Fruits & Vegetables

According to Health Canada, four out of five Canadians risk developing cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a plethora of other health issues as a result of unhealthy eating. And the cause of obesity and other chronic conditions can be linked directly to poor eating habits.

Acidic or Alkaline?

What it Means and Why it Matters

Balance is an important concept. When it comes to the body, balance is what helps our bodies function properly. For example, we know that when the body works hard it must also get sufficient rest. When the body inhales, it must also exhale. When the body consumes calories, it needs to burn them as well. And we know that since the body is able to produce toxins, it must also be capable of eliminating them.

Every component of the body can be categorized as either alkaline or acidic. Having equal amounts of acids and alkaline will define what is meant by the term, pH balance.

Acids and alkaline substances are interesting in that their characteristics oppose each other and complement each other, often at the same time. A healthy body must have a balance of acids and alkaline. Getting the proper balance isn’t that difficult for those who eat a nutritionally-balanced diet. Unfortunately, most people don’t do this. When pH levels inside the body are not in balance, a number of health issues can result. (AST International)

Whether or not a substance is classified as an ACID has to do with what happens when the substance dissolves in water. If the substance releases hydrogen ions, it is considered acid. The number of hydrogen ions that are released is what determines whether a substance is more acid or less.

An ALKALINE is good for alleviating anything acidic in the body. As with acids, taste should not be relied upon to determine alkalinity. You’d never think of white sugar or bread as acids but in fact neither is considered an alkaline. It is not until the body begins to digest and utilize these foods that their acids are released.

People vary, but for most the ideal diet is 80% alkalizing and 20% acidifying foods by volume.

What About Fruit Juice?

Diabetics are often cautioned to EAT their fruit rather than drink its juice. Why? The fibre and nutrients in fruit flesh and/or pulp adds to the nutritional value and it is helpful for good elimination. According to Canada's Food Guide (updated 2018), a serving of fruit juice is 1/2 cup, while a serving of fruit is 1 whole piece.

Drinking a glass of fruit juice doubles up the amount of sugar consumed because in order to collect an 8-ounce glass of juice, several pieces of fruit would be used to extract that much juice. Imagine eating 3-4 applies at a time? That's not likely to happen. Yet, drinking a full glass of apple juice could give you the same amount of sugar in that many fruit pieces. Be mindful of how much sugar is in the juice you are drinking. Check the sugar content on your juice container and pour a glass of juice according to how much sugar you want to consume.

Also, not all fruits contain the same amount of fructose (sugar). Bananas for example, are high in sugar. You might be surprised to know that 1/2 a large banana is considered to be one whole fruit serving. And of course, bananas do not come in one size!