Acid reflux disease, or GERD, often causes burning pains, belching, bloating and chest discomfort after meals and from overeating. Using occasional antacids brings temporary relief from heartburn, but side effects from GERD medications are many and can be alarming. You can achieve relief from painful acid reflux by planning and following a diet specially suited for GERD patients, including all the foods you can eat safely and healthfully and eliminating foods that cause pain and discomfort. Getting acid reflux disease under control is important for your long-term health to prevent the onset of possible complications later.
Step 1
Keep a journal of everything you eat with the time of day and your body's response to those foods. As you create your GERD diet, you'll know better what you can and can't eat to avoid acid reflux.
Step 2
Eat smaller meals more frequently to immediately help reduce symptoms. Chew food thoroughly to start the digestive process in your mouth by adding saliva to the mix.
Step 3
Eliminate milk from your diet. One of the myths associated with following a diet for acid reflux is that milk helps. According to registered dietitian Gloria Tsang, milk has long been one of the recommended foods to relieve symptoms, and initially it does help reduce burning pains. But it also creates a rebound reaction eventually encouraging even more acid production in a feedback loop that worsens GERD.
Step 4
Avoid well-known trigger drinks that contribute to excess acid buildup in the stomach, such as carbonated beverages, alcohol, coffee, and orange and grapefruit juices.
Step 5
Pass on highly processed foods, fast foods, white sugar and flour products, especially those made from wheat, which seems to cause problems for many people. Dr. Theodore A. Baroody emphasizes in his book, "Alkalinize or Die," that all wheat, especially that which is highly processed, contributes to allergies, gluten intolerance and creates an acidic condition in the body aggravating the digestive process.
Step 6
Eat complex carbohydrates, whole grains and starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and plantains. These are very satisfying for most people and bind to excess stomach acids and are soothing to the digestive tract. Dr. Baroody mentions the best whole grains for an acid reflux diet are highly alkaline and include amaranth, cous cous and millet.
Step 7
Add lots of organic fruits and vegetables to your diet, which create an alkaline state in the stomach, serving to moderate acid production and prevent painful symptoms.
Eat fruits at least an hour before or after meals to allow for proper digestion. The reason for this is because fruit digests at a faster rate than other foods and can cause fermentation-producing acid reflux if combined in a meal with heavier foods.
Add an apple, apple juice or unsweetened apple sauce to your meal plan. Apples are great for helping to neutralize acid reflux. If you are using apples to control acid reflux, try a variety of types and experiment with the best time to eat them for optimum relief.
Step 8
Steer away from heavily processed foods, highly spiced and fatty foods. These foods can aggravate symptoms, creating digestive problems and acid reflux disease.
Step 9
Experiment with new flavors and spices to replace pepper and highly spiced chilies. Usually if it is a green spice such as basil, thyme, sage, oregano or a brown spice such as cinnamon, cumin or cardamon, it will taste great and be more soothing to your stomach.
Tips and Warnings
- Retrain your taste buds to like foods that make you feel good while reducing acid reflux symptoms.
- The suggestions offered here are for educational purposes and not meant to replace medical advice.
References
- HealthCastle.com
- "Alkalinize or Die," Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, 1991
- Earth Clinic Folk Remedies
