If you suffer from GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), also known as acid reflux, then you know how much it hurts to experience the burning of stomach acid and half-digested food backing up into your esophagus. Treatments and medications abound, including numerous alternative and home remedies for GERD, but if you are really serious about stopping the condition then lifestyle and dietary changes are a must. Buckle up Buttercup and read on to learn how to eat properly to heal your acid reflux disease and feel better.
Step 1
Keep a food diary and write down everything you eat, the time you eat it and how you react to what you've eaten.
Step 2
Cut back on the quantity of food eaten to avoid excess pressure on the esophagus.
Step 3
Avoid milk. Dietician Gloria Tsang of HealthCastle.com says milk has been a recommended food for curing acid reflux for a long time, but the truth is milk only soothes your sore stomach and esophagus from burning pains for a short while and then causes a rebound effect eventually encouraging more acid formation in the stomach.
Step 4
Give up coffee, carbonated sodas, alcohol and white sugar and flour. Dr. Theodore Baroody in his book "Alkalinize or Die" discusses how these foods are known to create acid sensation in the body and increase the incidence of reflux with accompanying pain.
Step 5
Eat complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and whole grains known to produce alkaline in the body such as couscous, amaranth and millet, says Baroody. Found in health food stores, these are great rice substitutes and help soothe the stomach and prevent GERD attacks.
Step 6
Consume fruits and foods high in sugar separately from proteins. These foods digest quickly and when combined with proteins will create putrefaction, retarding the entire digestive process and aggravating reflux disease.
Step 7
Avoid all highly processed foods and especially those containing wheat. Some people have gluten allergies that add to reflux problems and these foods create an acidic state in the body according to Baroody. He reports that some who merely give up eating wheat are cured permanently of GERD. Alternative grain products are available in health food stores and recipes can be found online.
Step 8
Seek out alkaline-forming foods to include in your diet, says Baroody. Including apples, apple cider vinegar, lemons, berries and fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet will help keep your body in a slightly alkaline state, which does not allow for stomach acids to form to excess.
Step 9
Eliminate to the best of your ability, foods that create acidity in the stomach such as meats, fast foods, poultry and foods high in animal fats. Replace some of the lost protein with vegetable proteins from soy and legumes. Include whole grains to make complete proteins.
Tips and Warnings
- Even though it may be challenging to eliminate certain foods you love, do it slowly and stick with it. You'll get used to eating other more healthful foods and enjoy the benefits of not being in pain.
- These suggestions are offered for educational purposes and are not meant to replace medical advice.
Things You'll Need
- Food journal
- Complex carbohydrates
- Couscous
- Amaranth
- Millet
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Apples
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemons
- Berries
References
- "Alkalinize or Die," Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, 1991
- "The pH Miracle," Robert O. Yound, Ph.D. and Shelly Redford Young, 2003
- HealthCastle.com
