We never cease to marvel at the enduring youthfulness of Hollywood celebrities and often attribute it solely to the merits of plastic surgery. However, celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, and Gwyneth Paltrow are not only youthful-looking but also energetic. You can’t stretch youthfulness like skin or correct it with a scalpel — the secret lies elsewhere. The alkaline diet allows these ladies to enjoy vitality and radiate smooth skin.
Victoria Beckham follows the program outlined in the book «Honestly Healthy Alkaline Programme» by London-based chef and nutritionist Natasha Corrett and doctor-nutritionist Vicki Edgson. This book is not just a guide to dieting but a true introduction to a «new way of life.»
The key aspect of this new life philosophy is the so-called alkaline diet, which includes foods that, when consumed, become alkaline-forming in our bodies. It has long been known that the body needs to maintain an acid-alkaline balance. The pH level of the blood should be between 7.35 and 7.45 — this environment can be called alkaline, whereas a healthy stomach maintains an acidic environment.
However, if the balance is disrupted and the acidity of the blood becomes higher than normal, it can lead to serious metabolic disturbances. Nutrients, including micronutrients and minerals, are absorbed less efficiently, mucus production increases, fat reserves accumulate, skin and hair quality deteriorate, and immunity drastically decreases.
Increased blood acidity is a common problem in the modern world. Alkalinity can also increase, but this happens very rarely. Most of the foods we consume are acid-forming. Surprisingly, fitness also contributes to imbalance and increases blood acidity.
The authors of the alkaline diet classify the following as dangerous products: meat, poultry, fish (except for trout and salmon), seafood, all animal fats, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, anything made from flour, white rice, mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, artificial sweeteners, sweets, coffee, carbonated drinks, black tea, and practically all well-known alcoholic beverages.
It seems that we can’t consume anything we all love as food? Then what should we eat? However, as it turns out, the list of alkaline-forming foods is even more impressive. It includes many vegetables, berries, and fruits, including those with an acidic taste, which is quite surprising.
The list of dietary products includes lemons, limes, tomatoes, grapefruits, pomegranates, raw spinach (it becomes acidic when heated), nuts, greens, grains (oats, buckwheat, millet, and quinoa), bananas, raisins, and other dried fruits, fresh ginger, coconut and almond milk, olive, coconut, and flaxseed oil.
Experienced followers of the alkaline diet, such as Victoria Beckham, claim that the benefits of this new lifestyle can be derived only by replacing 80% of their diet with alkaline-forming foods. It’s not necessary to completely exclude acidic products from the diet, but they should not exceed 20%.
However, this is the opinion of the most fanatical adherent of Natasha Corrett’s teachings. Nutrition experts support this method but also claim that it is sufficient for the diet to consist of alkaline-forming foods only two-thirds of the time.
Among scientists and dieticians, there are also skeptics who are not convinced that the contents of the stomach can significantly affect the acid-alkaline balance of our blood. Irina Turchinskaya, a dietician at the Health Center «Premium Club Wellness Daily Live,» even believes that flirting with increased alkalinity can be dangerous for health.
«Oxidative processes occur constantly in the body — that’s how we are designed. Nature has provided a huge number of protective mechanisms that independently maintain the acid-alkaline balance. Therefore, an obvious shift towards alkalizing can be harmful. On the other hand, if you are actively losing weight, many breakdown products are formed in the blood, and alkaline foods can contribute to additional detoxification.»
Turchinskaya believes that it is much more beneficial than switching to alkaline-reacting products to consume half a liter of warm ionized alkaline water daily — it can be obtained at home using alkaline filters. As for the proportion of different types of products, the dietician adheres to the classical theory, which states that the body needs 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins, and 25% fats, not alkaline-forming food.
Another supporter of the alkaline diet is Elle Macpherson. The supermodel claims that her smooth glowing skin is the result of proper nutrition. Elle loves spinach and eats it daily. Although this product is not alkaline-forming, it still has reduced acid-forming properties, which is already good.
Macpherson often opts for wild salmon for lunch and is very cautious about coffee. Since it is a highly acidic beverage, the 50-year-old model allows herself only a small cup of espresso in the morning. Together with her personal dietitian Simona Lobšer, the star even released a special beauty supplement with an alkalizing effect, consisting of 45 components.