Alkaline FoodS
açai berries |
acorn squash |
all fruit spread |
almonds, soaked |
amaranth |
apple juice fresh |
apple sweet |
apricot |
arrowroot |
artichoke |
avocado |
baby spring greens |
bamboo shoots |
banana speckled |
barley soaked |
beans fresh |
beans green string |
beef tea |
beet greens |
beet root |
bitter melon |
black raspberry |
black rice |
bok choy |
boysenberry |
brassica |
breast milk |
broccoli stalks & sprouts |
broccoli rabe |
burdock root |
Brussels sprouts |
buckwheat soaked |
cabbage |
cantaloupe |
cardoon |
carrot |
chard swiss |
cherries |
chestnuts |
chicory |
Chinese peas |
cilantro |
citrus fruits |
coconut |
collard greens |
corn on the cob |
corn salad (neusli) |
cress dry land and water |
cruciform |
cucumber |
currants |
daikon radish |
dandelion greens |
dates dried & fresh |
delicata squash |
drumstick plant |
durian |
edible flowers |
elderberries |
endive |
escarole |
fennel |
figs dried |
figs fresh |
garlic |
globe artichoke |
gobi |
golden delicious apple |
grape |
grapefruit |
greens mustard |
greens collard |
greens leafy |
guava |
Himalayan pink salt |
honeydew |
Jerusalem artichoke |
kale |
kiwi |
kohlrabi |
kumquat |
land cress |
lemons |
lemon juice |
lettuce romaine |
lettuce curly leaf |
lettuce butter |
lettuce oak leaf |
limes |
lime juice |
loquat |
mache lettuce |
mandarins |
mango |
mangostein |
melons, smooth skinned |
milk thistle |
millet soaked sprouted |
mixed wild greens |
mother's milk |
malungai |
mushroom |
mustard greens |
myer lemons |
nasturtium |
nectarines |
nettle |
nettle leaf extract, non-alcoholic |
nettle, stinging |
neusli (mache salad) |
okra |
onions |
oranges |
oregano fresh leaf |
oyster plant |
papaya |
papaya juice fresh |
parsley |
parsnips |
passion fruit |
paw paw |
peach |
pear |
peas green fresh |
persimmons |
pineapple |
pomegranate |
pomelo |
potatoes sweet |
potatoes sweet Okinawan |
potatoes sweet jewel |
pumpkin |
quince |
quinoa soaked or sprouted |
radish |
radish sprouts |
raspberry |
raw fresh picked in season produce |
red rice |
romaine lettuce |
rose hips |
rutabagas |
saffron tea |
salsify |
sapote |
snow peas |
soba |
sorrel |
spelt soaked |
spinach |
sprouted grains |
sprouts broccoli |
sprouts lentil |
sprouts radish |
sprouts spelt |
squash hard shell |
squash winter |
squash summer |
sunchokes |
swedes |
sweet potato |
swiss chard |
tapioca flour |
tangerines |
taro |
thyme |
tupelo honey |
turmeric |
turnip |
turnip greens |
ugli fruit |
veronica tea |
water chestnut |
watercress |
watermelon |
wheat grass juice |
spelt grass juice |
barley grass juice |
wild rice |
yams |
yellow squash |
crocked neck squash |
zucchini |
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Some Alkaline foods that are LOW PHOSPHORUS & LOW POTASSIUM
apples |
bean sprouts |
beans green & wax |
beets |
blackberry |
boysenberry |
cabbage |
carrots |
cauliflower |
cherries |
cucumber |
gooseberry |
grapes |
kiwi |
lemon |
lettuce, romaine |
mandarin oranges |
clementines |
mixed vegetables |
okra |
onions |
parsley |
pears |
pineapple |
radish |
raspberries |
rutabagas |
squash |
summer squash |
tangerines |
watermelon |
zucchini |
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ALKALINE VEGETABLES - Cruciform
Vegetables- USEFUL
Alkaline foods are most fruits and vegetables. Acids foods are most animal proteins. Generally, the sweeter a food tastes raw, freshly picked, in season, the more alkaline it is.
a bit more detail on foods
BROCCOLI,
CABBAGE, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, RUTABAGA, CAULIFLOWER These are all alkaline
and highly beneficial for the body, particularly the kidneys and liver. Cut
back on these about two weeks before any anticipated surgery for they are
high in vitamin K, a clotting factor. I eliminated these from my diet two
weeks before my liver resection. I also stopped ginger root and vitamin E,
both which can cause an increase in bleeding. All are high in calcium and contain all the
essential amino acids. Vegetable protein sources create lactic acid which
is easily neutralized by the lungs through breathing. If you have thyroid
problems, these vegetable family are to be avoided. Cruciform vegetables are loaded with DIMs, an effective agent for lowering our risk for developing cancers. It was calculated that we would have to eat about 2 pounds of these vegetables every week to receive this therapeutic effect. This can be easily accomplished by drinking cabbage juice daily. To juice a quarter of a cabbage, I first juice an apple. I do not clean the juicer. I juice the cabbage and throw in about 7 almonds. I drink the cabbage juice down followed by the apple juice chaser. If this is not appealing to you, then you can try broccoli sprouts rolled in a corn tortilla with a slice of avocado. To release their digestion, take the sprouts with an acidophilus tablet. New Chapter vitamins makes BroccoLive® Plus a tablet of compressed cruciform sprouts
BROCCOLI. This is
an especially useful vegetable when ones kidneys have taken a sudden downward
turn. The vitamin K in broccoli is a powerhouse nutrient for aiding ailing
kidneys. I ate broccoli three times a day for two weeks. I coupled this broccoli
binge by drinking seven full glasses of mineral water daily. Broccoli is a
potent anti-oxidant and helps to flush out an overabundance of acids from
the body system, especially uric acid and oxalic acid. This aids the kidneys
further in completing its job of purifying the internal body. I ate it raw. I ate it cooked. I made it into
a pie. I ate it puréed into a soup.
CABBAGE
This is my favorite vegetable, not for its taste but because it makes me feel
so good when I drink it juiced. It is highly alkaline. It is the vegetable
highest in the element called boron. Boron is super for maintaining bone strength.
Cabbage relieves kidney and liver pain by activating the body's natural endorphins.
I take about an inch wedge of cabbage and juice it with 5 almonds. Cabbage
contains a cancer-fighting phytochemical called indole-3-carbinol. One cup
of cooked cabbage delivers 100 mg of this ingredient.
Cabbage makes a lovely addition to a garden, blooming like a giant green rose
coming up from inside the earth. Even more gorgeous to behold is a purple
cabbage unfolding amongst the flowers. Cabbage contains high amounts of vitamin
C, mostly concentrated in the core of the plant. This Vitamin C is not destroyed
in storage, by moderate cooking or in the making of sauerkraut. Garlic, carrots,
the cabbage family and some other vegetables contain sulphuranes which expel
worms and intestinal parasites. Cabbage maintains the integrity of DNA, very
important for PKD'rs due to the second hit theorythat there are things
in the environment which alter DNA and cause cells to mutate beginning the
process of cyst formation. Cabbage will keep the endocrine system stimulated.
It makes carbonates more useful to mix with minerals and vitamins in the body
processes. The most important buffer pair in the extracellular fluid is the
bicarbonate -carbonic acid pair. There are two other extracellular buffers
that contribute to bufferingthese are inorganic phosphates and plasma
proteins. Cabbage juice aids this process. Cabbage increases the metabolism
of estrogen. Excess hormone of any kind triggers liver cyst growth. Daily cabbage juice seems to keep my hair its natural color and diminishes gray.
KALE
This vegetable is the second highest in boron. It is very high in calcium.
All raw leafy vegetables are very alkaline. A few have tried kale leaves and grapes juiced together to be a refreshing drink.
RUTABAGAS
I roast rutabagas along with other root vegetables, sometimes reserving their juices by wrapping root vegetables in patypar paper.
RADISH usefulwash about five a day and just munch these. Highly beneficial for the kidneys.
These also keep the thyroid functioning optimally. Radish sprouts are a great addition to salads giving it a bit of zest.
JERUSALEM
ARTICHOKES, SUNCHOKES useful Have one, once a week. I sometimes have them raw or baked like potato, highly
beneficial for the kidneys. They contain inulin that is very good for the body.
I have planted them in the garden. They are easy to grow and shoot up like weeds. A beautiful
golden sunflower reaches for the sky. When the flowers die back, dig the roots, scrub well, and eat. These were among the first root crops shown to the first English
settlers by the Native American Indian tribes along the East Coast of North America.
SPINACH useful Spinach-apple
juice is a great intestinal cleanser. Stick close to a bathroom the day you
drink this juice. It does not cause any cramping but cleans similar to a scrubby, pulling debris from the intestinal walls so it can be easily evacuated.
Spinach is high in oxalates. Careful, in some this may cause a slight arthritis
of the gouty variety. Others have reported that eating spinach can cause an
increase in kidney stone formation. I have noticed that when I drink raw spinach
juiced with apples, my great toe sometimes tends to ache; a symptom of gout that uric acid crystals have formed. Spinach is high in oxalates, especially if it not organic spinach.
PARSNIPS useful steam these or roast in parchment paper and drizzle with the sauce that has
formed.
TURNIPS useful make these into tians, steam them, make them into a soup with turnip greens
floating in the top. I have turnips several times a week.
BEETS useful These are great for the liver. I have a recipe for Beets that is fabulous.
Steam about 4 beets so they are soft. Allow to cool. Slice into cubes.
Core and cube 2 apples. Chop 1/3 of an onion. Toss together and squeeze
lemon juice over all. Bake in the oven for about an hour until the
flavors totally meld. Raw beets are problem for some individuals.
GARLIC,
ONIONS, GLOBE ARTICHOKES, PARSLEY- useful Garlic, onions, and parsley
are three foods which help lower blood pressure.
ARTICHOKES USEFUL Artichokes taste very nice
and help with a cystic liver.
ASPRAGUSUSEFUL Asparagus is useful for clearing old toxins Please note that asparagus
has often been thought of as an acidic vegetable. Each year during the fresh
asparagus season, my urine pH changes to a pH of 5.5 from eating bunches
of newly grown spring asparagus. The reason for this change is the alkaline
asparagus releases long standing acids from within the body. This takes place
even if I am sure to flush the body by drinking 2-3 liters of water daily. Eating
asparagus will keep the body in an acidic range due to its potent alkalizing
effect. This can be balanced by taking a dropperful of nettle extract in a cup
of warm water or by drinking some extra lemon water or orange juice or cabbage
juice. Listed as alkaline though it will make urine acidic.
ALKALINE NUTSuseful
CHESTNUTS useful In November many trees throughout Southwest Virginia have an abundance of chestnuts.
Some individuals eat these raw. I prefer them roasted or boiled. Before the
potato was brought over to Europe, chestnuts were a valued staple food. Chestnuts
are healing for the liver. It is a nice treat to eat warmed chestnuts roasted
over coals. They are one of the nuts considered alkaline. Chestnuts sauteed
with pearl onions is a valuable addition to a winter meal. The Italians grind
chestnuts into a meal or a flour and use it as an addition to festival cakes.
ALMONDS - USEFUL Another nut which is alkaline producing. I soak these in boiling
water. The skins will slip easily off. Then I soak almonds overnight to rid
them of phytic acid. These can be blended with spring water to produce almond
milk, a very nice replacement for cow's milk. I mix one cup of soaked almonds
with three cups of mineral water. Put it into a high speed blender. Then I
strain this through a double layer of cheese cloth, pulling the corners together
and squeezing the remaining meal. Almond milk made by this method will keep
in the refrigerator about three days.
COCONUTS usefulAn alkaline nut. I have this raw and shredded over tropical fruit
salad. I am now living in Hawaii, twice weekly I go to the farmer's market
and have a cold refreshing young coconut drink. The end is sliced open; I
dip in my straw made from a hibiscus plant, and drink. Once the liquid is
finished, I bring it back to the vendor who slices it open and fashions a
spoon for me from the coconut husk and it this soft spoon meat from inside
that I really enjoy. It is very soft coconut meat, much softer than a mature
coconut. I use coconut milk for flavoring curries and for making smoothies.
The water within the coconut is said to be similar to the electrolyte balance
of human serum and was often used in the tropics to treat cholera epidemics
in children.
ALKALINE
FRUITSeaten twenty minutes
before each meal gives the body the benefit of some natural digestive enzymes.
If dessert is fresh fruit, I really do enjoy having dessert before a meal.
LEMONS USEFUL This is another highly alkaline great pain reliever! I
have two of these juiced each morning then wait 20 minutes before having anything
else. Great cleanser for the liver and helps to keep the kidneys supplied with
alkaline minerals. If you are experiencing
the pain of kidney stones, it is said that alternating lemon juice and apple
juice, freshly squeezed, will help to alleviate the pain. If you are having
kidney stones ask your doctor if potassium citrate would be of benefit to
prevent future attacks. For a hot lemon drink
I will juice a half a lemon and add a full teaspoon of tupelo honey. Stir
with a wire whisk and heat together slightly to dissolve the honey, otherwise
the honey sticks to the bottom of the cup.
APPLEUSEFUL Use sweet golden delicious or gala apples for juice.
For a refreshing lemonade, juice two apples along with a half a lemon; pour
over crushed ice! Apples are highly alkaline if sweet. Here's a recipe for
a drink known as BLOOD: Juice 1/6 of a beet juiced, 1/2 lime juiced, 2 pounds
apple and a very small piece of ginger, chill and drink This is great
alkalizer, liver cleanser, and purifier. It reminds some of pink lemonade.
ORANGE USEFUL Oranges are one the super-alkaline
foods and will easily assist in the transition toward alkalinity. High in potassium.
PEARUSEFUL Pears are delicious alone by themselves or in a salad
with a few roasted almonds tossed with baby greens in a salad for lunch. Highly
alkaline.
BANANA USEFUL Be careful with these if you must watch your potassium. If they are speckled,
they are alkaline, if green they are acid forming. I have these for breakfast
every day. Mosquito's like to bite people who have just eaten bananas.
KIWI USEFUL Very alkaline when sweet, ripe and in season.
MANGO USEFUL alkaline. When not in season they are picked green and sprayed with ether
gas to ripen during transport. The season for these in India, Philippines, Mexico,
Florida, Hawaii is May, June.
GRAPEFRUIT USEFUL Highly alkaline Grapefruit can alter the absorption of certain medications,
among them immunosuppressive drugs. Tell your doctor that you eat grapefruit. Check if you are taking any
medications whose action will be diminished by eating grapefruit.
PAPAYA USEFUL I really enjoy these too. These are always in season.
It is the enzyme papain in papaya which breaks down meat. It is found in meat
tenderizers. This helps to digest proteins. Eaten when sweet and ripe they
are highly alkaline. The green papaya is cooked as a vegetable in the Philippines
and eaten with malungai leaves from the drumstick plant.
PINEAPPLE USEFUL Contains bromelain, very good for helping to detoxify
a heavy protein meal; it has strong anti-inflammatory qualities. If you have
ever mistakenly marinated beef in pineapple overnight, do not be surprised
if by morning that meat has attained the consistency of chopped liver, so
strong is the enzymatic action of pineapple.
Bromelain helps to
digest proteins. It is useful in relieving joint pains. When one ingests too
many acidic foods such as animal proteins, the bromelain helps to dissolve
the crystals formed from this process. In this way, it relieves joint and
back pains. Pineapple alone also contains very potent anti-inflammatories.
A surgeon had a patient
who had a bezoar, a sort of a hair ball of undigested food stuffs that sits
in the stomach. It had to be surgically removed. This person did not want
surgery, so this innovative surgeon placed the person on pineapple and papaya
juice for a week. This dissolved the bezoar without the need for surgery!
Bromelain is such a good proteolytic agent that there is a caution on packages
of gelatin to be sure and not use fresh pineapple for it will dissolve the
protein of the gelatin.
NIGHTSHADE
VEGETABLES AVOID
TOMATOES, POTATOES, PEPPERS, EGGPLANT, BELLADONNA, & TOBACCO
These increase purines, uric acid, solanine, and oxalates. Eggplant
(aubergine) and tomatoes have teeny tiny seeds. Many of us PKD'rs
get diverticuli, (little outpouchings of the intestinal wall) and
the indigestible seeds can get stuck in these outpouchings and cause
pain, inflammation, and infection. These vegetables release solanine
which interferes with calcium absorption. With a rise in phosphorus,
calcium sometimes diminishes as the kidneys begin to lose their
functioning. If you choose to eat these vegetables, try them fresh
from the garden, in season, and not from a can, bottle, or frozen
and no more frequently than once a week.
POTATOES are high
in solanine. Solanine creates acids within the body. Potatoes, high in potassium. Potassium is sometimes restricted as one approaches the need for dialysis. If you really love potatoes
then perhaps no more often than once a week have one roasted with the skin.
I used to eat only the potato skins. I never enjoyed the white fleshy part
of the potato, only the crispy dried baked skins. Potato skins are known to
be very high in magnesium and manganese, both nutrients are said to
be essential to keep ones hair its natural color and to also help maintain
a full head of hair. When potatoes are fried the heated oil becomes altered
chemically and causes a depleting the body's antioxidants and Vitamin E. If
one is interested in gaining weight then eating a potato with a protein such
as meat will facilitate this. It has to do with different digestive enzymes
released by the body in response to different things eaten. Before the early
settlers came to the Americas, the nightshades never existed for Europe. Germans
often roasted chestnuts to enjoy with game foods. The sunchoke is very healthy,
easy to grow, and a delicious substitute for potatoes. The sunchoke provides
inulin, a carbohydrate, that is beneficial for the pancreas, livers and kidneys.
Another useful vegetable are turnips, truly wonderful with lamb. I peel the
turnips, then soak them in a bowl with lemon juice and ice, while I finish
peeling all the turnips. This adds to the flavor so when they are steamed,
they taste delicious. The sweet potato and yams are both high in B vitamins
something we are oftentimes low in with PKD. Sweet potatoes, yams, and winter
squash are all healthy substitutes for the potato.
TOBACCO There are several articles on tobacco's effect of speeding
up end stage renal disease of PKD. Smoking while on dialysis lessens the life of the shunt. Tobacco causes lung cancer.
BELLADONNA drops are used for infants to lessen diarrhea episodes. Its
name is derived from medieval women using it to create a beautiful sparkle to their eyes.
PEPPERS chili peppers increase the body's circulation. Occasionally I will have a
fresh chili pepper from the garden. I especially craved these following
my liver resection. I needed to coax my body to lay down new blood
vessels for my remaining liver remnant.
EGGPLANT I have not found a way to remove all the little seeds. These can
become lodged in diverticuli, a common finding with PKD. So I just leave
the moussaka aside and try something else on the menu.
TOMATOES I grew these in my first garden. I have avoided
all nightshades. In addition to being high in solanine and oxalates, they
cause my joints to ache. I am much healthier and pain free since I have
stopped the nightshade plants.
SOME OTHER THINGS TO AVOID
CELERY AVOID can cause kidney cysts to enlarge. Celery is
the number one vegetable filled with pesticides and herbicides; it is prone to retain pesticide sprays.
STARFRUIT–AVOID There are recent reports of neurological symptoms from individuals with
kidney disease who ate starfruit.
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