Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Alkaline diet eating grapefruit

Grapefruit are wonderful foods to eat for those of us following an alkaline diet. They contain a decent amount of fiber amounting to about 3 grams per grapefruit. The recommended daily amount (RDA) of dietary fiber for a fully grown man is 38 grams so a eating a grapefruit represents a step on the way to this total. Also these citrus fruits are jammed full of vitamin C and vitamin A. Eating two grapefruit, which is reasonable for breakfast, provides us with double the vitamin C RDA as well as 1 and 1/3 the vitamin A RDA. Two grapefruit would also give us over 5 grams of dietary fiber. Grapefruit are also full of water which is hydrating for our bodies. Finally for the calorie conscious, these fruits are low in calories which may be of interest to people trying to lose or maintain a specific weight.

Grapefruit of course are alkalizing fruits. They have a PRAL value of around - 6. We all know that they are citrus fruits and therefore acidic in their native form however this is not what classifies alkaline foods and acid foods. Instead it is the pH of their "ash" when they have been metabolized by the body. So grapefruits are great to eat because of the nutrition the offer, they taste great and they are alkalizing.

Be careful though if you see something called the grapefruit diet. This is not a healthy lifestyle like the alkaline diet. Instead it is a fast weight loss program that lasts for 12 days. You are supposed to eat 1/2 a grapefruit with every meal for those 12 days. And this is supposed to provide some "fat burning enzyme" that helps people to lose weight. But what happens when they finish the diet? You guessed it, they will just put their weight back on again. This is why I love the alkaline eating philosophy so much. It is not about losing weight or counting calories. It is about taking responsibility for my life and what I eat and trying to eat the most delicious, nutritious and alkalizing food I possibly can. It is a great lifestyle to feel healthy, more energetic, awake and alert. Eating grapefruit definitely makes up a part of my alkaline diet.