for longer.
What about Vegetarians and Gluten Free Diets?’
The great news for those considering the alkaline diet is that it is suitable for most vegetarians and gluten-free followers. Remember that meat is one of those foods to reduce, but you can cut it out completely.
While many meat lovers will question your protein intake, you can get that through many vegetables, especially from legumes and beans.
There’s also the encouragement to cut out wheat products, especially the refined options. You can cut them out completely with the alkaline diet, making it suitable for a gluten free lifestyle.
However, like with any type of diet, you will still need to check the labels of anything you buy to make sure it is suitable for gluten free.
And dairy free diets?
This is another diet that will suit your lifestyle. There’s no requirement to start eating diary and you can get plenty of calcium from other foods, especially those dark leafy greens.
If you are really worried, there are always supplements, but make sure they are suitable for alkaline-based diets. If you are in doubt, talk to your doctor about this.
Those who have food allergies will find the alkaline diet beneficial. The diet cuts out most of the common causes of allergies, including milk and nuts.
While you may not want to cut out fish and shellfish completely, it is very easy to keep them out of the diet if you are allergic to them. Most of the books about the alkaline diet will avoid them anyway, so you don’t have to find recipe substitutes.
The Cost of the Alkaline Diet
Like alkaline water, it doesn’t have to cost a lot to start following this type of diet. There are books and products for sale, but you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.
We’ve already looked at how you can make alkaline water with lemon in your distilled or filtered water, so it’s easy to see how you could change your diet without a huge cost.
Start off by making a list of all the foods that are good for you on the alkaline diet. A lot of them are fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.
While they may cost more than some of your processed foods, they will last longer, taste better and help you on your way to a healthier life.
It really is worth that extra cost, and you can budget for it as you become more involved with this lifestyle.
There are recipes online available, but one cookbook won’t cost you too much. You could even look at substituting the foods on the list not to eat in your favourite meals.
Still having the food that you love will make it much easier to stick to a new diet plan.
Avoid many of the products available if you don’t have the budget for them. Be sensible in your purchases, because this is one diet that you can do without a big outlay.
In Conclusion
Overall, alkaline water is extremely beneficial to the body. While many of the claims have not been backed by research, there are plenty of celebrities who aren’t endorsed to say anything that recommends the water.
Many others will even recommend the alkaline diet as a whole, which includes the water.
It is very easy to make alkaline water, and you can do it through the use of lemon slices in your tap water or distilled water. If you don’t like lemon, lime is an option or you can purchase pH drops to make the most of it.
Some of the ways you’ll benefit include increased energy, better-looking skin and improved weight loss.
Even if the claims aren’t backed, there is nothing to show that drinking alkaline water is bad for you.
And following the alkaline diet just means following a healthy and balanced mostly vegetarian and gluten free diet.
It may sound restrictive at first, but it is something you will get used to and over time you won’t even notice you miss anything.
If you want to get started with a healthier lifestyle, there is nothing wrong with making a switch to alkaline water once or twice a day. Lemon water first thing in a morning is certainly much better for you than a cup of tea or coffee.
From there, you can add more water into the day and then look at changing your diet. Smaller changes are less noticeable for you, but your body will soon start benefitting.
The results you will get from the benefits of alkaline water will make a difference in your life in the long run. The best thing about this is that it’s not very difficult to switch from normal water to alkaline water. You can incorporate it in your everyday life without much adjustments.
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