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| Eating with the Seasons With the ability to enjoy almost any food, from almost any region, during the most unlikely times of the year, our bodies can be taxed trying to process and digest foods 'out of season', and 'out of region'. A rule of thumb is, if it doesn't grow in the surrounding area, it may not be the easiest for your body to utilize. The second rule of thumb is, if it's out of season, it may be working aginst your bodies natural rhythm. It's hard not to crave the liquid sunshine found in a freshly sliced orange when you live under the perpetually grey Northwest skies. Similarly, once you've tased fresh papaya with a squeeze of lime...it's hard to wait until your next trip to Hawaii. Still, the reasoning is sound. Nature has a deep, coherent, wisdom and the closer we can follow her reasoning, the better. Acid and Alkaline Current research is showing that all inflammatory processes in the body take place in an acid environment. Cancer, arthritis, heart disease all take increase in an acid enviromnet. It is said that cancer can not exist in an alkaline body. You can test your own acid/alkaline balance by using test strips found in any supplement store and most Co-Op grocery stores. Below is a list of foods and their rank, acid or alkaline. This rank is based on a foods tendency to create an acid or alkaline condition in the body, not the pH of the food itself. The foods are listed in order of most alkaline to least alkaline, and lowest acid to highest acid. So in both catagories the foods highest on the list will be most alkaline, with the following foods moving toward more acidic. | |
| Alkaline ------------------------------- Stevia, Maple Syrup Rice Syrup, Raw Honey, Raw Sugar ------------------------------- Lemons, Watermelon, Limes, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Papayas, Dates, Figs, Melond, Grapes, Papaya, kiwi, Blueberries, Apples, Pears, Raisins, Oranges, Bananas ---------------------------------- Asparagus, Onions, Vegetable Juices, Parsley, Raw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic, Okra, Squash, Green Beans, Beets, Celery, Lettuce, Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Cabbage, Peas, Potato Skins, Olives, Soybeans, Tofu ---------------------------------- Almonds, Chestnuts ---------------------------------- Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Canola Oil ---------------------------------- Amaranth, Millet, Wild Rice, Quinoa ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Breast Milk, Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Goat Milk. Goat Cheese, Whey ---------------------------------- Herb Teas, Lemon Water, Green Tea, Ginger Tea ---------------------------------- | | Category ----------------------- Sweetners ----------------------- Fruits ----------------------- Beans Vegetables Legumes ----------------------- Nuts and Seeds ----------------------- Oils ----------------------- Grains/ Cereals ------------------------ Meats ------------------------ Eggs/Dairy ------------------------ Beverages ------------------------ | | Acid ------------------------------- Processed Honey, Molasses, White Sugar, Brown Sugar, NutraSweet, Equal, Aspartame, Sweet 'N Low ------------------------------- Plums, Processed Fruit Juices, Sour Cherries, Rhubarb, Blackberries, Cranberries, Prunes --------------------------------- Cooked Spinach, Kidney Beans, String Beans, Potatoes (without skins), Pinto Beans, Navy Beans, Lima Beans, Chocolate --------------------------------- Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pecans, Cashews, Peanuts, Walnuts --------------------------------- Corn Oil --------------------------------- Sprouted Wheat Bread, Spelt, Brown Rice, White Rice, Corn, Buckwheat, Oats, Rye, Wheat, White Flour, Pastries, Pasta --------------------------------- Venison, Cold Water Fish, Turkey, Chicken, Lamb, Beef, Pork, Shellfish --------------------------------- Eggs, Butter, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Cottage Cheese, Raw Milk, Cheese, Homogenized Milk, Ice Cream --------------------------------- Tea, Coffee, Beer, Soft Drinks --------------------------------- | |
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