If you want to adopt an alkaline diet, you must carefully adjust your meals to help your body adjust to changes slowly but surely in the building of a healthy body. Again, remember that small changes go a long way. 

First you should begin by reducing then eliminating all acid-forming foods  - the typical American diet, which is far too high in animal products (such as meat, eggs, dairy),  coffee, white bread, white sugar, fried and processed foods.  When you eat all these toxic, acid-waste producing foods you create an acidic internal environment inside your body. Our typical diets are far too low in healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy oils, good fats, whole grains, nuts and sprouts.

Here's a list of suggestions to start you on the road to alkalinity:

1. Reduce the consumption of sugar and products made from sugar, including soda pop, pies, ice cream, jell-o, jams & jellies, artificial juices, puddings, doughnuts, corn syrups, chewing gum, sweetened drinks, cookies, breakfast cereals, liqueurs, mixed drinks.  Replace it with healthy sugar choices as Stevia for example. Try eating low sugar fruits and vegetables, including rhubarb, berries, watermelon, tomatoes, apricots, grapefruit, guava, lemons and limes, oranges, plums, raspberries, tangerines and kiwis.

2. Reduce processed foods and condiments - ketchup, salad dressings, pickles, luncheon meats, canned fruits, breads, relish, cheese dips, peanut butter, prepared seafood, frozen vegetables, crackers, canned soups, hot dogs, sausages, sweetened yogurt.

3. Reduce cooking and heating foods and drinks in a microwave.

4.  Reduce dairy, meats, fried foods and fast foods.

5. See that at least one meal a day consists of fresh raw salad (green leafy vegetables are a good source of many vitamins and minerals your body needs and also a great source of fiber).  The darker the vegetable, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has.  Here's a short list of green leafy vegetables:

• Collard greens (rich in vitamin A and calcium)
• Kale (a little bitter, but rich in vitamin A, C, calcium, folic acid and potassium)
• Spinach - my favorite!  You can buy it read to eat and add it to your salads,or make it all with spinach.  Rich in vitamin A, C, iron and calcium.
• Swiss chard is similar to spinach - good in salads!   Eat it raw to get the full benefits.

6. Sprouted grains such as millet, spelt, quinoa and buckwheat are important in maintaining the alkaline balance in your body.  These are great sources for vitamins,  minerals, folic acid, fiber, carbohydrates, antioxidants and phytoestrogens.  Grains should be about 20% of your diet.

7. Last but not least, don't forget to hydrate your body!  Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of good quality water each day.  Add liquid minerals to increase the quality of the water.