id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> Alkaline foods include leafy greens, broccoli and apples.

fcafotodigital / E+ / Getty Images While I'm a skeptic of diet fads, I take note when something works. Last year, my acid reflux flared up so badly I lost my voice and developed a nodule on my vocal cords. My doctor put me on a regimen of two different antacids twice a day, lots of rest (as if that is actually possible) and mentioned that I should avoid acid triggers and overeating. Leaving the visit, I still felt that just taking medications couldn't be the answer. There had to be a way to dramatically shift my acidity. Then, I found the alkaline diet theory.

Prior to learning more about it, I thought an alkaline diet was about drinking lemon water and testing your urine every hour. In reality, it is about monitoring what you put into your digestive system with an aim to reducing inflammation and stomach acid.

When we metabolize, we burn food to release energy. Af