Blood pH Really Does Matter
Marion Hauser, M.S.,R.D.
You have heard us talking about the acidity or alkalinity of your blood and the effects that it has on your dietary needs, as well as how you feel, as well as your athletic performance. Remember, if your blood is acidic, your blood pH is lower than normal. If your blood is alkaline, it is higher than normal blood pH. What we typically see in our office is that people with acidic blood tend to be fast oxidizers of food. They generally feel better on diets that emphasize proteins and fats, and deemphasize carbohydrates, such as the Hauser Otter and Lion Diets. Carbohydrates cause the blood to become more acidic, so acidic people must limit their carbohydrate intake. When they do consume carbohydrates in small quantities, they stick with vegetables and whole grains.
For a person who is already acidic and who does not want to become more acidic, he/she should strive to getting closer to neutral blood pH in order to feel his/her best. Protein and fats will help alkalinize the blood and bring the acidic person more toward neutral.
Coffee is also acidifying, so coffee is usually something that the acidic person needs to avoid as well. For those of you who love a cup o’ Joe, that might be something difficult to reduce! But you will notice the difference, so don’t knock it until you try it! Cold weather, interestingly enough, is also acidifying. This is why people who have acidic blood usually prefer warm weather. They really dislike the cold and feel like they have to wear a ton of clothes to stay warm.
Alkaline people are usually quite the opposite. We see patients in our office who have alkaline blood pH who feel much better on foods that are more acidifying, such as coffee, fruits, grains, and juices. They tend to perform best in the cooler weather and actually feel good when it is cold outside. Most alkaline patients are placed on the Hauser Monkey, and occasionally the Giraffe Diet if they are really alkaline. This diet focuses on vegetables, whole grains, a moderate amount of fruit, and is lower in fat in protein. So those of you who test out as alkaline, yet love sour cream and butter are doing to have to make some changes in order to feel and perform your best!
Here is a little story that I found to be very interesting. As most of you know, my husband Ross is training for Ironman. I have been training for a Century Ride and last year had hoped to complete my 4th marathon. Sadly, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and much of my year was spent helping to care for her, so my running was put on the shelf. My mom passed away about a month ago after a long hard fight. So I have been trying to get back into my running slowly but surely.
The other day, my husband and a couple training buddies were going out to a forest preserve to run 15 miles. One loop of the forest preserve route is 9.5 miles. It was a beautiful, cold, wintry day with snow flakes flurrying about. At 5:00AM I decided that today was the day to get back out to the running trail. I figured I could power walk the trail for one loop and finish at the same time as the guys. Well, I got out there at 6:20AM (dark and cold) and what do you know? I felt awesome! I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe I could just run 5 minutes, then walk 3 minutes and see how I do.” You see, I have alkaline blood and typically feel great in the winter. I am one of those people who actually looks forward to autumn and winter in Chicago. I feel my best during these months. So, what do you know? I got out there on the trail and felt so good, I ran the whole thing! The longer I was out there, the better I felt! My miles per minute were going down the more I ran. Now, mind you, I had not run all year (only cycled). But it just goes to show you how you can perform better if you understand the pH connection! Now I think I am going to be getting back to marathon training!
So it just goes to show you – pH does matter!
See you on the road…
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