expert advice

meal plan for alkalising the body

Many common symptoms of ill health are indications of acidity building up in the tissues. Symptoms of acidity include insomnia, a sour stomach, cold sores, acid sweat (which can discolour jewellery), arthritis, skin problems, headaches, aches and pains, fatigue and tendency to get infections.

An acidic person may also be grouchy and overly sensitive.

Balancing pH

The body uses minerals from food to alkalise the tissues. Once food has been digested it leaves either an acid or alkaline ash. This does not necessarily relate to the pH of the food before it was digested. For example, lemons are acidic before being eaten but leave an alkaline residue in the body after digestion.

Foods high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese and low in protein will leave an alkaline ash.

In order to alkalize the tissues the aim is to eat a diet consisting of 80% alkalizing foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Acid forming foods to decrease or avoid include meat, dairy products, eggs, sugar, refined grains, liquor, wine, beer, coffee, tea, soft drinks, drugs and tobacco.

Fruits and vegetables tend to be alkalizing. Other alkalizing foods include millet, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, almonds, Brazil nuts, coconut, chestnuts, sprouted pulses and seeds, fresh green beans and peas, fresh vegetable juices, green superfoods such as wheatgrass and spirulina and herbal teas.

Lifestyle tips

Excessive exercise can lead to acidity in the form of lactic acid. Drugs and stress also tend to lead to an acid state.

Deep breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques are alkalizing. Bathing in Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), dead sea salts or alkalizing herbs can help to alkalise the skin and tissues.

Chewing food thoroughly increases alkalinity as saliva is alkaline.

It’s a good idea to have some pulses sprouting throughout the week for use in salads and stir fries and as snacks; so get sprouting. Good choices include mung beans, puy lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, alfalfa and chickpeas.

 

Week 1

MONDAY

Breakfast

Buckwheat porridge with miso*

Snack

A few almonds with toasted nori strips

Lunch

Broad bean soup* with Beet and sesame salad*
Make enough soup for tomorrow.

Snack

Hummous* with celery sticks
Make enough hummous for tomorrow.

Dinner

Baked wild salmon with steamed kale, broccoli and carrots.

Snack

An avocado

 

Tuesday

Breakfast

Fruit salad with ground flax seeds

Snack

Brazil nuts with radishes

Lunch

Broad bean soup with grated vegetable salad*

Snack

Hummous with carrot sticks

Dinner

Millet and sprouted lentil bake* with green salad
Make enough millet bake for tomorrow’s lunch

Snack

A grapefruit

 

Wednesday

Breakfast

Put some sunflower seeds to soak for later.

Berry smoothie: blend a banana, a cup of blueberries, a cup of strawberries and ½ tsp of spirulina along with 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds.

Snack

A few hazelnuts and cucumber slices

Lunch

Millet bake and coleslaw*

Make extra coleslaw as a snack for later

Snack

Salad from lunch

Dinner

Quinoa with aduki bean sprouts* and roasted vegetables.
Make extra quinoa for breakfast tomorrow

Snack

Soaked sunflower seeds – rinse them before eating

 

Thursday

Put some red split lentils to soak for later

Breakfast

Wheat grass juice or 1 tsp of wheat grass powder in water.
Quinoa porridge – heat up last night’s left over quinoa.

Snack

A cup of raspberries

Lunch

Mackerel salad*

Snack

Pumpkin seeds

Dinner

Lentil and vegetable dahl with brown rice*

Snack

A baby avocado

 

Friday

Soak some Hunza apricots for later

Breakfast

Re-heat last night’s brown rice and stir in 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds once served

Snack

An apple and pear

Lunch

Lentil dahl from last night with red cabbage and celery salad*

Snack

Soaked Hunza apricots. Crack open the stones inside and eat the kernels.

Dinner

Chestnut loaf* with green salad
Make enough of the loaf for tomorrow.

Snack

A Grapefruit

 

Saturday

Breakfast

A shot of wheatgrass juice or wheatgrass powder mixed with water
A galia melon

Snack

Fruit and nut truffles*
Make enough for tomorrow.

Lunch

Chestnut loaf with salad

Snack

Vegetable juice: juice 2 green apples, a beetroot and a couple of kale leaves.

Dinner

Stir fried vegetables with tempeh* and almond sauce*
Save some almond sauce for later

Snack

Celery sticks with almond sauce

 

Sunday

Breakfast

Avocado and pear smoothie

Snack

Fruit and nut truffles

Lunch

Carrot and almond loaf* with tamari-ginger gravy*
Make enough of the loaf for tomorrow

Snack

Cannellini bean dip* with cauliflower florets

Dinner

Wild rice with vegetables and sprouted puy lentils*

Snack

An apple

 

Week 2

Monday

Breakfast

Millet and coconut porridge

Snack

Celery boats* - make enough for tomorrow as well.

Lunch

Carrot and almond loaf with rocket salad.

Snack

Cannellini bean dip from yesterday and cucumber sticks

Dinner

Baked Trout with almonds and roasted fennel*, pea puree and sauerkraut.

Snack

A pear

 

Tuesday

Breakfast

Fruit salad with cinnamon

Snack

Celery boats from yesterday

Lunch

Pea soup* with grated vegetable salad*

Snack

Chickpea sprouts

Dinner

Buckwheat and lentil slice* with green salad

Snack

Hulled hemp seeds and sunflower seeds

 

Wednesday

Breakfast

Peach smoothie: blend a peach, 3 apricots, a cup of raspberries and 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds

Snack

Almond dip* with vegetable crudités

Lunch

Buckwheat and lentil slice with green salad

Snack

An apple

Dinner

Quinoa with stir fried lentil sprouts, vegetables* and almond sauce
Make the almond dip from earlier into a sauce by adding more water or lemon juice.
Make enough quinoa for tomorrow as well.

Snack

A small pot of natural soy yoghurt

 

Thursday

Breakfast

Barley grass juice or powder.
Quinoa porridge – re-heat last night’s quinoa and serve with any left over almond sauce stirred in.

Snack

A handful of goji berries and an apple

Lunch

Cauliflower and coconut soup* with carrot and sprout salad*
Make enough soup for tomorrow

Snack

Seed balls* - make extra for later and tomorrow.

Dinner

Herby lemon sole with pea puree and steamed vegetables

Snack

2 seed balls

 

Friday

Breakfast

Buckwheat flakes mixed with water and natural soy yoghurt

Snack

3 apricots

Lunch

Cauliflower and coconut soup with sprouted wheat bread

Snack

Seed balls from yesterday

Dinner

Vegetable curry with rice
Make enough of both for tomorrow

Snack

An apple

 

Saturday

Breakfast

Barley grass juice or barley grass powder mixed with water
Re-heat last night’s rice in some rice milk.

Snack

Vegetable juice: juice 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery and a beetroot.

Lunch

Make last night’s left over curry into a soup by adding more water. Sprinkle with nori flakes.

Snack

Fruit and nut truffles*

Dinner

Sprouted bean and avocado salad* with sprouted wheat bread

Snack

A Grapefruit

 

Sunday

Breakfast

Fruit salad

Snack

Fruit and nut truffles

Lunch

Broad bean soup* with beet and sesame salad*

Snack

Green juice: juice 2 apples, a fennel bulb, 2 chard leaves and add ½ tsp of spirulina powder

Dinner

Red Dragon pie* with green salad
Make enough of the pie for tomorrow.

Snack

A small pot of natural soy yoghurt

 

Week 3

Monday

Breakfast

Creamy millet porridge*

Snack

2 slices of water melon

Lunch

Red dragon pie from yesterday with watercress salad*

Snack

Dried figs with hazelnuts

Dinner

Quinoa with sprouted lentils and steamed vegetables*

Snack

Mixed seeds

 

Tuesday

Breakfast

Pear and blueberry smoothie: blend a ripe pear with a cup of blueberries

Snack

Hummous* with carrot sticks – make enough hummous for tomorrow as well

Lunch
Butterbean and coriander soup* with red cabbage and celery salad*
Make enough soup for tomorrow as well.

Snack

An apple

Dinner

Baked plaice with corn on the cob, carrots and raw sauerkraut

Snack

Brazil nuts

Put some dried fruit to soak for tomorrow’s breakfast eg: figs, apricots, prunes, goji berries

 

Wednesday

Breakfast

Soaked dried fruit medley

Snack

Hummous with celery sticks

Lunch

Butterbean and coriander soup with coleslaw*

Snack

Hulled hemp seeds with toasted nori strips

Dinner

Roasted tempeh with roasted vegetables* and almond sauce*
Make enough almond sauce for tomorrow.

Snack

½ an avocado

 

Thursday

Breakfast

Sprouted rye bread with pumpkin seed butter

Snack

A galia melon

Lunch

Sardine salad*

Snack

Vegetable crudités with almond sauce from last night

Dinner

Rice and beans* with vegetables
Make enough for tomorrow’s lunch

Snack

An apple

 

Friday

Breakfast

Fruit salad

Snack

Sprouted rye bread with pumpkin seed butter

Lunch

Rice and beans from last night.

Snack

A handful of goji berries

Dinner

Sprouted Lentil and Millet Bake* with green salad

Snack

A pear

Put some nuts and seeds to soak for tomorrow morning eg: almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds

 

Saturday

Put some Hunza apricots to soak for later

Breakfast

Energy drink*

Snack

Vegetable juice: juice 2 carrots, some kale, and some romaine lettuce.

Lunch

Millet bake from last night with celeriac and carrot salad*

Snack

Soaked Hunza apricots – crack open the stone and eat the kernels

Dinner

Aduki bean stew with watercress salad*
Make enough of the stew for tomorrow.

Snack

A Grapefruit

 

Sunday

Breakfast

Vegetable juice: juice 1 apple, 2 carrots and a fennel bulb. Stir in 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds

Snack

Brazil nuts

Lunch

Aduki bean soup with grated vegetable salad* – make last night’s left over stew into a soup by adding extra water. Sprinkle on nori flakes once served.

Snack

Figs with almonds

Dinner

Sprouted bean and avocado salad*

Snack

A small pot of natural soy yoghurt.