The alkaline diet advocates eating alkaline and acid foods in a ratio of 4:1. According to advocates of the diet, this promotes the best pH balance within the body.

Having followed this dietary protocol for two months I certainly agree that it benefits overall health and well being. The alkaline diet is very close to what most people would simply regard as a healthy diet. The acid/alkaline terminology is one possible explanation as to why increasing alkaline foods in our diet is a good thing.

There is contradictory information regarding what is and isn’t an acid food. It may not be 100% accurate to believe that all fruit and vegetables are alkaline foods while almost everything else is an acid food. However it is a straight forward guideline to follow. The alkaline diet is not specifically a vegetarian or vegan diet. It simply advocates increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in our diet.

Eating an alkaline breakfast is an excellent way to start the day getting plenty of nutrition as well as giving your body an alkaline boost. If we take our definition of alkaline foods to be fruit and vegetables, an alkaline breakfast is a breakfast loaded with fruit and veg.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 report recommends 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. An alkaline breakfast puts you well on your way to reaching this target. 9 servings may seem like quite a high number. When I started my alkaline diet, my aim was 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. The best way in my opinion to greatly increase your consumption is to make your own fruit and vegetable juices. Two juices a day with a minimum of 3 pieces of fruit and vegetables gives you a minimum of 6 servings. Then it’s easy to reach double figures with a couple of bits of fruit and some vegetables at meal times.

Here are a few examples of alkaline breakfasts:

• Carrot (3) and ginger juice followed by a banana or two.
• Grapefruit (1 or 2) and a large glass of water.
• Apple (1 or 2), spinach (20+ stalks) and ginger juice with scrambled egg whites.

Even without a fruit and vegetable juicer it is easy to eat an alkaline breakfast. One option is to grate a couple of carrots and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

As a transition to an alkaline diet, starting with just one meal is an easy way to go. I started with breakfast and as I began to feel the benefits, particularly in my energy levels, I gradually increased the amount of fruit and vegetables in my other meals.

If you are keen to eat more healthily and improve your physical well being, from personal experience, I recommend starting the day with an alkaline breakfast.