How's Your pH?

Your Body's Acid/Alkaline Balance Affects How you Feel
Do you ever wonder why some people are always on the go yet still full of energy, need only a few hours of sleep, and rarely have a cold or the flu? The answer may be body chemistry.

Are You Alkaline Enough?
"Our blood must maintain a state of slight alkalinity for our very survival," explains Susan M. Lark, MD. "Almost all of our crucial physiological functions-including immunity, digestion, and cardiovascular function-as well as most of our metabolic processes and enzyme reactions require a slightly alkaline internal environment."

People who maintain slight alkalinity live life to the fullest and have great energy, according to Dr. Lark, who dubs them "peak performers." If your system is overly acidic, however, you may lack stamina and often feel fatigued.

Or Too Acidic?
As important as a healthy acid-alkaline balance is, more than 90 percent of Americans become overly acidic at some point in their lives, Dr. Lark finds. "The typical American diet is composed mainly of foods that are either highly acidic in their chemical makeup or, once eaten, cause an acidic reaction within the body," she adds. Fried, overly processed, and sugary foods-plus animal proteins and gluten-stimulate the stomach to produce acid.

In addition, mental and physical stress, many common medications (from aspirin to cough syrup), and certain medical conditions can increase the body's acidity, throwing you off balance. The result? You're likely to feel depressed and tired, have trouble concentrating, become susceptible to respiratory problems (such as colds, flu, and allergies), suffer digestive distress and inflammatory conditions (like rheumatoid arthritis), and even develop osteoporosis, since overacidity can demineralize your bones. If you suspect your body's chemistry may be too acidic, test your saliva twice daily (before eating), at the same time of day for a week, with pH test paper. If the paper turns yellow, that signals acidity (green is neutral, and blue indicates alkalinity).

Go for Whole Foods
The good news is that it's easy to correct pH imbalances by eating more vegetables and whole foods. Instead of red meat, enjoy fish, organic poultry, and plant-based protein sources. Select bread made with amaranth, millet, oat, quinoa, and rice flours. Green foods (chlorella, alfalfa, spirulina) and green supplements offer nutrient-rich ways to increase alkalinity in the body. Consider buf-fered vitamin C (ascorbic acid combined with calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium), since many products with C are acid-based.

"Take frequent, short, alkalinizing breaks" during the day, Dr. Lark advises. Breathing deeply oxygenates your body and helps keep you mentally alert. If you are performing particularly strenuous mental activities, it's a good idea to take alkalizing minerals (like calcium, magnesium, and potassium).

selected sources Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, Larry Trivieri, Jr., editor ($34.95, Celestial Arts, 2002) o The Chemistry of Success by Susan M. Lark, MD, and James A. Richards, MBA ($24.95, Bay Books, 2000)