What is alkaline fasting?
Deacidifying the body - that is the idea behind alkaline
fasting. To do this, for a week you avoid all foods that are acidically
metabolized in the body. This includes all animal proteins from meat, fish and
dairy products. Grain products, sugar, alcohol, coffee and nicotine are also
taboo during an alkaline fast.
On the other hand, so-called base-forming foods such as
fruit, vegetables and nuts are allowed.
The theory behind it: Protein-rich foods and grains create
acids in the body. If there are too many, they are no longer excreted via the
kidneys and intestines, but the bases take over their neutralization. As a
result, the alkaline-acid balance is thrown out of balance.
If the minerals that are quickly available in the blood are
used up, the organism falls back on basic potassium, magnesium and calcium from
muscles, bones and teeth. The consequences are cramps, osteoporosis, tooth
decay, cardiac arrhythmias, allergies, gout or neurodermatitis, according to
the theory.
The method is often used in alternative medicine. However:
The balancing effect of alkaline fasting and the healing effect on diseases
have not been scientifically proven. The existence of slag has also not been
proven.
These foods are allowed in alkaline fasting
With an alkaline diet, you only eat alkaline foods. This
includes
• fruit
• vegetables
• Seeds
• nuts
• Cores
• mushrooms
• Linseed,
olive and rapeseed oil
To do this, drink two to three liters of liquid every day.
Still water , spring water or tea made from local herbs are suitable. Black,
green, white or rooibos tea are not allowed.
This is how alkaline fasting works
The goal of alkaline fasting is to restore the acid-base
balance in the body. Fasting in the sense of starvation is not necessary.
Rather, it is important to be careful what you eat.
Alkaline fasting is divided into three phases:
Preparatory phase
The preparation phase lasts a few days in which you prepare
for the base fast. This includes becoming familiar with the foods that you are
allowed to eat. It is also beneficial if you reduce the stress in everyday
life.
Alkaline fasting week
During the alkaline fasting week, you do not consume any
acid-forming foods. A typical fasting day can look like this:
• You have
breakfast with fruits and nuts or you make a smoothie with many vitamin-rich
ingredients.
• A large
salad is ideal for lunch. Garnish with pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, for example.
A warm dish with vegetables is also possible. But do not eat raw fruit and
vegetables after 2 p.m. Do not drink any more juices afterwards either.
• Have an
easy-to-digest dinner at 6 p.m. Soups or steamed vegetables go very well.
• Avoid
snacks and snacks during alkaline fasting.
After the alkaline fast
Ideally, you should take some fasting rules with you for
your everyday life. For example, that you regularly eat fruit for breakfast ,
make yourself a colorful salad for lunch and cook a light vegetable dish in the
evening.
In addition, according to the theory, it is advantageous to
insert a single base day every now and then. It is also helpful to only eat
acidic foods such as lemonades, pizza and pasta occasionally.
After the week of fasting, it is also good for the body if
you plan to have dinner by 6 p.m. at the latest and then do not eat anything -
not even snacks.
This is what alkaline fasting brings
Alkaline fasting contains some important aspects of healthy eating. There is nothing against trying it for a limited period of time as an
introduction to a more conscious diet. Fruits and vegetables are an important
part of a wholesome diet, as is the avoidance of sugar, alcohol and white flour
products.
It also helps to reduce weight. Alkaline fasting also plays
a researched role in osteoporosis therapy. It is assumed that with excess acids
calcium is released from the bones and thus the bone strength decreases in the
long term.
Risks of alkaline fasting
The acidification theory is scientifically not tenable.
There are various buffer systems in the body that permanently regulate the
acid-base balance. The connection between acidification and the development of
diseases has also not been scientifically proven.
As a rule, the body helps itself very well. This is especially
true if you regularly eat fruit and vegetables and drink at least 1.3 liters of
fluids in order to promote the excretion of the metabolic acid via the kidneys.
If you follow the strict alkaline fasting for more than a
week, you are also at risk of a nutritional deficiency due to the permanent
avoidance of grain and dairy products.
In any case, “base-promoting” powders or tablets are
unnecessary and often expensive.
Base fasting is generally not suitable for pregnant women,
people with chronic illnesses or with eating disorders.
This is how the body regulates acids and bases
In the body, acidic and basic substances are produced during
digestion. They are usually flushed out through the kidneys with the urine. The
acid-base content in the urine therefore depends on the food you have eaten.
If you consume a lot of meat, dairy products or fatty foods,
the acid content in the urine is higher than if you eat a lot of fruits and
vegetables. However, this says nothing about the pH value of the blood and has
no connection with over-acidification of the body.
For certain body functions, an acidic environment is even
useful. For example, acidic stomach acid ensures that dangerous germs die that
we may ingest while eating.