The alkaline diet is based on the premise that the body functions best in a slightly alkaline state, and that illness is due to acidity in the body. Proponents of the alkaline diet say that what we eat and drink affects the pH of our bodies, including of the blood. So we need to eat an abundance of alkaline-forming foods (mainly fruits and vegetables), and avoid acid-forming foods (meat, dairy and grains). This is a whole load of nutribollocks that goes beyond just simply eating more vegetables. Blood pH is so tightly controlled because anything more than a slight deviation either way is fatal. No food can compete with the army of enzymes and their pH demands, and no food will be able to alter the pH of your blood.
Health claims for the alkaline diet vary from the relatively benign weight management and reduced acne to cancer. Yes, they went there. They claim to be able to cure cancer. According to the leaders of this movement, cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment, which is clearly bullshit, as if your blood were acidic you’d be dead.
Worrying about the pH of foods is completely unhelpful and unscientific. Many of the foods considered to be ‘acidic’ – such as most grains, beans, nuts, oils and cheese – have wonderful health benefits attached to them, not to mention they can transform the flavour of a dish and make it taste incredible. Hopefully, I’ve achieved that with this next set of recipes, and shown you that just because some of the ingredients are deemed to be ‘acidic’ doesn’t mean you need to avoid them.