What's the Deal with Alkaline Water?

A shopper asked me "What's the deal with alkaline water?" while I was volunteering at my local food co-op this week. This is what I told her...

      We learned about acids & bases in science & chem class, but we rarely apply that knowledge to real life. Most of the water we drink out of our faucets and water bottles is either acidic or neutral(I've tested both using PH strips). Illness thrives & persists in acidic environments, so it's important to off-set our acid intake with basic substances. There's an entire alkaline diet that's worth looking into(just google an alkaline/acidic food chart to learn more!), but here's a quick run-down to get you started: 

      A substance that is acidic will not necessarily make your body acidic. Sometimes acidic substances enter the body and turn alkaline when they interact with the components of our digestive track; lemons, for example. Lemons are acidic, but they alkalize when we ingest them. Coffee, on the other hand, is acidic and it stays acidic when entering the body. In your grocery store aisles, you can find a number of high PH water options. Along with a higher PH comes a higher price tag. The health & wellness industry is a huge market with often inflated prices. The industry takes advantage of the fact that those who are concerned with their health are willing to pay more for quality goods. 

      Luckily, there are cheaper alternatives to buying plastic water bottles labeled "PH 9.5+": just add fresh lemon or baking soda to your regular, filtered water. Just 1/2 tsp of baking soda will do the trick and I can't even taste the difference. If you're not big on the taste, squeezing a lemon in your water or throwing a few slices in to marinate throughout the day might be a better method for you. 

A few other tips: 

-Your body has to warm up cold water when you drink it, so warm or room temp water is best because it's already the right temperature. I use a glass bottle with filtered, spring water(pictured above). While I encourage you to do some research for yourself, here are a few examples of food & drinks that create alkaline versus acidic environments inside the body:

Alkaline: Herbal teas, watermelons, greens(especially spinach & kale), olive oil, garlic, onions, mangoes, avocados, apples, almonds, green tea. 

Acidic: processed foods, blueberries, dairy, beer, soda, sugar, wheat, flower, peanuts, coffee. 

      This is not to say that you should take all acids out of your diet. A healthy body is in the neutral range, so it's more important to off-set your acidic intake with alkaline foods and drinks! If you drink coffee daily, it's a good practice to have a glass of lemon water to neutralize. If you eat processed foods and drink beer, you should consider adding some greens and green tea to that diet of yours! Boost your PH!