OK, in reality it was soy Chai latte, but chocolate monkey rooibos (ROY-bus) is a lot more fun to say.
When I endeavored to overcome my morning caffeine/sugar addiction, it was simply because it felt like the right thing to do. But that simple change set off a complete dietary shift for me (and my occasionally grumpy children). This post will touch on pH, potential of hydrogen, and how critical a slightly alkaline pH level is for optimum health.
Kris Carr explains it well in Crazy Sexy Diet: Remember our little pH lesson? Healthy cells love oxygen; cancer cells don’t. Their clunky anaerobic metabolism produces a lot less energy. So to stay alive, cancer cells need a bigger fuel supply. What’s the best way to get quick fuel? Sugars and carbs.
A few months ago — as I began to get deeper into my yoga practice — my morning routine started feeling out of sync. For years I prepared a lovely Americano (dense, caramelly sweet espresso shots and hot water) with an inch or so of steamed half & half, nonfat milk, or almond milk and one pump of Starbucks Toffee Nut syrup. I savored my morning Americano, and a massive headache would kick in if not for the daily dose.
But as my yoga practice was helping clear the clutter in my mind, a renewed desire to keep my body clean and balanced led me to re-examine some bad habits. The morning dose of very acidic, dehydrating, and sweetened Starbucks had to go. One vice at a time.
Soy chai latte took its place, not ideal as it is a black tea and just below coffee on the acidity level. But I was on my way! At home I’d use almond milk instead of soy (wish Starbucks would offer almond milk), and began to try more alkaline alternatives. My local health food store and Fresh Market offered some: Yerba Mate, Chocolate Yerba Mate, and Ayurvedic Raja’s Cup. A visit to The Whistling Kettle after a hot warrior yoga class opened my eyes to the health and flavor benefits of loose tea. I came home with the Chocolate Monkey Rooibos, Functional Flu Fighter, and my favorite, Scottish Caramel Toffee Puerh.
I’m working on a guide to making Crazy Sexy Diet work for you (read: mother, father, single, super-busy, lacking a trust fund or personal chef). In the meantime, Ross Bridgeford provides 5 Easy Steps to an Alkaline Diet — excellent — as a guest blogger on Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Life. Bridgeford is the co-founder of Energise for Life, the world’s largest alkaline diet website. He’s known as “The Alkaline Diet Guy’” after writing over 600 articles and 100 videos on living with health, vitality and alkalinity.
You can print out Bridgeford’s At-A-Glance acid/alkaline food lists from his website, handy to post on your fridge or bring to the market until they become ingrained in your psyche. 🙂
Remember, too, that it’s the aiming toward balance that’s important. We can get maniacal about food; I’m shooting for crazy happy feeling good. Be as balanced as you can. Be well!
Related articles
- Rooibos Masala Chai (ujuyoga.wordpress.com)
- Testing Your pH and……………. The Foods You Eat (thomashyndman.wordpress.com)
