October 4, 2012

What you eat could have an impact on how you feel. In this week's Martha Jefferson Healthwise report CBS19’s Stephanie Satchell found out about the alkaline diet and why some doctors in central Virginia are recommending it to their patients.

The alkaline diet consists of about 70 percent alkaline or plant based foods like fruits and veggies and 30 percent acidic foods like grains, beans and meat.

Dr. Martin Katz of Revolution Health Center in Scottsville says this diet has many health benefits.

“We see an improvement in the potassium sodium ratio which can help cardiovascular disease specifically strokes and hypertension. We can see improvements in bone mineral density,” said Dr. Martin Katz, Revolution Health Center.

Katz often uses the alkaline diet to help heal patients with arthritic conditions, cancer and diabetes.

“Our diabetics have improved, we gotten patients off significant doses of insulin (for type 2 diabetics,)” said Katz.

Dr. Katz says you should contact your physician or nutritionist before starting this diet because there are some risks for certain patients.

“If you are trying to do this diet by yourself and you're getting healthier and you're not being monitored by a physician and you're on a lot of medications that can actually pose a problem. Your blood pressure can drop. If you're diabetic you're blood sugars can drop. Things can happen,” said Katz.

Once your doctor gives you're the okay to start the alkaline diet, Dr. Katz says it can make a huge impact on your life.

You could start to feel better just by changing what's on your plate.

Katz says you don't have to have a serious health condition to try an alkaline diet. If you are well, he says eating a plant based diet can also help you drop a couple of pounds and help boost your energy.