Living With Acid Reflux

No holiday celebration would be complete without food. Turkey and mashed potatoes smothered with gravy, sweet potatoes casserole and pumpkin pies with whipped cream are all staples of the holiday season. But, if you are one of the 15 million Americans who suffer from chronic heartburn Acid Reflux, some of these tasty treats may leave you reaching for antacids this holiday season.

Gastroenterologist agree that the holiday season is one of the worst times of the year for patients with Acid Reflux. In fact, a large amount of the food eaten during the holidays, and the types of food served during the holidays, including fatty and caffeinated foods, can be a recipe for significant pain for chronic heartburn sufferers.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a common digestive condition that is usually caused by a weakened or relaxed lower esophageal sphincter. This is the muscular valve that is between the esophagus and the stomach . When relaxed, it is unable to prevent the stomach acid from flowing up out of the stomach and into the esophagus. After eating, people who have GERD will often experience a painful burning feeling in their chest, and a sour taste in their mouth from of the stomach acid in the esophagus.

Lifestyle changes are often prescribed to minimize heartburn. These changes include not eating certain foods and avoiding large meals. This can sometimes help relieve the symptoms of GERD. But avoiding holiday food temptations is often not easy.

To help avoid heartburn during the holidays, we have put together the following advice to help keep your stomach and esophagus acid-free.

Five tips for surviving the holidays with Acid Reflux

1. Don’t Overeat
Large amounts of food stretch the stomach, which can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to release acid back up into the esophagus.

2. Stay Caffeine-Free

Caffeinated beverages and foods including soda pop, certain flavors of ice cream and chocolate will work often aggravate symptoms of Acid Relfux.

3. Avoid Fatty Greasy Foods
Foods that are fatty will cause trouble for people with GERD. Excessive fats in foods slow the process of food leaving the stomach. If food isn’t emptied from the stomach, it will sometimes backup into the esophagus. In addition, fatty and greasy foods promote relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, which can allowing acid rise into the esophagus.

4. Keep The Wine in the Bottle
Research has consistently shown that red wine will often cause heartburn. White wine may also cause acid reflux symptoms.

5. Don’t Eat Before Bed
The time that you eat is as important as what you eat. Normally, gravity serves as an important barrier for acid reflux during the day. However, when you lie down at night after eating a meal, you no longer have the gravity to prevent acid reflux. People who tend to have nighttime acid reflux symptoms should avoid eating or drinking three to four hours before bedtime.

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As the dog days of summer approach, don’t let summertime heartburn trigger foods ruin your fun. Many summer favorite treats can cause those of us who suffer from acid reflux or chronic heartburn to be miserable. Below is a list of some common heartburn-causing foods. I will explain why these foods cause heartburn and also recommend some delicious alternatives.

1. Lemonade
This classic summer beverage is made with an acidic citrus fruit which can easily trigger  acid reflux. A better alternative is ice water with just a twist of lemon. The smaller amount of lemon will be less likely to trigger heartburn but will still be very refreshing.

2. Cheeseburgers
Nothing says summer like a char grilled cheeseburger. Unfortunately, regular hamburger as well as cheeses are high is fat, a known heartburn trigger. Other triggers include raw onions, tomatoes and high fat mayo and ketchup. A better burger can be made from extra very lean ground beef. Leave off the cheese, and use a smaller amount of the toppings that might trigger heartburn.

3. Hot Dogs
Hot dogs are often high in fat. Add typical toppings like chili, ketchup and mustard and you have a recipe for heartburn. A better dog is made from lean beef or turkey. Use a very small amount of ketchup, mustard and onions.

4. Corn on the cob
My favorite treat during the summer is fresh corn on the cob. Unfortunately, butter is often a heartburn trigger. Try  boiled or grilled corn, with a very small amount of butter. Some people like it without any better at all.

5. Iced coffee
A delicious summer treat is iced coffee. However coffee has a high amount of caffeine which can trigger heartburn. Alternatives would be decaffeinated iced coffee or iced tea instead.

6. BBQ Ribs
There really is nothing better on a hot August day than a slab of baby back ribs and an ear or fresh sweet corn. The problem is that ribs are very high in fat and BBQ sauce often contains heartburn triggers such as tomato sauce, spicy peppers and liquid smoke. A better alternative is boneless skinless chicken breasts with a light amount of mild BBQ sauce.

7. Ice cream
What says summer more than ice cream? The trouble is that regular ice cream, especially the premium varieties are loaded with fat. In addition, some flavors such as chocolate can also be triggers for heartburn. A better alternative would be fat free frozen yogurt. Be sure to choose flavor varieties that are not acid reflux triggers.

8 Baked Beans
Another old time favorite is baked beans. Basically Navy beans doctored up with brown sugar, molasses, tomato sauce and spices. Every recipe is a little different but they all contain acid reflux triggers. A better alternative would be a delicious black bean salad.

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With warm weather approaching, many folks have started thinking about summer vacation. Most people find traveling fun and exciting. However, it can also be tough for those who have chronic heartburn. The foods are often unusual and are sometimes eaten on the run. Overindulgence is part of being on vacation for many but can contribute to acid reflux disease flare ups. The stress of travel and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed add to the problem that results in unusually severe heartburn. However, with just a few simple precautions, you can leave your heartburn at home and have a great the vacation.

When the acid in your stomach backs up into your esophagus heartburn is the result. If this happens too often, the acid will eat away at the lining of the esophagus. Fortunately, chronic heartburn can usually be controlled by following a heartburn-healthy lifestyle. The tips that follow are helpful in keeping acid reflux under control, on vacation and at home.

Avoid Trigger Foods
The single most important tip for controlling heartburn is to avoid foods and beverages that are known to trigger acid reflux. You probably already know many foods that trigger your heartburn. If not you can keep a food diary to track your symptoms and help identify your trigger foods. Once you are on vacation you should carefully avoid those foods. Replace them with heartburn-safe foods such as lean meats, baked potatoes, raw apples, healthy multi-grain breads and salads with low-fat dressings. Foods such as these are less likely to trigger heartburn symptoms.

Eat Smaller Meals
Also, eat smaller and more frequent meals. Eating one or two large meals a day should be avoided. A full stomach puts extra pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter which makes it more difficult to keep stomach contents from backing up into the esophagus. Smaller and more frequent meals keep hunger at bay and also help top avoid the tenancy to overeat at meal time.

Avoid Tight Fitting Clothes
Try not to wear tight belts or any type of clothes that fat tightly around the waist. It is best to stay comfortable by avoiding anything that is overly constricting. When clothes fit too tightly around the abdomen, they tend to squeeze the stomach and promote acid refluxing into the esophagus. Clothing to be avoided include extra wide belts or slenderizing undergarments.

Manage Your Stress
When on vacation controlling your stress level may be difficult. Rushing between the various tourist attractions can really be stressful. However, try to take the time to relax with light exercise such as walking or with deep breathing. Stress is known to exacerbate heartburn symptoms. Alcohol consumption is another contributor to stress and is best kept to a minimum. Alcohol has the effect of relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter. It also can increase the production of stomach acid. If you do drink alcohol, you should limit your intake to 1 or 2 drinks. You can also dilute mixed drinks with water or club soda. Also choose white wine instead of red.

Avoid Lying Down After a Meal
Lying down on a flat surface will press the stomach’s contents against the lower esophageal sphincter. It is best to give your body a couple of hours to digest what you’ve eaten before lying down. You may want to elevate your head or the head of your bed 4 to 6 inches. With the head higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce pressure.

Enjoy your heartburn free vacation!

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After eating a big plate of spicy tacos you start to feel the painful, burning sensation erupting from your gut and making its way into your throat. The spicy flavor of the tacos has turned sour and bitter.

Does this sound like a familiar story to you? Do you expect this experience every time you sit down to enjoy your favorite foods, even when you’re getting treatment for your heartburn? Well, did you know that you don’t have to live with this pain and discomfort anymore? It is completely possible to manage your heartburn and achieve complete symptom resolution.

Heartburn refers to the pain and burning sensation in the upper middle part of the stomach and chest. Heartburn is not a condition but a symptom. Often, many people suffer in silence with heartburn because they assume it’s just a lifestyle issue or because they don’t know that there are simple treatments that can help them achieve total resolution of their heartburn.

Frequent heartburn is caused by a condition known as acid reflux, reflux, or GERD. Acid reflux occurs when excess acid flows back up from the stomach and goes into the esophagus. When stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus lining, chronic heartburn symptoms such as burning and pain occur. However, the frequency and severity of heartburn are not always a good predictors of how much the esophagus has been damaged.

Pepsin is a stomach enzyme that breaks down protein. It also travels up into the esophagus when acid reflux occurs. Unlike the stomach lining, the lining of the esophagus can be easily damaged by acid and pepsin. Surprisingly, Pepsin causes the most damage when acid levels are high. Therefore, when acid levels in the stomach are kept lower, the pepsin and acid are less likely to cause damage to the esophagus when acid reflux occurs.

The medial term for acid reflux is gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is usually referred to by the acronym GERD.

Acid reflux is graded from mild to severe:

Mild acid reflux has some of the following characteristics:

• heartburn and other symptoms occur less than 3 times each week
• symptoms normally do not occur at night
• symptoms normally do not affect daily activity
• heartburn pain in the chest is typically rated as 1 to 3 on a 10-point scale
• there are usually no major complications associated with mild acid reflux

Severe acid reflux has the following characteristics:

• the symptoms have been present for more than 6 months
• the symptoms regularly interfere with daily activity and can awaken the person at night
• severe heartburn pain in the chest is rated as 7 to 10 on a 10-point scale
• there may be complications associated with severe acid reflux

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Heartburn is a very common condition. Although not necessarily life threatening or damaging to your heart, it is nevertheless uncomfortable and is a result of a valve malfunctions at your stomach. This malfunction lets acid from the stomach seep into the esophagus where it causes irritation and inflammation. This causes a burning pain in the chest that can last for hours. Lifestyle changes are sometimes useful in reducing heartburn pain. Also, there are several natural treatments that may also be helpful.

1. Use solid blocks such as bricks, boards or cinder blocks to lift the head of your bed a few inches above your feet. Note that raising your head by sleeping on two pillows is not effective and can actually make reflux worse.

2. Keep a log to track the foods and beverages that make your reflux symptoms worse.

3. Practice a natural relaxation strategy. Anxiety and stress can worsen reflux symptoms.

4. Eat a diet rich in natural fiber. Try to get at least 40 grams of fiber each day. Include whole grains, fruits and vegetables as your primary fiber source.

5. Don’t drink alcohol. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum if you do drink, and drink only with a meal.

6. Exercise regularly and lose weight. On a side note, Gotdiet is an authoritative source for weight loss programs. They have reviews of all the most popular diet plans and coupons to help you get started on your journey to improving your health and vitality. Another option may be to use the best diet pills for weight loss. But please use caution as these products have not been evaluated by this author.

7. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of purified water.

8. Avoid stimulants. Caffeinated beverages, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tobacco products and other stimulants are irritating to the gastrointestinal tract.

9. Use DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice) tablets. Slowly chew two tablets before meals and at bedtime. Reduce your dosage once your symptoms are under control.

10. Try Slippery Elm Lozenges. The can heal irritated digestive tract tissues.

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1. Myth: “Heartburn can be cured by eating a bland diet.”

A bland diet isn’t really bad for heartburn sufferers. It may actually make them feel better. However, the bland diet alone does not cure heartburn that is caused by Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

2. Myth: “Heartburn is caused by excess acid.”

The acid level in the stomach of a GERD sufferer is usually normal. The problem occurs when the acid is in the wrong location. Instead of remaining in the stomach, the acid seeps into the esophagus. Why do physcians give medication that reduces stomach acid? Because there are no drugs that effectively treat the underlying cause the acid reflux.

3. Myth: “Acid reflux only causes problems in the esophagus.”

Heartburn that is caused by acid reflux into the esophagus is the most well-known symptom of GERD. However, it isn’t the only effect on the body. Another condition that may be caused by, or worsened by, acid reflux is asthma. Several recent studies indicate that GERD can cause or exacerbate asthma. Also, asthma and asthma medications can aggravate GERD. Individuals can also experience hoarseness caused by irritation of the throat from acid reflux around the vocal cords. A chronic cough or sore throat are also know to be cause by GERD.

4. Myth: “Heartburn is caused by stress.”

Stress can worsen heartburn but it is rare for it to be the cause of heartburn. Extreme physical stress, such as that experienced by individuals gravely ill or severely injured, can also cause ulcers to develop that are sometimes accompanied by heartburn.

5. Myth “Nothing can be done to help heartburn.”

Treatment for heartburn can include prescription medication, over the counter remedies, lifestyle and diet changes. There are many articles on this website the further explain what can be done.

6. Myth “I usually feel worse when I eat certain foods because they are acidic.”

Some acidic foods, such as orange juice, do cause problems for GERD sufferers. But it isn’t because of the acid content of the food. In fact, even non-acidic orange juice causes problems for many GERD sufferers. It is true that some foods do cause heartburn for GERD sufferers, so it’s important to maintain a food log or diary to identify what foods trigger heartburn.

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Acid reflux usually occurs when a donut shaped muscle at the bottom of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn’t operate properly. Normally, the LES prevents the backflow of acid by tightening up after swallowing. However, when people have acid reflux, the LES becomes relaxed and weak, which allows acid and the stomach contents to seep back up the esophagus.

Although there is still no consensus on exactly what causes the LES to weaken, there are several factors have been shown to worsen on contribute to acid reflux. These factors include:

• Obesity (extra weight can put pressure on the LES)
• Pregnancy
• Hiatal hernia, a condition where the top of the stomach protrudes above the diaphragm muscle of the chest
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Caffeine consumption
• Eating large meals
• Eating before bedtime
• Medications such as antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, theophylline, and nitrates
• Fatty, fried, and spicy foods; citrus fruits; chocolate; tomato-based foods; mint; garlic; and raw onions

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Recipe makes 2 servings of about 3 cups veggies with rice

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
30 threads saffron
1/2 cup jasmine rice
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cauliflower (cut into small flowerets)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
3/4 cup celery - about 2 large stalks (diced)
1 medium yellow squash (diced)
1 medium zucchini (1/4 inch dice)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/8 tsp dried mint
2 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)

Add water salt and saffron to a medium sauce pan and heat. When water is boiling, stir in rice.

Reduce the heat to simmer, cover partially for about 15 minutes.

Don’t stir the rice and don’t boil away all of the liquid.

When a small amount of liquid remains, remove the pan from the heat cover and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Dice the veggies while the rice is cooking.

Place olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high burner. Add cauliflower and pine nuts. Sauté and toss occasionally until the cauliflower begins to turn a golden brown (do not let the cauliflower or nuts burn, adjust heat as needed).

Add celery when the cauliflower is browned and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add squash, zucchini, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, marjoram and mint.

Cook over medium to medium-high burner for 10 to 15 minutes while tossing frequently.

When ready to serve evenly divide the rice in the center of two plates. Surround rice with cooked veggies and sprinkle an ounce of crumbled feta cheese over the top of cooked vegetables on plate.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 3 cups veggies with 1/2 cup saffron rice | Servings 2
Calories 451 | Calories from Fat 189
Amount Per Serving (% Daily Value)
Total Fat 22g (33%) | Saturated Fat 6g (31%)
Monounsaturated Fat 10g | Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25 mg (8 %) | Sodium 959 mg (40 %)
Total Carbohydrates 55g (18%) | Sugars 6g
Dietary Fiber 8g (31%) | Protein 13g

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