Why do we eat? Yes, it’s a real question. And there are many answers. We eat to satisfy hunger. We eat to remain healthy. We eat because we like food or certain foods. We eat for comfort. Now we can add to these answers: We eat to detoxify our body. Strange? Not really.

In my last blog, I discussed how the human body has a built-in detoxifying system that is so efficient and effective that there is no real need for us to invest routinely or occasionally in detoxifying products. Instead, says Harvard Health, if you’re generally healthy, you should “concentrate on giving your body what it needs to maintain its robust self-cleaning system—a healthful diet, adequate fluid intake, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and all recommended medical check-ups.”

So what kind of diet supports our body’s self-cleaning system? According to Dr. Don Colbert, in his book The Seven Pillars of Health, the diet that helps the “body’s waste management system…take out the toxic trash on a daily basis, not once a week,” is the alkalinizing diet. The alkalinizing diet is rich in filtered, clean water (alkaline water) and “fresh organic fruits and vegetables (alkaline-forming foods).”

Why alkaline water and why alkaline-forming foods? Dr. Colbert explains that “cells thrive in an alkaline environment, whereas acidic foods cause the body to slow this process.” Alkaline water makes it easier for the liver and kidneys to do their work and gets the colon working as it should.

Let’s look first at alkaline water or alkaline ionized water (AIW).

Alkaline Ionized Water (AIW)

Alkaline water is ionized water to achieve a pH above 7.0. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline; a pH below 7.0 is acidic. Some health professionals argue that alkaline water is an essential ingredient in detoxifying the body because it can neutralize acid in a person’s blood and so provide a health benefit. But the Mayo Clinic states that more research is needed to confirm the claims that alkaline water is better overall for the body than tap water. A systematic review of the relationship between alkaline water and cancer prevention and treatment, for example, found no evidence one way or the other. However, a study on the potential benefits of alkaline ionized water by researchers in Korea found that “supplementation of AIW improves the health of digestive tract, alleviates the severity of diseases in vivo, and improved body condition of aged subjects.” This study also acknowledged that more studies are needed to determine alkaline water’s “broad effect on health status improvement.”

So, is this call to drink alkaline water only hype? Well, here is what we know with certainty. Every cell, tissue and organ in the body needs water to work properly. Water gets rid of waste through urination, perspiration and bowel movements. Drinking pure water is but one of the ways to give our body the water it needs for these tasks. The body gets water from other liquids, such as milk, juice and herbal teas. The body also gets water from certain foods. Therefore, if we are concerned about obtaining the best water to support our waste management system, we have to pay attention not only to all the liquids we consume but to the foods we eat as well.  About 20 percent of our daily fluid intake comes from foods.

Let’s look now at alkalinizing foods.

Detoxifying Foods Alkalinizing Foods

Detoxifying foods are alkalinizing foods. Says Dr. Colbert, alkalinizing foods “help to raise the pH of the tissues, enabling the body to release more toxins.” Acidic-forming foods, on the other hand, slow down the body’s elimination process. They include meat, fish, poultry, chicken eggs, most grains, legumes, and especially desserts, processed foods, and fast foods.

Here are several kinds of fruits, vegetables and spices that support the body’s self-cleaning work. They were selected primarily because they are alkaline-forming but some of them also have the benefit of being high in fiber. Dietary fiber feeds the growth of beneficial microbes (including bacteria, fungi, yeasts) in the digestive tract. These microbes are important to gut barrier function, for example, which “protects your key detox organs from the spread of bacteria that stimulate inflammation. That allows your liver and kidneys to focus on metabolism and detoxification.”

Fruits: fresh and organic, juiced

Apples

Apricot

Avocado

Banana

Berries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries, sour

Coconut, fresh

Cranberries

Currants

Dates, dried

Figs, dried

Grapes

Grapefruit

Honeydew melon, Muskmelons, Watermelon

Lemon, Lime

Nectarine, Orange, Tangerine

Peach

Pear

Tomato

Tropical fruits

Vegetables

Alfalfa

Barley grass

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chlorella

Collard greens

Cucumber

Eggplant

Garlic

Green beans, green peas

Kale

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard greens

Nightshade veggies

Onions

Peas

Peppers

Pumpkin

Radishes

Rutabaga

Spinach green

Sprouts

Sweet potatoes

Tomatoes

Watercress

Wild greens

Wheat grass

Grains

Millet

Nuts

Almonds

Chestnuts

Sweeteners

Stevia

Spices and Seasonings

Chili pepper

Cinnamon

Curry

Ginger

Herbs (all)

Mustard

Sea salt

Other

Apple cider vinegar

Duck eggs

Fresh, squeezed fruit juice

Ghee (clarified butter)

Green juices

Mineral Water

Quail eggs

Soured dairy products

Veggie juices

Minerals

Calcium: pH 12

Cesium: pH 14

Magnesium: pH 9

Potassium: pH 14

Remember, a healthful diet and adequate fluid intake are just two of the activities we must focus on in order to maintain our body’s detoxing system. We must also engage in regular exercise (and work up a sweat), get enough sleep, and keep up with our medical check-ups.