By conviction for the animal cause, by taste or even sometimes by fashion, some people have made the choice to not eat meat at all. Ranging from vegetarianism to veganism, people adopting this diet eventually decided to replace animal proteins with plant proteins. But are they totally right? Is it essential to eat meat, whether white or red? What is the smart thing to do for your health?

When it comes to protein-related foods, there is a lot to know in order to make a conscious and thoughtful choice. Today we will focus on the aspect of acidosis of the body, which is favored, among other things, by an increased consumption of meat.

The body is in constant search of balance. Like a tightrope walker, he will move forward on an unstable thread throughout his life, oscillating sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. The principle of acid-base balance is well represented in this metaphor. Indeed, the body seeks a point of balance and the risks of swinging towards acidosis or alkalosis are numerous and of course harmful to health. The ideal is therefore to maintain a balance between acids and bases throughout one's life.

Of course, in addition to other important life factors such as stress or lack of physical activity, what we eat is also part of the parameters to be taken into account. Some foods are categorized as acidic while others will promote alkalization of the soil.

• Some basic/alkaline foods that are safe to eat: green vegetables, most fruits, spices and herbs, potatoes, chestnuts.
• Some acidic foods that should be limited: Meat, eggs, cheese and dairy products, refined cereals, cookies, cakes, sweets, and all products from large industrial distribution. Forget about the ready-made pizzas or lasagnas in the ready-to-eat sections.

Should we therefore completely eliminate foods that lead to acidosis?

Absolutely not. The ideal is to find a perfect balance between the intake of alkalizing and acidifying foods. It's all about harmony and proportion. It is perfectly possible to eat these foods that push you towards acidosis if you ingest a large quantity of basic foods. Your plate must be balanced.

 What about animal proteins?

When digesting meat, the digestion process causes the production of strong acids, including phosphoric acid, which is acidifying. This type of acid contributes to the acidosis of the body and it is then imperative to eliminate it to avoid all risks of accumulation. Since the lungs are not strong enough to remove this type of acid, it is up to the kidneys to step in and do the work of elimination. This task is not trivial because it is extremely tiring for the kidneys, which become exhausted little by little. Therefore, let's spare them.

This is why it is not advisable to completely eliminate meat from your diet, but rather to reduce the amount of it throughout the week.

• A heavy meat eater will try to limit his consumption to 2 or 3 times a week. Thus, the kidneys will be less stressed.
• We can also try to replace, once a week, meats by substitutions such as tofu, seitan, tempeh or soy proteins.
• Alternate also with vegetable proteins which will produce only weak acids, still acidifying but more easily eliminated by the lungs.

Be very careful with high-protein diets that have quick and powerful effects on a desired weight loss but whose damage can appear much later following the accumulation of these acids. The important thing is to diversify your diet as much as possible so that you don't saturate your body with just one type of food.