This 7-Day Alkaline Cleanse Can Help You Lose 18 Pounds a Week

Could a hidden acid overload be the reason millions of us struggle with weight loss? “The problem has become extremely common,” insists Ross Bridgeford, author of The Alkaline Reset Cleanse ($17.10, Amazon) and a health coach with millions of fans across the world. “We eat more acid-forming foods than ever before, and stress, hormones, and environmental toxins also increase acidity. Our bodies become overwhelmed and end up generating new fat cells to store harmful compounds until they can be neutralized.” According to University of Texas scientists, folks with the most acid in their systems have BMIs 52 percent higher than those with the least. The good news is, “When you reduce the acid, fat just falls away,” promises Bridgeford, who sees losses of up to 18 pounds a week!

Getting rid of an acid overload “is a very effective alternative to typical diets,” confirms The Alkaline Cure ($22.04, Amazon) author Stephan Domenig, MD, who prescribes the approach at the famous F.X. Mayr clinic in Austria. Dr. Domenig says that after a week of alkaline foods, many women look as if they’ve had liposuction and a facelift.

The reason: Acid is both fattening and highly inflammatory. It also causes the GI tract to become “clogged” with acid waste, blocking the body’s ability to absorb nutrients that keep us looking and feeling our best. As acid is finally eliminated, the whole body lets out a sigh of relief. Skin and digestion improve, energy and immunity soar, brain function sharpens, every gland and organ works better — including, per Tufts University research, the metabolism-boosting thyroid. Meanwhile, research at Harvard University has found that an alkaline-based diet slashes the risk of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer by up to 82 percent. “The benefits are immediate,” says Bridgeford. “You can undo the effects of years of bad habits in seven days!”

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Outsmart Acid and Fat With The Alkaline Reset Cleanse

While using Bridgeford’s cleanse, you’ll swap foods that leave behind acidic by-products — including sugar, wheat, and meat — for a hearty regimen of soups and smoothies that leave behind alkalizing compounds. All veggies are on the menu, and so are options like avocados, lentils, almonds, and salmon. “Eat only these foods, and you shut down the biggest source of acid coming into your body. Your system is no longer in crisis mode, and it can begin to deal with the buildup of acid in your gut and fat cells,” notes Bridgeford.

But why soups and smoothies? He explains that they flood your system with nutrients in a highly absorbable form, delivering a huge hit of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to soothe inflammation and heal existing damage caused by acid.

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Once seven days is up, “your body will be able to handle a fair amount of acidity without triggering weight gain,” says Bridgeford. “You can simply begin eating alkaline foods 80 percent of the time, then enjoying whatever you like the other 20 percent of the time. Most women continue losing pounds rapidly until they reach their ideal weight — without restricting portions.” Some report dropping up to 49 pounds in eight weeks!

Real-World Wow

Struggling after the loss of her mom, New York real estate broker Jennifer Gordon, 45, turned to Bridgeford’s plan. She gradually restocked her kitchen with alkaline ingredients, including kale, celery, and ginger for smoothies. Jennifer says, “The weight came off without hunger pains or headaches. My IBS is gone, and my kids are excited to have an energetic mommy again.” In mere weeks, she’s down more than 20 pounds.

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Meanwhile, Juanita Butler went alkaline to help manage her lupus. Doctors said she’d never have a pain-free day. “But I started having them again once I was on the cleanse,” says the 47-year-old, who moved to Tokyo for work. “Everything got better — my energy, my skin, my sleep. And the weight started dropping.” Down 20 pounds in 30 days, she’s now 40 pounds slimmer, eating lots of delicious foods — and she’s still shrinking. “I encourage everyone to give alkaline eating a try. It makes you feel awesome!”

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Debra Hollimon remembers struggling to tie her shoes because her belly was so big. “I wanted to get healthier, but I felt unsure of how to start,” recalls the Minnesota retiree, 66. Then she and her husband watched Forks Over Knives, a documentary on how powerful a diet built around alkaline plant foods can be. “We decided to go cold turkey for 28 days,” she recalls. They traded acid-forming meat and dairy for veggie soups and giant salads with alkaline ingredients. Weight poured off. Debra shed 66 pounds, her husband lost 62, and their health transformed. “We feel fantastic!”

The Alkaline Reset 7-Day Cleanse

Just seven days on this plan works acid-reducing, waist-shrinking magic. Upon waking up, drink 8 oz. of turmeric and ginger tea, which is very alkalizing. We like this one from Organic India ($5.98, Amazon). Make sure to sip lots of water all day to help your body flush acid waste. After seven days, simply aim to eat alkaline foods 80 percent of the time. Your best bets include veggies, herbs, nuts, seeds, beans, gluten-free/yeast-free bread, brown rice, quinoa, tofu, and fish. To get a free guide, sign up at LiveEnergized.com. As always, get a doctor’s okay to try any new plan.

Juice

Juice 6 cups of greens, 1 cucumber, 1 cup of celery, 2 beets, and 1-inch ginger root; add water to taste. Sip half before breakfast and half before lunch. No juicer? Use Amazing Grass Green Superfood Drink Powder ($21.99, Amazon).

Smoothie

Blend half an avocado, 1 cucumber, 4 handfuls of greens, half a bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1⁄2-inch ginger root, 1 tsp. of turmeric, lemon juice, and ice/water to taste. Sip half for breakfast and the other half at mid-afternoon.

Lunch

Blend half an avocado, 1⁄2 cup of low-sodium vegetable stock, and 1⁄2 tsp. of ginger. Blend in 1 peeled cucumber, 2 handfuls of greens, and 1 tsp. of minced garlic. Blend in 3 cups of hot steamed broccoli. Garnish with a spritz of lemon and chopped radish. Makes 2 servings

Dinner: Quick-Slim Lentil-Carrot Soup

Warm and hearty, this soup delivers a huge load of alkalizing and fat-fighting nutrients.

Ingredients

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. coconut oil
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
8cups vegetable stock
1 (12 oz.) can lentils, rinsed and drained
1 avocado
1 bell pepper
1 cup raw spinach
2 Tbs. fresh dill
1 cup chopped cashews

Instructions

Peel and chop all the veggies.
Sauté onions and garlic in oil. Add sweet potatoes and carrots; stir 2 minutes. Add stock; simmer 5 minutes. Add lentils; simmer 5 minutes more.
In batches in a blender, purée soup with the avocado, pepper, spinach, and dill. Serve with cashews and drizzle of olive oil.

Makes 4 servings.