Alkalinizing your body (aka: Boycott the SAD!(Standard American Diet))

I recently learned from my mom that we should be trying to eat more alkaline foods in order to prevent disease. I can't believe I didn't know anything about this before. 

So what's this all about and how do we do it? 

There are many articles online, but I liked the explanation in this one: http://www.naturalnews.com/038274_alkaline_foods_improved_health_conscious_eating.html

To sum it up: Our blood needs to stay slightly alkaline or else we will die. However, the standard American diet is highly acidic. So if we are not consuming enough alkaline foods, our bodies will draw nutrients from our own stores in our bones and vital organs, thus making us sick with osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.

It is important to note that we are not talking about the pH of the actual food. We're talking about whether that food, when ingested, creates a more acidic or alkaline environment in our bodies. So, for example, although lemons are very acidic, they are highly alkalinizing for our bodies. And although we think of brown rice and oatmeal as healthy, they are actually acidic. Of course, that doesn't mean we should never eat those foods! It's all about balance. But since most of us aren't getting enough alkaline foods, we should focus on increasing those foods in our diets.

And what's at the top of the list for highly alkaline foods? 

SURPRISE! Leafy greens! (Spinach, collards, kale, chard, etc) And other vegetables and fruits.

And what are the most acidic foods? 

SURPRISE! Dairy, meat, artificial sweetener, fast/processed foods, partially hydrogenated fats, soda & energy drinks, sugars, MSG, etc...

Here's a chart where you can find the pH of foods: 
http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/acid_alkaline_food_chart.html 

Here are some more charts:
http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm#ash 

It is interesting to note that most nuts are acidic (almonds and Brazil nuts are the most alkaline), as well as most grains. Most vegetables are alkaline, and the fruits that are the most alkaline are: avocado, tomato, lemon, lime....

Isn't everything starting to make sense now? 

We've known for ages that we should eat our greens. Now it seems each new study confirms that over and over again. And everyone seems to be in denial that the standard American diet of meat, dairy, lots of sugar and fat from processed foods, could possibly be "that bad" for us. It's totally accepted to eat fast food, cook up some meat for dinner (with a breakfast of bacon & eggs and a pepperoni pizza for lunch).  Look around- everyone's addicted to sugar.  People bring sugary desserts to social functions because they satisfy their cravings and make them feel good. I don't think we even need to mention how this applies to alcohol.

It's time to take control of our health and not rely on our society to do that for us (or the medical industry, for that matter, who make money from our health problems). I personally don't want to be one of the many people in pain my whole life suffering from a chronic illness, because I chose to ignore this and continued eating a "normal" and totally accepted diet of...well, let's just call it what it is...poison!

Now, who's with me???