Understanding how your body works and reacts to different foods or teas is a great help when optimizing your health and managing stress, anxiety, weight and energy.

 The Tea Bird Tea 10 Day Alkalizing plan focuses on the popular theory that by maintaining an alkaline state in your body you can minimize inflammation in your joints, reduce acid in the tummy and therefore prevent the onset of diseases which are prevalent in our society today.

Some studies* believe that a high acidity in the body can promote the development of some cancers, arthritis, stress and anxiety. So by actively managing this with a low acidic diet and aiding with an Alkalizing tea you can find that you are not just detoxing but actually enabling your body to operate more effectively and reduce many of these symptoms day to day.

I suffer from asthma and hay fever allergies and have a family history of arthritis as well as having been extremely sports active throughout my life as I approach 40, the last few years I have noticed a particular decline in the health of my joints and of course weight gathering around my middle. Although I lead an active lifestyle I also have a very social orientated background, travel a lot and run a business along with 2 kids and supporting my husband in his career.

This as with everyone creates a time deficiency when trying to make the right health related choices.

I guess you could say I am good time rich and health time poor! I grew up on a farm so I believe you should cook from scratch and know where your food comes from as well as sharing this with your children. Todays lifestyles however lead a much more sedentary existence using a lot less physical activity, therefore as the epidemic continues across the world peoples body shapes are changing, death rates related to disease** are rising and we need to identify what type of day to day diet suits us best in order to prevent instead of cure.

Try the alkalizing diet for 10 days and see the difference – the feedback we have received has been a feeling of lightness, clearer thinking and higher energy levels. I personally have noticed a reduction in the inflammation in my joints, which means in the mornings I am much less stiff making me feel more energetic and ready for the day.

Source: **Check out www.thetruthaboutcancer.com

**Check out http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/liver-disease/by-country/

Which foods are alkalizing and which are alkaline?

Most high protein foods such as meat, fish, poultry and eggs, nearly all carbohydrates including grains, breads, pastas and fats are acid forming. Most fruits and vegetables are alkaline forming. Although citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits contain organic acids, they are not acid forming when metabolised. Free form amino acids are not acid forming, but instead offer unique buffering capabilities to the body to help offset acid wastes.

 

* Chart from www.phfreshproducts.com

PH Levels

Interestingly there is a way to offset alkalizing foods which you may love to eat as well as have to eat when you are in a social situation. The chart states that it takes 20 parts alkaline ingredients to offset 1 part alkalizing acid building foods or drinks. This seems like a very high ratio but is manageable.

 

So for instance when you are cooking you would use a 90% ratio of vegetables against a 10% ratio of meats or fish. If you consider the hunter, gatherer theory of portion control, taken directly from cavemen this makes complete sense. Their diet would consist of mainly vegetables, fruits and berries and they would hunt and eat meant once every 2 weeks.

Alternatively you can use fresh fruit or vegetables juices and teas to add to your overall alkaline diet to promote flushing any acidity through. Makes sense right!

Top 10 alkalizing foods and drinks

 

 

Avocado – full of good fats which aid lower cholesterol

Cucumber – has a cooling effect on the body and great for tired eyes!

Cayenne Pepper – increases metabolic rate & cleanses body through warming.

Chia Seeds – personally I don’t like these as they get stuck in teeth and if you get over excited and add too many they feel like you are eating frog spun. So I recommend throwing into soups as the least offensive option. However they are the SUPERFOOD darling of the world and are high in fiber, impressively high in antioxidants and aid weight loss so worth a shot!*

Lemon – acts as a natural antibacterial agent & promotes immune boost VC

Spinach – boosts iron levels which reduce tiredness

Kale – best in soups for me but boosts iron and promotes good digestion

Watermelon – best for hydrating and is easily digested therefore a great cleanse

Garlic – Amazing for heart health and managing high blood pressure – personal favorite I add it to everything. 

*Check out 35 fun ways to eat chai seeds https://authoritynutrition.com/35-ways-eat-chia-seeds/

Top 10 recipes to aid your 10 day Alkalizing plan

Homemade Chicken soup/ broth

I like to make enough for a few days as it works with your plan as both lunches and dinners and kids enjoy it with rice or fresh bread. Its wholesome, filling and wont leave you hungry for snacks throughout the day. Also easy to portion and freeze.

Ingredients – 2 X full chicken legs, 1 X large red onion, 1 X garlic bulb, 1 X large red onion, 10 X new potatoes (leave skin on), 1 bag X carrots (skin on or off), 2 X baby bokchoy, or preferred greens, 4 X bunches of coriander or 2 X large bunches, 500ml chicken stock, Optional – 2 X table spoon Chia seeds, 4 X vine ripened tomatoes.

Note: I love using broccoli and brussel sprouts however they both create gas and can make you bloat so this is dependent on personal preference. Also if you like spicy you can add cayenne or chilly to taste.

Step 1 Prepare the onion, tomatoes, garlic bulb & rinse greens. Step 2 Throw all ingredients into a large soup pot including the chicken – leave skin on. Step 3

Add stock and boiled water. Step 4 Cook for 20-30 mins or until the chicken is falling off the bone and the vegetables are soft. Step 5 You can use the hand held electric whizzers or an everyday potato masher to mash the vegetables. Step 6

Remove the chicken bones and serve. Add salt pepper as preferred.

So this recipe offers a good balance of the 90%/10% alkaline meal plan as well as some good protein and fats to make you feel full while also ticking the boxes on a greens and superfoods basis boosting immune system, bolstering antioxidants and providing good fibers.

Its quick, easy, filling and ticks all the boxes.

  

Source: Tea Bird Tea Own recipe

Strawberry Coco Chia Quinoa Breakfast

Ingredients: 1 cup cooked quinoa, 5 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 ½ cup almond, coconut or hemp milk, ½ cup quartered strawberries + 4 sliced strawberries, 2 pitted date, 2 tbsp. almond pieces, 2 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

Directions: The night before, cook quinoa and prepare strawberry chia by combining the strawberries, almond milk, and 2 dates in a blender and pureeing until smooth. Pour the mixture into a jar and add chia seeds. Mix well until all chia seeds are covered with the liquid. Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, place chia seeds in bowl, add the quinoa and strawberry slices, almonds, and shredded coconut and enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Salad

Ingredients: 1 large head of butter lettuce, ½ cucumber, sliced, 1 pomegranate, seeded or 1/3 cup seeds, 1 avocado, cubed, ¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Dressing Ingredients: ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions: Hand tear the butter lettuce into a salad bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss with the salad dressing

Source: http://www.thenewpotato.com/2016/01/26/7-day-alkaline-diet-meal-plan-for-beginners/ 

Kale Pesto Pasta

Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, 2 cups fresh basil, 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1⁄2 cup walnuts, 2 limes, fresh squeezed, Sea salt and pepper, 1 zucchini, noodled (spiralizer), Optional: garnish with sliced asparagus, spinach leaves, and tomato

Directions: The night before, soak walnuts to improve absorption. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until you get a cream consistency. Add to zucchini noodles and enjoy!

Almond Butter Crunch Berry Smoothie

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh spinach, 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened, 1 cup of any of the following (frozen mixed berries, strawberries or grapes), 1 banana (peeled and frozen), 4 tbsp. raw almond butter, 1 tbsp. chia

Directions: Blend spinach and almond milk first. Then add remaining ingredients except chia, and blend. Add chia once all is smooth – then blend on a very low speed to mix. If you don’t have a variable speed blender, mix chia in with the rest of the ingredients by hand. Let sit for a few minutes for the chia seeds to expand, then enjoy.

 

Source: http://www.thenewpotato.com/2016/01/26/7-day-alkaline-diet-meal-plan-for-beginners/ 

Carrots, Peas and Broccoli in Coconut Curry Sauce

• Ingredients: 500g broccoli, 400g carrots, 200g peas, fresh or frozen, 2 medium
• sized onions, 3 garlic cloves, 200ml coconut milk (unsweetened), 200ml yeast, free vegetable stock, 1 lemon (unwaxed), 2 tbsp coconut oil, 2 tsp curry powder
• Optional: Himalayan crystal salt or celtic sea salt, Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Peel the onions and cut into small pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and chop into fine pieces. Wash and drain the broccoli and carrots. Separate the broccoli florets from the stem and cut the carrots into thin slices. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a large frying pan. Gently fry the onion, garlic and curry powder and shortly roast. Add the broccoli and carrots, season with a little bit of salt and briefly fry. Pour in the coconut milk and stock, season with 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel and cover the pan with a lid. Gently cook for about 12 minutes. Season the curry with salt, pepper, 1 tbsp lemon juice and curry powder. Quickly bring back to boil and then serve.

This food is low in Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Folate and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.

 

Source: http://www.energiseforlife.com/alkaline-diet-recipe-115-broccoli-carrots-and-peas-in-coconut-curry-sauce  We love these guys as they have a really great balanced approach offering numerous different recipes to try morning, noon and night.

Ginger and leafy greens stir fry

Ingredients: ½ a squash, seeds scooped out and cut into 1cm pieces (if you are using a squash with a thick skin then peel the skin first), 1 onion, finely sliced, 1-2cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped, 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1/4 cabbage (Savoy, Green or any other type you like), A few handfuls of chopped leafy greens (kale, spinach, cavalo nero, chard etc.), 1 red or green chilli, finely chopped, 2 tbsp coconut oil (or alternative cold-pressed oils suitable for stir-fries), Fresh juice of ½ a lemon, Himalayan crystal salt or celtic sea salt

Freshly ground pepper, A dash of Braggs Liquid Aminos (healthy alternative to soy sauce), A little water

Directions: Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan or a Wok pan and very gently fry the onion for a few minutes over a low heat. Add the ginger, chilli and garlic. Cook for a minute or so, but be careful that the garlic does not get burnt as it gets bitter otherwise.

Add the squash and a pinch of salt. Gently fry until the squash is just tender.

Toss in your leafy greens and add in a bit of lemon juice. Add a dash of the Braggs Liquid Aminos and season with pepper to taste. You only need to cook the greens for a minute or two – retain the freshness, retain the flavour and most importantly, retain the nutrients!

 

Source: http://www.energiseforlife.com/alkaline-diet-recipe-115-broccoli-carrots-and-peas-in-coconut-curry-sauce We love these guys as they have a really great balanced approach offering numerous different recipes to try morning, noon and night.

Energy power meal

Ingredients: 1/4 Red cabbage thinly sliced, 2 Handfuls of spinach leaves, 2 Vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced, 1/2 red onion, diced, 4 spring onions, thinly, sliced/shredded, 1/2 cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks, 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or spiralised, 1/2 broccoli, chopped small, Handful of beansprouts, 1 serving of soba noodles, 1 handful of coriander leaves, Juice of 1 lime, Bragg Liquid Aminos/Soy Sauce, Optional: handful of alfalfa sprouts

Directions: Tear the coriander and squeeze the lime juice over it to marinate a little. Slice everything and prepare the soba noodles. Mix together in a big salad bowl with the Bragg or soy sauce and eat! This meal is 90% raw, but with warmth and substance from the noodles. If you want to keep this meal alkaline then use Bragg because soy sauce is acidifying in the body.

This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese.

 

Source: http://www.energiseforlife.com/alkaline-diet-recipe-115-broccoli-carrots-and-peas-in-coconut-curry-sauce We love these guys as they have a really great balanced approach offering numerous different recipes to try morning, noon and night.

Creamy Avocado & Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: 2-3 flowers broccoli, 1 small avocado, 1 yellow onion, 1 green or red pepper , 1 celery stalk , 2 cups vegetable broth (yeast-free), Celtic Sea Salt to taste. Some cumin, basil, fresh cilantro or your favorite spices to taste

Directions: Heat vegetable broth (do not boil). Add chopped onion and broccoli, and warm for several minutes. Then put in blender, add the avocado, pepper and celery and puree until the soup is creamy (add some more water if desired). Flavor and serve warm. Delicious!!

We recommend to add a garlic bulb to this for an extra health hit & taste.

 

Grapefruit & Carrot shake

Ingredients: 2 carrots, 1 Grapefruit, 3 oz. pure water (best: alkaline water), 3 ice cubes (best: also made with alkaline water) Optional: 2-3 mint leaves.

Directions: First, peel the grapefruit and following instructions for your model, push grapefruit through juicer, catching juice in cup as directed. Then wash carrots, trim off the ends and also push through juicer. Pour both juices into a tall glass, add the water and mix well. Finally add the ice cubes and if you like - decorate with mint leaves.

 

Source:

http://www.balance-phdiet.com/alkaline_recipes_broccoli_soup.html

http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/alkaline_recipes_grapefruit_carrot_shake.html Many thanks to Marie from Davenport, FL for the broccoli avocado recipe and Alessandra from Manchester for the grapefruit and carrot recipe.

 

Day2Day – Bust that busy myth and balance

 

 

Our biggest enemy is often time try out the 10 days – an alkalizing diet is actually really quick to prepare and easy to be creative with, salads and soups for lunchtimes. Use the graphs we have provided to begin blending your own smoothies recipes and meals when you feel confident. Its fun and if you shop fresh and seasonal you with learn how to get more from your regular vegetable shops.

Intermittent Fasting

 

As part of all of our Tea Bird Tea teatox plans we recommend using intermittent fasting to aid digestion, improve health and allow your body to start operating better. The theory is that by giving your body a break each day from snacking on additional foods you allow it time to rest and process. This does not mean starving yourself or going without it is merely a timing consideration for when you are eating.

 

Short-Term Fasting

Understand that our bodies are either in a fed state or a fasted state. As long as your body is in a fed state, it simply cannot mobilize your stored body fat for fuel. Once your body has entered a fasted state, however, things really get going... and the fat will literally melt off of your body.

The problem is that many of us spend as many as 20 hours a day in a fed state. Because of this, we can never really get into a serious fat-burning mode. As you know, when we eat more calories than our bodies need each day, the extra calories are stored in the form of fat deposits. These fat deposits act as our energy reserves. If these energy reserves are not used, they simply accumulate, resulting in more and more weight gain.

The problem is that most of us never use our energy reserves and therefore, we do not lose weight. You see, the body uses the food you eat as its primary source of fuel and it only uses your energy reserves when energy from the last meal is no longer available. But in a world where food is cheap, easy to get, and very plentiful, most of us spend our days in a constantly fed state where we never have to tap into our energy reserves.

Short term fasting reverses this trend. 

When set up properly, you will be spending more time in a fasted state than a fed one, resulting in significant amounts of fat being burned from your body. Here is a shortlist of related health benefits associated with intermittent fasting:

• Appetite control
• Reduced body fat levels
• Healthier cholesterol levels
• Creating a calorie deficit that leads to permanent fat loss
• Reduced inflammation
• Reduced risk of disease (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
• A cleaner, well-rested and recharged digestive system
• Autophagy - your body will “eat” its broken and ineffective cells. These old cells       then get replaced with new cells, making your body stronger, healthier and more efficient.
• Increased blood flow to fat cells (this gets the stubborn fat out)
• Lowered insulin levels

 

 

Tea bird Tea Healthy diet Cleansing Programs We have 4 key programs you can check out here; 

5 Day Teatox & Scrub - https://www.teabirdtea.com/collections/frontpage/products/5-day-teatox-scrub

10 Day Alkalising - https://www.teabirdtea.com/products/alkalizing

21 Day teatox - https://www.teabirdtea.com/products/21-day-tea-detox-program

Bikini 21 Teatox – https://www.teabirdtea.com/products/bikini-21-teatox

Alkalising Tea Bird Tea - https://www.teabirdtea.com/collections/loose-leaf-blends/products/alkalizing 

Let us know if you have any questions or would like us to source more advice and recipes. Enjoy the program!