Tom Brady, the NFL quarterback for the New England Patriots, was recently criticized for following a diet that is 80% alkaline and 20% acid. Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, follows the same diet, so it may not come as a surprise that she has also expressed interest in other Edgar Cayce material.

While Brady credits his long and successful career in the NFL to his healthy diet, critics of the diet claim there is no proof that it works. One of the reasons they are skeptical is their assumption that the diet is intended to change a person’s blood alkalinity, which they say can’t be done through diet. However, when Cayce recommended the diet more than 100 years ago, he did not state it would change the alkalinity of the blood but rather that it was a “nerve and body building” or “nerve and blood building” diet.

Cayce strongly emphasized the role of diet and nutrition in achieving and maintaining health. The foods most often recommended in the Cayce readings were in line with what is considered the Mediterranean Diet of today. As a rule, his recommendations in this area are consistent with current health trends, which focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and decreased meat intake. However, his perspective contains much information on less well-known concepts, such as food combining, the therapeutic use of food, and the acid/alkaline balance of one’s food intake.

This type of diet will tend to improve and maintain eliminations due to the high raw vegetable content. In neurological and psychiatric disorders, Cayce emphasized the importance of the B vitamins contained in certain vegetables. Cayce generally preferred that vitamins be assimilated from food rather than supplements. However, he did prescribe supplements in some cases.

The following summary describes the Basic Cayce Diet recommended for healing and health maintenance for most people. These diet concepts provide a framework for meal planning.

ACID-ALKALINE DIET

But have rather a percentage of eighty percent alkaline-producing to twenty percent acid-producing foods. Then, it is well that the body not become as one that couldn't do this, that or the other; or as a slave to an idea of a set diet. Do not take citrus fruit juices and cereals at the same meal. Do not take milk or cream in coffee or in tea. Do not eat fried foods of any kind. Do not combine white bread, potatoes, spaghetti—or any two foods of such natures in the same meal. 

-- Edgar Cayce reading 1568-2

Cayce was an advocate of eating whole, locally grown, preservative-free foods, with an emphasis on whole grains rather than processed ones; more fish, fowl, and lamb than red meat; more leafy green vegetables than starchy ones; and a daily diet composed of 80 percent alkaline-producing foods to 20 percent acid-producing foods. In general, most vegetables and fruits are alkaline-producing, and most grains, starches, meats, and sweets are acid-producing.

Edgar Cayce frequently emphasized the importance of maintaining a proper acid-alkaline balance by eating mostly alkaline forming foods. A comprehensive list of foods is included under the Health section of our website. The following summary will give you a quick overview of acid and alkaline-forming foods.

It must be noted that because a food is acid it is no indication that it REMAINS acid in the body. It can turn alkaline. Honey and raw sugars produce alkaline ash, but because of a high concentrate of sugar become acid-formers. Those fruits marked with an * should not be eaten with other foods. They are acid externally but alkaline internally.

Alkaline-Forming Foods (80% of the daily diet should contain these foods):

  • All vegetables except dried beans, lentils, asparagus tips, and garbanzos.
  • All fresh fruits except cranberries, plums, olives, prunes, and blueberries (preserves and canned fruits are usually acid-forming).
  • Almonds, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts.

Acid-Forming Foods (20 % of the daily diet should contain these foods):

  • All meats except beef juice and bone meal.
  • All grains, cereals, and bakery products except for soybeans.
  • All dairy except buttermilk, yogurt, raw milk and whey.
  • Peanuts, pecans, and walnuts.

FOOD COMBINATIONS TO AVOID

Certain food combinations are difficult to digest and may cause problems in the digestive system. Here is a brief list of food combinations to avoid:

  • Two or more starchy foods at the same meal.
  • Sugary foods and starchy foods.
  • Milk and citrus fruit or juice.
  • Cereals and citrus fruit or juice.
  • Large quantities of starchy foods with meat or cheese.
  • Coffee with milk or cream.
  • Raw apples with other foods.

A TYPICAL DAY'S MENU

Here is a simple outline for a typical day's menu:

Breakfast
Either citrus fruit or cooked or dry cereal.

Lunch
Raw vegetable salad with dressing or fruit salad.

Dinner
Steamed vegetables served with fish, poultry or lamb.

FOOD PREPARATION

Proper food preparation is important to preserve nutrients and avoid toxicity. Here are some suggestions:

  • Steam vegetables in their own juices (i.e., patapar paper).
  • Never fry foods.
  • Use fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits whenever possible.
  • Avoid aluminum cookware.

ATTITUDES AND EMOTIONS
Edgar Cayce stated that even the most nutritious foods can turn to poison in the system if eaten while a person is in a negative frame of mind. Never eat when angry, worried or extremely tired.

Note: The above information is not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Please consult a qualified health care professional for assistance in applying the information contained here. You may also be interested in the Cayce Health Database.

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Holistic Health