Acidic and alkaline (basic) are two terms to describe chemicals. They are measured on a scale called a pH scale, which measures how acidic or basic a substance is. Technically, pH is the measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in something. Solutions with a high concentration of hydrogen ions have a low pH (alkaline) and solutions with a low concentration of hydrogen ions have a high pH (acidic). The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, 0 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. In terms of any substance, or the food we eat, acidic foods range from 0 to 7 and alkaline foods range from 7 to 14.
The theory behind it...
Naturally our bodies are slightly alkaline, a little more than 7 on the pH scale. This theory states that eating acidic foods changes your body's naturally alkaline state to an acidic one, creating health problems. According to www.acidalkalinediet.net, eating a diet high in acidic foods creates a condition called chronic acidosis. This cuts off oxygen within your body's cells and negatively impacts your immune system. The claim is that, "this leads to all sorts of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, nutrient deficiencies and poor athletic performance....[because acidic foods] violate the acid/alkaline blood rations of your body cells." Therefore, eating a diet that is higher in alkaline foods than acidic ones will promote a healthier state of your body, possibly leading to weight loss, prevention of diseases, slowing down the aging process and stimulating optimum health.
What not to eat. What to eat.
pHreshproducts.com has a nice chart to show what foods are acidic and what are alkaline. The diet promotes a ratio of alkaline to acidic foods, throughout your daily meals and beverages some promote an 80% alkaline foods to 20% acidic food ratio, others promote a 60/40 ratio.
Nice plan
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