Are you ready to try a journey to BALi? No, not the Indonesian island but the BALi diet, which is an eating plan developed by former Texas physician Dr. Roby Mitchell, MD.
BALi stands for Basic Antioxidant/Anti-fungal Low Insulin diet, which has four fundamental goals; namely to:
- Make your blood more alkaline rather than acidic; that is, lower pH levels, which in turn helps prevent the development of some diseases,
- Manage levels of candida in the body by minimizing the intake of yeast and sugar, which are key factors in causing inflammation,
- Help regulate insulin levels, which are involved in weight gain and control of diabetes and other metabolic conditions, and
- Boost your antioxidant intake to maximize inhibition of free radical damage to cells and DNA, which are the basis for aging as well as many chronic conditions.
Read more about the world’s most antioxidant-rich foods
Health Benefits of the BALi Eating Plan
According to Dr. Mitchell (who is also known as Dr. Fitt of drfitt.com), this dietary approach can help individuals overcome chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, asthma, and more by eating foods that adhere to the four principles of the plan.
Basically, those who follow BALi diet avoid yeast, wheat, refined grains, iodized salt, sugar and artificial sweeteners, regular dairy foods, trans fats, and canned or processed foods.
Instead, the focus is on fresh or frozen vegetables, organic, unpeeled fruit, free-range poultry, hormone-free meats, nuts, beans, seeds, seafood low in mercury, cereal grains, plant milk, and organic raw goat cheese or yogurt. These foods help restore balance to the body and promote its ability to self-heal.
This approach is a far cry from the Standard American Diet (SAD), which is characterized by processed, high-salt, high-fat, high-cholesterol, and high-sugar foods. Switching to the BALi lifestyle will probably cause weight loss, even though that’s not a goal of the plan. BALi eating may also help in the management of symptoms in individuals who already have chronic diseases.
What’s On the BALi Diet Menu
The number of acceptable items on the BALi diet food list is quite extensive, although for many folks they may represent making some significant dietary adjustments.
BALi diet recipes and meals, for example, could include oatmeal served with plant milk, fresh organic berries and other fruits, raw goat yogurt and raw nuts, or sprouted bread with raw nut butter.
Lunch may look like free-range chicken breast served with sprouted grain bread and a fresh green salad, while dinner could involve organic lentil soup, roasted fresh vegetables, and wild-caught salmon served with rosemary. Snacks enjoyed during the day could include fresh fruit, raw unsalted nuts and seeds, and raw veggies.
The BALi eating plan also encourages the use of herbs and spices to enhance your eating experience. Be sure to use cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, rosemary, turmeric, and others whenever possible. The BALi diet also can easily be vegetarian or vegan.
Is The BALi Eating Plan Right For You?
As with any eating plan, there are pros and cons. Certainly, the BALi approach has several positive attributes, including the emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables and the avoidance of processed foods, salt, sugars, and trans fats. We have already presented the positives, so let’s consider some of the possible downfalls of the BALi eating plan.
One is the uncertainty about how much impact changing your diet has on pH levels. It seems to be negligible, so this goal may not be realistic for many followers of the diet. However, it is a move in the right direction, so when combined with other goals of the BALi diet, it can be a significant contributing factor.
Some concern also exists over encouraging the intake of raw dairy products, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic medical conditions. Another issue is that the complete concept of the BALi diet has not been researched, so the precise advantages and disadvantages of following this eating program are not clear.
The BALi eating plan is one dietary approach that should be part of a decision process when considering how to improve one’s diet. We need to weigh the pros and cons along with personal lifestyle needs, desires, and realities before deciding whether the BALi diet is the right choice.
References
Dr. Fitt. BALi food list
Livestrong. What is the BALi diet?
