1. Feel the Burn of Acid Reflux
Acid reflux, GERD, or heartburn that is severe and often reoccurs is a miserable feeling. Most that suffer with this condition find the foods they eat play a huge role in the discomfort they suffer. Keep track of the foods that you eat, so that you can associate the discomfort level with the foods that you have eaten. Start with eliminating foods with fat from your diet. Fatty foods and anything fried are triggers for acid reflux, causing the foods in the stomach to come back up to enter the esophagus. This causes that awful burning sensation.
2. Orange You Glad You Know What to Avoid
With acid reflux, you need to avoid foods with a high acidity level. These foods include citrus fruits like oranges, limes, lemons, pineapple and grapefruit. Let's not forget about the juices of all these fruits, as they'll cause acid reflux and heartburn just as well. As good as these fruits are for most people, they cause a great deal of discomfort to people suffering from acid reflux.
3. If It's Red, It Might Burn
Spicy food and acid reflux don't mix too well. To keep your heartburn under control, steer clear of sauces with tomatoes, like spaghetti and marinara sauces. That goes for pizzas with tomato sauce, chili, some soups and even tomato juice. In addition, foods like garlic, chili peppers and onions will cause the acid reflux to flare up. This puts many favorite foods like Mexican foods and Italian foods on the list to avoid or at least to eat in small amounts.
4. Oh, Chocolate, Say It's Not So
People with acid reflux should be aware that chocolate--yes, chocolate--is on the list of foods to avoid. Unfortunately, chocolate contains a compound called theobromine. When you eat food or have drinks with this compound, it has a relaxing effect on the esophageal sphincter muscle. It relaxes too much and the acids in the stomach aren't held in the stomach but rather go back up to the esophagus, and you've got acid reflux. If you think that you might stick to an after-dinner peppermint, there's bad news, as peppermint is also on the list to avoid. Go easy or avoid sodas and carbonated drinks as well as coffee and any other caffeinated drinks. Let's not forget alcoholic drinks as they too cause acid reflux.
5. Most Foods Are Good in Moderation
It seems as if everything we would want to eat or drink is on the list to avoid with acid reflux. Some foods may cause one person to have acid reflux and not others, so you'll have to learn which foods affect you. A good standard to follow is that all foods are mostly okay in moderation. Many cases of acid reflux are caused by over-eating.
