Eating correctly: The 80-20 rule
If we get completely focused on building muscle and eating protein without any consideration of health we will certainly fail at building muscle on a long term basis. A healthy body needs adequate rest and recovery as well as the correct balance of acid and alkaline foods, if we want to stay healthy.
Most bodybuilders are unaware of the 80-20 rule when it comes to achieving health and longevity. The basic concept of the 80-20 rule is that you need to eat foods that are 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. Water is a good example when describing the pH balance as water is considered a neutral substance with a pH of 7.0.
The problem is that most proteins and all starches will have an acidic pH of anything from 6.0 to 6.8 which only causes farther problems if you do not balance it with alkaline. All fruit and vegetables are alkaline and the problem is serious as a recent study tells us that the average American diet is only 15% to 20% alkaline.
This has been identified and the primary cause for the radical increase in chronic diseases and obesity as your body cannot get rid of acidic waste without enough alkaline around. If we as bodybuilders want to continue to add muscle on a permanent basis we need to make sure that we are eating correctly.
Protein and starch usually come in the form of cheap junk foods and the result is that our bodies reach acidosis which is the chemical term for describing the pH imbalance causing a range of diseases including stomach ulcers, kidney disease, liver insufficiency, adrenal disorders, anorexia and the fastest growing disease in the USA which is diabetes.
The awareness of good eating habits and eating more fruits and vegetables will only come from eating more veggies with your chicken breast. If you would like to know what alkaline foods are the best then you will find that veggies like Artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber and green beans are the best way to ensure you get the alkalinity that your body needs.
Fruits like banana, lemons, coconut and grapefruit as well as tomatoes will also improve your pH to be more alkaline. Nuts and seeds are also very good like sunflower seeds and almonds as well as sesame seeds will help your pH balance a lot if you consume these on a regular basis.
