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Alkaline Foods: Photos of ONE Serve of Each Alkaline Food

Ross — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:36:03 +0000

Alkaline Foods: Photos of ONE Serve of Each Alkaline Food

7 Most Alkaline Rich Foods: What Does 1 Serve Look Like?

Ever since I released my Definitive List of Alkaline Foods and then followed this up with my now, officially, ‘wildly popular’ 7 Most Alkaline Rich Foods guide I’ve been inundated with questions from you lovely people asking me more questions about how to start the alkaline diet, and how to live alkaline.

This is brilliant. It’s why I’m here. It’s why I spend hours and hours every week writing for you and answering your questions!

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As I discussed in my review/breakdown of the excellent ‘Hungry for Change’ movie that was released last week, my whole approach to getting healthy, getting alkaline and STAYING alkaline is based around three key things:

DON’T try to be perfect – it’s unrealistic, unreasonable and doomed for failure. Take it day-by-day, step-by-step and still enjoy treats here and there. If you aim for perfection you’ll find it too hard. Go easy on yourself, still enjoy a night out with your friends, still enjoy life and enjoy food – and transition gently.

Unhealthy food (sugar, simple carbs, yeast, trans fats, additives, caffeine, alcohol etc) ARE beyond doubt addictive. You will not make this a lifetime
Put IN Before You Take OUT – if you try to start your healthy lifestyle by restricting and depriving yourself, you will fail. Simple as that. When you first start out take ALL of that horrible pressure off yourself by focusing solely on ADDING GOOD STUFF IN before you even think about taking bad stuff out.
If you focus on adding the good stuff (this article will show you how easy that is) then you will find yourself feeling better and better, more and more energetic, more and more vitality, smoother skin, less fatigued, better sleep, better moods, WAY less fat, WAY more muscle, brighter eyes and a sensational feeling of achievement and accomplishment.

And guess what, the more you feel like this, the less you’ll crave the bad stuff and the less you’ll want the bad stuff.

Simple as that.
Work SMART Not HARD – This is based on the ‘Minimum Effective Dose‘ principle Tim Ferriss teaches, and influenced by Pareto’s 80/20 rule. I believe that you will get 80% of the benefit from 20% of your activities.
This again comes back to not trying to be perfect. Using 20% of the effort you can get 80% of the benefit. Of course, this is not 100% of the benefit, but it would take the extra 80% of effort to get that remaining 20% of benefit! Make sense?!

Now, once you’ve mastered the core stuff to get you that 80% of benefit you can fine tune and step-by-step add and improve, but for now just focus on mastering the core principles.

And in case you’re wondering, these core principles are those that I teach in my 3-part free Alkaline Diet Beginners Guide you can access from my homepage.

Alkaline Food Serves: The Background

We all know we have to eat more fresh vegetables (especially the leafy ones) but it seems daunting and intimidating to try and eat (at least) five serves per day. Or so you thought!

I have used the globally accepted measure of 80g of food as being officially ONE serve and measured out what 80g of each of my 7 Most Alkaline Rich Foods looks like.

By the end of this guide you’ll realise just how easy this makes the alkaline diet.

Alkaline Rich Food: What Does 1 Serve of The 7 Most Alkaline Foods LOOK Like?

If you remember in my Seven Most Alkaline Foods article I listed:

1. Spinach
2. Kale
3. Cucumber
4. Celery
5. Broccoli
6. Avocado
7. Capsicum/Bell Pepper

Below you will find all of these photographed as the amount required to be classified as ‘ONE SERVE’ in the global 5-a-Day campaign (in Australia it is 2+5 with 2 fruit too).

The Exception…

For some reason, I can’t find Kale in Australia. I can find it in ONE tiny organic shop in Melbourne, but I’ve moved to Queensland now, so Kale is missing – but it would be similar to spinach.

1. Spinach – One Serve

This is all it takes to have a serve of spinach! Spinach is an incredibly alkaline food – packed full of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Manganese, Calcium, Iron, Protein, Fiber – it’s a true superfood.

As I always advise, if you include a side salad with every meal, and use this small amount of spinach, this will mean you’ll have 2-3 serves of this incredible food every single day. Awesome. You’ll feel amazing!

IMPORTANT: HOW TO CHEAT AT SPINACH!

I went the extra mile and lightly steamed some spinach to show you how it is even easier to eat a HUGE amount of spinach by simply steaming it for a couple of minutes. The picture below is the above “1-A-DAY” serve of spinach, shrunk down by steaming:

Energise Alkaline Recipe Containing Spinach

Warm Red Pepper & Spinach Salad

Spinach, Garlic & Tofu Burgers

Alkaline Avo Power Smoothie

Alkaline Raw Soup

2. Celery – One Serve

Isn’t it shocking – that’s all the celery you need to call it one of your five-a-day. It’s so small! You could munch down on this as a snack without even knowing you’d done it!

Can you start to see how getting your rich source of alkaline foods in each day is just a case of some simple habits?

I often have celery with almond butter as a nutritious, alkaline, healthy fat laden snack and it’s amazingly deliciously awesome.
It’s alkaline, has a super-high water content, and if you are on a weight loss journey, you’ll also be happy to hear that this alkaline staple contains plenty of potassium and sodium and so is a diuretic – meaning it helps rid the body of excess fluids.

Energise Alkaline Diet Recipes Containing Celery:

Vegetable Bean Soup

Bright & Breezy Salad

Alkaline Green Drink

Delicious Refresher Juice

Alkaline Chilli Greens

3. Cucumber – One Serve

This is the most awesome of them all – how small is that?! You’d think that it would take a whole cucumber to make a serve, but no! This is all it is! This is absolutely one of your five-per-day.

I hope the more you read and see the easier you’re seeing this is and more motivated you’re feeling?

Energise Recipes Containing Cucumber:

Alkaline Cucumber & Watercress Soup

Alkaline Sushi

Antioxidant Super-Meal

Sweet Chunky Alkaline Shake

pH Boosting Protein Shake

Almond Gazpacho

4. Avocado – One Serve

Man alive, it’s getting easier as I go isn’t it? This is a half an avocado and then a tiny slither extra. In truth, the avocado I bought was pretty small, so for an average avo it would be half. OK, so imagine using a 1/4 in one of your daily salads and a 1/4 as a snack. Easy. You put 1/2 an avocado into ONE green smoothie. It’s so easy to eat this much delicious avocado!

In my Alkaline Diet Recipe Book I have a great recipe as a snack which involves scooping out the flesh from half an avocado, mixing with chopped tomato and red onion, sprinkling in some sesame seeds, drizzing with olive or flax oil and eating from the avocado shell! Delicious and, again, your one serve of vegetables.

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Avocado:

Alkaline Avocado Power Shake

Raw Avocado Soup

Smooth Avocado & Tofu Dip

Alkaline Quinoa Salad

Spicy Alkaline Summer Soup

5. Broccoli – One Serve

Broccoli is one of, if not THE, most important foods in the whole wide world. It’s amazing and I BEG for you to eat it daily. Steamed, stir fried, juiced, mixed in a soup or smoothie, eaten raw (you get used to it!) – just eat it. A nice trick I thought of a while back is to grate the florets into salads – so you barely notice it! I love sneaking nutrition into food – especially for people who claim not to like it

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Broccoli:

Broccoli & Vegetable Coconut Curry

Spelt Pasta with Broccoli & ALmonds

Mixed Sesame Veggies

Gareth’s Green Smoothie

Spicy Alkaline Summer Soup

6. Bell Pepper/Capsicum – One Serve

Capsicum (Bell Pepper) was a big surprise for me but it is extremely beneficial.

Bell peppers have shown up in research relating to decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, macular degeneration, cancer, inflammation and more.

Alongside these lesser known or more complex-named antioxidants, bell pepper is one of, if not the best food source of the more common antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E.

They’re sweet, tasty and delicious!

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Bell Pepper:

Sweet Chunky Alkaline Shake

Red Lentils with Bell Pepper

Stuffed Tomatoes with Pepper

Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Antioxidant Rich Smoothie

Without Kale I Thought You’d Need An Alkaline Bonus…

So, I thought it might be fun to measure out the foods I’d include in a basic alkaline green drink to see:

1. the vast quantity of fresh vegetables and leafy greens you get in ONE drink
2. to measure the actual ‘serves per day’ in ONE green drink

It’s awesome.

Below you will see the separate images of each of the ingredients in a basic alkaline green drink measured. It’s so interesting to note how this would be a salad that would be WAY too big for me to eat….but juiced – it’s an easy, delicious, refreshing superjuice!

Alkaline Green Drink Foods Measured

Above are photos of the ingredients I’d use in a basic green drink:

1. Spinach (not above, but right up above at the top)
2. Cucumber
3. Celery
4. Lettuce
5. Broccoli, including stalk
6. Carrot
7. Bell Pepper

I cut and sliced the amounts I’d use on a normal day and then measured to see how it rates on the 5-A-Day Scale.

As you can see (just about) from the pictures above, the total weight in grams of this green drink (which serves 2) is a total of 1,162g of vegetables.

This equates to 14.552 serves of fresh vegetables!

And looked like this:

As this juice would serve 2, this is 7.25 serves of fresh vegetables.

HAVE THIS JUICE EVERY DAY IN THE MORNING AND TELL ME HOW YOUR LIFE HAS CHANGED!

“Most people are overfed, and they’re undernourished…Freshly extracted juice is the 15 minute nutrient express to health” Jason Vale.

I hope you’ve loved this blog post as much as my 7 Most Alkaline Foods article! I loved making it – and it’s invigorated, motivated and inspired me too! Getting alkaline, staying alkaline and enjoying the process has never been easier!

Please share, like and tweet if you like it!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

How to Get Alkaline (as quickly and easily as possible…)

Ross — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:32:35 +0000

How to Get Alkaline (as quickly and easily as possible…)

When people first ready my Acid / Alkaline Food Chart they get an understanding of which foods are alkaline, but are then left wondering “…HOW am I going to get alkaline?”.

In this follow-up post to my “7 Most Alkaline Foods” I wanted to show you my five quickstart actions for getting green into your diet and giving you an alkaline kickstart-headstart as easily and quickly as possible.

Getting Alkaline As Quickly As Possible

My approach to coaching the alkaline diet is based around a few key principles:

Trying to be perfect from the start leads to failure in 90% of cases
For the first month, focus on the 20% of actions that make 80% of the difference
Take it slowly, baby-steps, day-by-day and celebrate each success
Give yourself a cheat day, or relax every now and then – treat yourself!
If you have a bad day, don’t give up – take time to think what happened and start again right this minute!

Step One: Getting Alkaline Means Going Green

Going green is so important because it gets a huge amount of chlorophyll into your body. I recommend reading my Health Benefits of Liquid Chlorophyll article in full, but to give you a short version:

Chlorophyll has the power to regenerate our bodies at the molecular and cellular level and is known to help cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems. Chlorophyll consumption increases the number of red blood cells and, therefore, increase oxygen utilization by the body. Chlorophyll also reduces the binding of carcinogens to DNA in the liver and other organs. It also breaks down calcium oxalate stones for elimination, which are created by the body for the purpose of neutralizing and disposing of excess acid.

So getting a big injection of chlorophyll into your diet is hugely important!

As per point 2 above – you have to focus on the small, simple stuff that has the most impact and in my opinion, getting green foods in is the single most powerful thing you can do to dramatically change your health, energy and vitality. You have to get greens in and while this may seem daunting – here are a few suggestions to make it a LOT easier and less intimidating:

Have a salad with every meal: carry on eating what you’d normally have eaten, but just add a side salad (no unhealthy dressings though!). This TOTALLY takes the pressure off but the cumulative effect of having several salads a day will have a big impact.
Disguise green foods: you can shave broccoli heads with a knife over foods or into pasta sauce giving you heaps of broccoli, but you can’t see, taste or smell it. OR wilt spinach down with a little butter, salt and pepper – this gives you a HUGE amount of spinach in just a couple of mouthfuls. OR make pasta sauce by blending tomatoes with steamed pumpkin, broccoli, spinach, watercress etc. When it’s all blended down it still tastes very rich and tomato-ey, but you’ve got a heap of green foods in there too!
Get into Sprouts: sounds weird but it’s SO worth it – sprouts are sprouted seeds of plants such as broccoli which, when harvested at the sprout stage, contain all (or more) of the nutritional content of the fully grown plant – this means you can easily eat one handful and get a HUGE hit of nutrients. I’ve blogged heaps about sprouts (and have a guide coming) so click here to read all about sprouts.

Making sure you up your green food consumption from 0-1 times per day to 3-5 times per day is easy and it will blow your mind the difference it makes. Your body will thank you, I can absolutely assure you.

Step Two: Getting Oiled Up

This is another really easy fix and is something 90% of people are not currently doing:

You HAVE to get at LEAST 2 tablespoons of Omega 3 EVERY day

Eating more oily fish is great for the health benefits this can bring, but you’d have to eat a really silly amount to get enough omega 3 – and this goes twofold for eating nuts and seeds to get enough omega 3.

Omega 3 deficiency was named in a Harvard Medical School research paper as being the 6th Biggest Killer in the USA – yes it’s that important. It’s critical for our health, energy, metabolism, cardiovascular system, eyes, hair, skin, digestive system…everything – yet around 90% of people in the Western world are chronically deficient.

If you change nothing else but add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of omega 3 to your diet you will really see a massive difference in your body.

I really recommend a supplement to ensure you get enough and Udo’s Choice is my personal favourite.

If you want to learn more about Fats & Oils I really recommend Udo’s website here and also check this article I wrote on oils back in April 2011: Why Essential Fatty Acids are So Essential

This is another 80/20 suggestion – it is SO easy to just have 30ml of omega 3 every day (even if you just buy straight flax oil and use this in salads) but it will make a HUGE difference.

Note: Omega 6 and 9 are also important but we tend to get enough of those through consumption of olive oils, vegetable oils etc.

Step Three: Instant Hits When You Need It

This is a quick step, but a brilliant one – because being able to give yourself a concentrated hit of green goodness is SUCH a powerful tool. I HIGHLY recommend you look into buying a liquid chlorophyll supplement.

Now at Energise we always say that if you can get it from whole foods then this is best, but being able to get ALL of your nutrient needs EVERY day from foods alone is a huge challenge. It is almost impossible in this day and age.

PLUS if you want (or need) to get alkaline quickly having a concentrated shot of liquid chlorophyll each day will give your body a massive boost. It really is awesome. Now if you can juice your own fresh wheatgrass into a shot each day that’s even better – but if not then I really heartily recommend a chlorophyll shot every day.

If you use supplements like chlorophyll smartly and choose the right ones (for you) then they are an absolutely potent weapoon in the fight against acids, fatigue and illness. I firmly believe this.

We’ve had dozens of chlorophyll supplements through Energise over the years but our absolute favourite is Nature’s Sunshine – no fillers, no crap, totally natural and no added sweeteners (you have to be wary of those).

It tastes great and makes you feel vibrant and ALIVE! Click here to find out more…

Step Four: Hydration is the EASIEST Way to Alkalise

So far in this lazyman’s guide to quickly getting alkaline(!) I’ve given you three big steps (and lots of mini-steps) that are all easy, take up almost no time, require hardly any changes to your lifestyle – but get you big-kahuna-changes to your alkalinity, energy, health and vitality.

But I saved the best for now.

The vast majority of people are chronically dehydrated, somehow barely getting through the day on less than 800ml of water. This dramatically effects mental clarity, digestion, the immune system, weight, energy, skin…just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25-30% loss of energy in most people. It is a HUGE problem and SO easy to fix.

Please just start drinking at least 2-3 litres of water every day. This will have as much impact on you than all of the other points in this article combined – it’s that important.

Ideally you’d be drinking 3-4 litres, but if you can even get to 2.5 per day for a week you’ll never look back.

In fact, right now, make the promise to yourself that you are going to drink at LEAST 2.5 litres per day. Write it down. Set a reminder in your phone!

The problems/questions most people have when it comes to hydration

In my experience as a hydration junkie, I find that most people have the same few questions when they first start to get hydrated:

– what type of water to drink (tap, bottled, reverse osmosis, ionized, lemon squeezed in etc)
– how much to drink
– …but I keep needing to pee!
– won’t it wash all of my minerals out of my body?
– I can’t remember to drink enough – I always forget!

Thankfully, I have created a very in-depth guide to hydration here for you to download totally for free.

It will answer every question you might have about getting alkaline with water – it’s very very good.

So please do download the guide, follow the steps to choosing the best water for you and read my Guide on How to Remember to Drink Enough!

So getting greens in several times per day + getting enough omega oils + getting shots of chlorophyll + getting hydrated = incredible vibrant health very easily and quickly…so what could step five be?

Step Five: 5 Minutes Per Day to 24-Hours of Alkalinity

IF you read my last guide (The 7 Most Alkaline Foods) you’ll already know the answer to this, but it’s SO super easy, quick and powerful that I just HAVE to say it again:

***DRINK A GREEN VEGETABLE JUICE EVERY DAY***

You’ve just gotta. It’s 5 minutes and it will change your life forever. Honestly, it’s so quick and easy to knock together a juice – it really does take under five minutes from getting the food out of the fridge, to washing, to juicing, to cleaning the juicer to drinking.

But this five minutes a day give your body a waterfall of easily absorbed nutrients that will instantly boost your energy, flood you with antioxidants, rapidly strengthen your immune system and dramatically alkalise you all day long.

Remember – the best thing about this is, it means you’ve already exceeded your five-a-day serves of vegetables before 9am!

And if you want to know what to juice here are some recipes for ya:

Blood Building Vegetable Juice

Delicious Refresher Juice

Anti-Stress Juice

…and of course – The Big Bad Green Drink
…and The Energise Guide to Juicing

So let’s all go get green and alkaline!

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this quick, five-step guide to instant alkalinity. In case you haven’t seen it yet I also have a 3-Part Video Series on Getting Started with the Alkaline Diet that you can access from my homepage at http://www.energiseforlife.com

Leave me your comments below, click like, retweet and +1 – I’d LOVE to hear from you!

Until then
Energise Ross

About Ross Bridgeford

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

The 7 Most Alkaline Foods

Ross — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:31:58 +0000

The 7 Most Alkaline Foods

So many of you who have seen my Definitive Acid / Alkaline Food Chart ask me – “…of the alkaline food list – which are the most alkaline foods?” so I wanted to create a full, in-depth analysis blog post of the Seven Most Alkaline Foods!

For each food I’ve given an intro, nutritional content per 1 cup, a number of free alkaline recipes that I’ve created for this blog or the Alkaline Diet Recipe Book and also a handful of research papers that have been published to validate the benefits stated.

I hope you love this as much as I loved researching and writing it!

What Are The Most High Alkaline Foods?

1. Spinach

ALL leafy greens should be eaten in abundance but spinach is my absolute favourite because it’s easy to buy, easy to use in recipes and salads and is delicious. Baby spinach or fully grown spinach are nutritional powerhouses and are incredibly alkaline.

As with all green foods, spinach is rich in chlorophyll (see more about the health benefits of chlorophyll here), a potent alkaliser and blood builder.

It is also super high in vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin c, vitamin b2, calcium, potassium, vitamin e, dietary fiber….need I go on?

I doubt there is a more all round healthy food on earth and I highly encourage you to eat spinach throughout the day, every day.

Nutrients per 1 Cup

Vitamin K – 1110% RDA
Vitamin A – 337.3% RDA
Manganese – 84% RDA
Folate – 65.7% RDA
Magnesium – 38% RDA
Iron – 35% RDA
Vitamin C – 31% RDA
Vitamin B2 – 27% RDA
Calcium – 25% RDA
Potassium – 23% RDA
Vitamin E – 21% RDA
Fiber – 19% RDA

Energise Alkaline Recipe Containing Spinach

Warm Red Pepper & Spinach Salad

Spinach, Garlic & Tofu Burgers

Alkaline Avo Power Smoothie

Alkaline Raw Soup

Research on Spinach

Spinach as a powerful antioxidant: Manach C, Scalbert A, Morand C, Rémésy C, Jiménez L. Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):727-47. 2004. PMID:15113710.
Spinach intake and ovarian cancer reduction: Gates MA, Tworoger SS, Hecht JL, De Vivo I, Rosner B, Hankinson SE. A prospective study of dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer. 2007 Apr 30; [Epub ahead of print] 2007. PMID:17471564.
Spinach intake and breast cancer: M P Longnecker, P A Newcomb, R Mittendorf, E R Greenberg and W C Willett. Intake of carrots, spinach, and supplements containing vitamin A in relation to risk of breast cancer. 1997. American Association for Cancer Research.
Spinach and reversing motor and neuronal aging: James A. Joseph1, Barbara Shukitt-Hale1, Natalia A. Denisova1,Donna Bielinski1, Antonio Martin1, John J. McEwen1, and Paula C. Bickford. Reversals of Age-Related Declines in Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation. 1999. The Journal of Neuroscience.

2. Kale

Kale is another leafy green beauty that is widely known for its cancer-fighting, cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant-rich, detoxifying goodness.

Less popular than spinach, but only because it has a history of being cooked poorly (like cabbage) – when done right it is absolutely delicious (see recipes below, you’ll thank me).

If you eat kale 2-3 times per week you’ll know it. Like spinach it is massively high in vitamin k, vitamin a and vitamin c and being leafy green it also has a huge chlorophyll content.

The reason it is so powerful against the cancer fight is that kale contains at least four glucosinolates. I don’t want to lose you here by using words like glucosinolates – all you need to know is that as soon as you eat and digest kale, these glucosinolates are really easily converted by the body into cancer fighting compounds.

Also quite amazing for lowering cholesterol, it should be noted that steamed kale is more effective for cholesterol lowering than raw.

Nutrients Per 1 Cup:

Vitamin K: 1327% RDA
Vitamin A: 354% RDA
Vitamin C: 88.8% RDA
Manganese: 27% RDA
Fiber: 12% RDA
Calcium: 11% RDA
Magnesium: 11% RDA
Iron: 9% RDA
Omgega 3: 7% RDA

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Kale:

Chickpea & Kale Rolls with Tomato Salsa

Kale & Chickpea Mash

Super Alkaline Kale Salad

Alkaline Chilli Spring Greens

Research on Kale:

Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer prevention: role of nutrigenetics. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.
Angeloni C, Leoncini E, Malaguti M, et al. Modulation of phase II enzymes by sulforaphane: implications for its cardioprotective potential. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jun 24;57(12):5615-22. 2009.
Bhattacharya A, Tang L, Li Y, et al. Inhibition of bladder cancer development by allyl isothiocyanate. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Feb;31(2):281-6. 2010
Higdon JV, Delage B, Williams DE, et al. Cruciferous Vegetables and Human Cancer Risk: Epidemiologic Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007 March; 55(3): 224-236. 2007.
Zhang Y. Allyl isothiocyanate as a cancer chemopreventive phytochemical. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Jan;54(1):127-35. 2010.

3. Cucumber

The beauty of cucumber is it’s water content – 95%. That is phenomenal and you won’t find that anywhere else. It’s the daddy of water-content. This of course makes it an incredibly hydrating food to consume, that ALSO contains superb amounts of antioxidants, including the super-important lignans. These highly beneficial polyphenols have more commonly been associated with the cruciferous vegetables, but their content in other veggies such as cucumbers is gaining more and more attention.

Cucumbers contain a right load of lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol (don’t try to pronounce), three lignans that have a huge and very strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

The best thing about cucumber is that they provide the base for practically every alkaline soup, smoothie and juice – giving you a very alkaline, very nutritious base that also tastes great.

In terms of the actual nutrient RDA per serve, cucumbers contain fair amounts of vitamins K and C, and slightly less of vitamin A and the B vitamins. Cucumbers also contain the following alkaline minerals: calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron and zinc.

Nutrients per 1 Cup (RDA)

Vitamin K: 23%
Molybdenum: 8%
Vitamin C: 6%
Potassium: 5%
Manganese: 5%
Magnesium: 4%

Energise Recipes Containing Cucumber:

Alkaline Cucumber & Watercress Soup

Alkaline Sushi

Antioxidant Super-Meal

Sweet Chunky Alkaline Shake

pH Boosting Protein Shake

Almond Gazpacho

Research on Cucumber:

Kumar D, Kumar S, Singh J, et al. Free Radical Scavenging and Analgesic Activities of Cucumis sativus L. Fruit Extract. J Young Pharm. 2010 Oct;2(4):365-8. 2010.
Milder IEJ, Arts ICW, van de Putte B et al. Lignan contents of Dutch plant foods: a database including lariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol. Br J Nutr 2005, 93:393-402. 2005.
Rios JL, Recio MC, Escandell JM, et al. Inhibition of transcription factors by plant-derived compounds and their implications in inflammation and cancer. Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(11):1212-37. Review. 2009.
Tang J, Meng X, Liu H et al. Antimicrobial activity of sphingolipids isolated from the stems of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Molecules. 2010 Dec 15;15(12):9288-97. 2010.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is just a must. If you are serious about living with health, energy and vitality you simply have to eat broccoli, if not on a daily basis, then at least 4 times per week.

Broccoli has been proven over and over and over again to be incredibly powerful in inhibiting cancers, supporting the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, the detoxification processes in the body and also supporting the skin, metabolism, immune system, being an anti-inflammatory and providing ample antioxidants.

Sound good?

Eaten steamed or raw its a hugely alkaline, hugely nutritious food. Please, please, please eat lots and lots of it. Put it in salads, juices, smoothies, soups…steam it with other veggies – you can even roast it if you’re having sunday lunch.

Don’t let a meal go past without thinking to yourself “how could I get some broccoli in here?”

Nutrients Per 1 Cup (as an RDA):

Vitamin C: 135%
Vitamin K: 115%
Folate: 16%
Vitamin A: 14%
Manganese: 10%
Dietary Fiber: 10%
Potassium: 8%
VItamin B6: 8%
Vitamin B2: 7%
Molybdenum: 6%
Phosphorus: 6%
Vitamin B5: 5%
Protein: 5%
Magnesium: 5%
Calcium: 4%
Selenium: 4%
Vitamin E: 4%

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Broccoli:

Broccoli & Vegetable Coconut Curry

Spelt Pasta with Broccoli & ALmonds

Mixed Sesame Veggies

Gareth’s Green Smoothie

Spicy Alkaline Summer Soup

Research on Broccoli:

Broccoli and Cancer Prevention: John W. Finley, Clement Ip, Donald J. Lisk, Cindy D. Davis, Korry J. Hintze, and Phil D. Whanger. Cancer-Protective Properties of High-Selenium Broccoli. Cancer-Protective Properties of High-Selenium Broccoli. 2001. American Chemical Society
Broccoli and Cardiovascular Disease: Lingyun Wu, M. Hossein Noyan Ashraf, Marina Facci, Rui Wang,Phyllis G. Paterson, Alison Ferrie, and Bernhard H. J. Juurlink. 2004. Dietary approach to attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation in the cardiovascular system. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Broccoli and Cancer Prevention: Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer prevention: role of nutrigenetics. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.
Broccoli and Cancer Prevention: Clarke JD, Dashwood RH, Ho E. Multi-targeted prevention of cancer by sulforaphane. Cancer Lett. 2008 Oct
Chemo-protection and Broccoli: Konsue N, Ioannides C. Modulation of carcinogen-metabolising cytochromes P450 in human liver by the chemopreventive phytochemical phenethyl isothiocyanate, a constituent of cruciferous vegetables. Toxicology. 2010 Feb 9;268(3):184-90. 2010.

5. Avocado

I eat a LOT of avocado. Not a salad, smoothie or soup goes by without me adding at least 1/2 an avocado per person. I probably eat at least five-seven per week, myself.

Now, I know a lot of people give avocado a bad rep because it is a high-fat food (85% of it’s calories come from fats) – but this is totally insane. These are good fats that will not make you gain weight. If anything, due to the high content of oleic acid (making it an omega 9 fat and very similar to olive oil), it can lower total cholesterol level and raise levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) while lowering low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), also known as the “bad” cholesterol. Oleic acid also slows the development of heart disease, and promotes the production of antioxidants.

These beneficial omega oils also help speed the metabolism, actually leading to weight loss rather than gain.

So now we’re over the fat issue, avocado also contains a wide range of other nutrients that have serious anti-inflammatory, heart health, cardiovascular health, anti-cancer, and blood sugar benefits.

Containing key antioxidants such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, selenium and more – it is a powerful, alkaline, nutrient-dense superfood.

Nutrients Per 1 Cup (as an RDA):

Dietary Fiber: 40%
Vitamin K: 38%
Folate: 30%
Vitamin C: 24%
Vitamin B5: 20%
Potassium: 20%
Vitamin B6: 19%

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Avocado:

Alkaline Avocado Power Shake

Raw Avocado Soup

Smooth Avocado & Tofu Dip

Alkaline Quinoa Salad

Spicy Alkaline Summer Soup

Research on Avocado:

Avocado & Adult Health: Fulgoni V, Dreher M, Davenport A. Avocado consumption associated with better nutrient intake and better health indices in U.S. adults (19+ years): NHANES 2001-2006. Abstract #8514. Experimental Biology, Anaheim, CA. April 28, 2010. 2010.
Avocado & Cancer: Ding H, Han C, Guo D et al. Selective induction of apoptosis of human oral cancer cell lines by avocado extracts via a ROS-mediated mechanism. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(3):348-56. 2009.
Avocado & Cancer: Ding H, Chin YW, Kinghorn AD et al. Chemopreventive characteristics of avocado fruit. Semin Cancer Biol. 2007 May 17; [Epub ahead of print] 2007. 2007.
Avocado & Inflammation: Rosenblat G, Meretski S, Segal J et al. Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols derived from avocado suppress inflammatory response and provide non-sunscreen protection against UV-induced damage in skin cells. Arch Dermatol Res. 2010 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print]. 2010.

6. Celery

Celery, like cucumber is a favourite because it’s alkaline AND really high water content, so is used very frequently as a base in juices and soups (not so much smoothies as you have to juice it first…and then you have double the washing up).

One of celery’s big benefits is it’s vitamin C level, which has the well known benefits – but two of it’s lesser known nutrients are phthalides which have been shown to lower cholesterol and coumarins which have been shown to inhibit several cancers.

The beauty of vitamin C rich foods are that they help with the most common and most challenging health concerns – they support the immune system, inflammation (so helps with arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma etc), and vitamin C also helps significantly with cardiovascular health.

If you are on a weight loss journey, you’ll also be happy to hear that this alkaline staple contains plenty of potassium and sodium and so is a diuretic – meaning it helps rid the body of excess fluids.

Nutrients Per 1 Cup (as an RDA):

Vitamin K: 37%
Folate: 9%
Vitamin A: 9%
Potassium: 8%
Molybdenum: 7%
Dietary Fiber: 6%
Vitamin C: 5%
Manganese: 5%
Calcium: 4%
Vitamin B2: 3.5%
Vitamin B6: 4%
Magnesium: 3%
Vitamin B5: 3%

Energise Alkaline Diet Recipes Containing Celery:

Vegetable Bean Soup

Bright & Breezy Salad

Alkaline Green Drink

Delicious Refresher Juice

Alkaline Chilli Greens

Research on Celery:

Celery and Hypertension: Kurl S, Tuomainen TP, Laukkanen JA et al. Plasma vitamin C modifies the association between hypertension and risk of stroke. Stroke 2002 Jun;33(6):1568-73 2002.
Celery & Cholesterol: Tsi D, Tan BK. The mechanism underlying the hypocholesterolaemic activity of aqueous celery extract, its butanol and aqueous fractions in genetically hypercholesterolaemic RICO rats. Life Sci 2000 Jan 14;66(8):755-67 2000.

7. Capsicum / Bell Pepper / Pepper

The antioxidant superpower, bell pepper is one of my all-time-favourites because it is sweet, crunchy and refreshingly delicious. You can use it in almost any meal raw, grilled, fried, roasted and it is always a winner.

Here are just SOME of the antioxidants bell pepper contains:

• Flavonoids
– luteolin
– quercetin
– hesperidin
• Carotenoids
– alpha-carotene
– beta-carotene
– cryptoxanthin
– lutein
– zeaxanthin
• Hydroxycinnamic Acids
– ferulic acid
– cinnamic acid

Of these, the cartenoids are the most interesting. Impressively beneficial to our health cartenoids are highly researched and get a lot of attention in the health field…and bell peppers contain over 30 different members of the carotenoid nutrient family. The only other food that is close to this is tomato…and all other foods are also-rans.

Bell peppers have shown up in research relating to decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, macular degeneration, cancer, inflammation and more.

Alongside these lesser known or more complex-named antioxidants, bell pepper is one of, if not the best food source of the more common antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E.

In fact, bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges.

Nutrients Per 1 Cup (as an RDA):

Vitamin C: 195.8%
Vitamin A: 58%
Vitamin B6: 14%
Folate: 11%
Dietary Fiber: 7%
Vitamin E: 7%
Molybdenum: 6%
Vitamin K: 6%
Potassium: 6%
Manganese: 5%
Vitamin B2: 5%
Vitamin B3: 5%
Vitamin B1: 3%
Vitamin B5: 3%
Magnesium: 2%

Energise Alkaline Recipes Containing Bell Pepper:

Sweet Chunky Alkaline Shake

Red Lentils with Bell Pepper

Stuffed Tomatoes with Pepper

Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Antioxidant Rich Smoothie

Research on Bell Pepper:

Pepper and Dementia: Devore EE, Grodstein F, van Rooij FJA et al. Dietary antioxidants and long-term risk of dementia. Arch Neurol. 2010 July; 67(7): 819-825. 2010.
Peppers and Antioxidants: O’Sullivan L, Jiwan MA, Daly T, O’Brien NM et al. Bioaccessibility, uptake, and transport of carotenoids from peppers (Capsicum spp.) using the coupled in vitro digestion and human intestinal Caco-2 cell model. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 May 12;58(9):5374-9. 2010.
Pepper and Cancer: Ambrosini GL, de Klerk NH, Fritschi L et al. Fruit, vegetable, vitamin A intakes, and prostate cancer risk. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2008;11(1):61-6. 2008.

——-

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT

I really want you to think about this: If you made a smoothie or juice containing just 1/2 a cup of each of these seven ingredients it would give you:

Vitamin K – 1326% RDA
Molybdenum – 13.5% RDA
Vitamin C – 243% RDA
Potassium – 35% RDA
Manganese – 68% RDA
Magnesium – 32% RDA
Vitamin A – 386% RDA
Fiber – 47% RDA
Calcium – 22% RDA
Iron – 22% RDA
Folate – 66% RDA
Vitamin B2 – 21.5% RDA
Vitamin E – 16% RDA
Vitamin B6 – 22.5% RDA
Vitamin B5 – 15.5% RDA

ALL IN ONE DRINK?

Can you imagine this? Leaving the house every morning having already consumed 243% of your vitamin c intake, 47% of your daily fiber needs, 68% of you manganese and 32% of your magnesium, over 22% of you vitamin B2 – imagine all of the incredible antioxidants? Before you’ve left the house?!

This really is giving you not only huge antioxidants, huge alkalinity, huge chlorophyll, huge detoxification nutrients – but if you want to go really mainstream – its giving you the recommended 5 Veg a Day before 9am!

Please give it a try – have a fresh vegetable juice or smoothie every morning for a week and let me know the effect this has!

——-

Detailed List of Alkaline Foods

I have actually got a really detailed list of all alkaline and acid foods available for a free download here (it also has a beginners guide to the alkaline diet in it).

CLICK HERE to download the alkaline food chart

———

Those are definitely my favourite alkaline foods and those that I’ve chosen to include in my diet on an almost daily basis, and often several times per day.

I promise you, if you include double the amount of these 7 foods than you currently are you will rapidly get towards your health goals.

Enjoy – let me know your thoughts, favourite foods or even recipes below in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

Ross

(follow Ross on Google+ here)

About Ross Bridgeford

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Alkaline Recipe #120: Chickpea Korma with Brown Rice

Ross — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:06:54 +0000

Alkaline Recipe #120: Chickpea Korma with Brown Rice

Chickpeas are a hit with me. Known to our American friends as Garbanzo beans – they are tasty, filling and perfect for this dish.

Most people don’t realise that chickpeas are also pretty darn healthy, and are full of fibre – which makes them great for digestion, as well as manganese (an alkaline mineral), folate and importantly for all your gym-going-athletes out there – protein.

Alkaline chickpea korma with brown rice

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp garam masala
50g coconut cream
1 tin of chickpeas (or equiv weight of dried and prepared chickpeas)
2 carrots, sliced
half a cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbsp arrowroot dissolved in 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp chopped coriander
2 cups of brown rice

Instructions

Rinse the rice and put in a pan with twice the amount of water. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on until all the water is absorbed (about 40 minutes).

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cook them until they soften. Add the spices, except the garam masala, and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the carrots and cauliflower and cook for a few minutes, coating them in the spices. Dissolve the creamed coconut in 2 cups of boiling water and add it to the pan with the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through.

Add the arrowroot mixture and cook until the mixture thickens. Add the fresh coriander just before serving.

Another delicious alkaline recipe for you all to try!

Let me know what you think of it below and hit the Facebook LIKE button!

About Ross Bridgeford

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Alkaline Diet Recipe #116: Tofu Brazil Nut Steam-Fry

Ross — Wed, 18 May 2011 07:17:49 +0000

Alkaline Diet Recipe #116: Tofu Brazil Nut Steam-Fry

A super tasty dish is this simple yet full of flavour! Tofu is known as a very good source of protein – especially for those who work out and want to live alkaline. Also we have the Brazil nuts which are packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals – and while these are not the most alkaline of the nuts, they are OK in quantities like this.

Tofu Brazil Nut Steam Fry

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp tamari sauce
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
225g block firm tofu, cut into cubes
100g baby corn, halved lengthways
3 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
3-4 tbsp chopped brazil nuts
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp orange rind
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lime

Instructions

Heat a large wok, add a little water and then the leeks and tamari. Steam fry for a few minutes then add the carrots, tofu and sweetcorn. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the celery, brazil nuts, sesame oil and orange rind. Serve immediately on a bed of salad leaves and squeeze over the lime.

For extra zing you can add some chilli and if you like a soy-sauce taste I recommend Bragg Liquid Aminos which you can find at Energise.

About Ross Bridgeford

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

How to Feel Amazing & Look Beautiful!

Ross — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:58:48 +0000

How to Feel Amazing & Look Beautiful!

New Guest Blogger: Denise Kelly!

I am very proud and honoured to introduce you to Denise Kelly who is guest blogging for me at Energise!

Denise is a Nutritionist with a passion and a purpose! She has a private clinic in Chichester, West Sussex and writes programs for many organisations including schools and corporate companies. She teaches within schools about leading a healthy lifestyle and as a Mum of two feels that this kind of education is essential for all children.

She also teaches boot camp sessions to adults and children and is holding several seminars over the next couple of months to spread the message and importance of great health and nutrition.

Denise is a Bant registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and health coach and truly believes in the power of good food. She has seen staggering results in many clients over the last few years fueling her to be involved with more and more large organisations including the NHS.

How to Feel Amazing & Look Beautiful

Happy New Year to everyone! This year is all about making a difference, and making it count. Personally I think the vibe is more energetic this year and people are feeling more hopeful for life in general. Christmas is in the past now, its gone and whatever you ate, drank and did should be celebrated and loved, because if you are feeling overwhelmed by toxins…. today is another day!! Today is the day you could start turning your health around if you haven’t already.

I want to talk about the importance of circulation and how it affects the way you look, feel and the amount of energy you have. Lets be blunt here, if an artery leading to the heart gets clogged there is a chance of a heart attack, or if there is a clogged artery leading to the brain there is a chance of a stroke. This is serious stuff and a situation that we all want to avoid. Our eyes also have tiny capillaries through which the blood brings oxygen and nutrients and when these tiny arteries get blocked our vision becomes worse. This is the same principle all over the body such as our hearing, memory and other cognitive functions. This also affects the rate at which we age, the condition of our hair and nails and ladies, the cellulite on our bottoms!! It is possible to get rid of cellulite, (Yahoo!!) and there are no creams out there that normally cost a small fortune that can banish such fat. There are no quick fixes other than mainly a great alkalizing diet!

What we want to aim for is optimal circulation to keep all the cells in our bodies alive and well nourished. There are many foods that can stimulate and improve circulation such as ginger root, fresh rosemary (this can also be used in massage oil and rubbed on the skin to help improve cellulite) daikon radish, cayenne pepper, garlic and all the wonderful dark green leafy vegetables because of their high chlorophyll content that is so nourishing to the blood.

I was at my parent’s house the other day, and they had the radio 4 on in the background. I realized they were having a discussion about the benefits of taking a daily aspirin and how it was helping people stay cancer free, and how it helps with the circulation and thinning of the blood. AAhhhh!!! Eating greens is a much wiser way of any prevention and helps to maintain great circulation. There are no side effects (such as irritation to the stomach lining, causing the need for more acidic medication) you will strengthen your immune system and keep your liver happy, none of which the aspirin do, in fact they suppress white blood cell activity needed for optimum immunity!!

Alkalizing foods nourish you. They maintain your energy, and they keep you looking youthful and beautiful! Avoiding cooked fats, (vegetable and animal) and all the chemical additives that are so common in processed foods will stop you from clogging up, feeling groggy and aging quicker than you would like.

When you are alkalized and energized there is no end to what you can achieve in 2011!!
—
Denise Kelly runs the site DeniseKelly.co.uk and is a BANT registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and health coach and runs her practice in Chichester, UK.

About Ross Bridgeford

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...