Quick and Easy Tips to Prevent Acid Reflux and Heart Burn

 

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If you've ever experienced burning in the chest and throat, belching, nausea after eating, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, coughing, hiccups, or pain with lying down, bending, and stooping – particularly after a large meal, there's a good chance you are suffering from a very common health problem. Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, the condition affects approximately 1/3 of the people in the United States. That's a scarily significant portion of the population, and costs for evaluation and treatment of GERD are more than $10 billion per year!

What Causes GERD?

GERD is a little more than occasional heartburn. People with occasional heartburn experience it less than once a week, while GERD affects people two times a week or more. In some cases, GERD may even cause significant discomfort every day, leading people suffering from the condition to try just about every type of medication they can.
So what causes GERD? Food passes through your digestive system via the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which sits at the bottom of your esophagus just before your stomach. This passage is supposed to be one-way only. Unfortunately, a number of things can cause the LES to not close properly, or to open at inappropriate times, allowing stomach acid to flow upwards through the LES, carrying stomach acids into the esophagus and mouth. While many people experience occasional bouts of heartburn, when this begins to occur regularly, doctors diagnose GERD.

What factors contribute to GERD?

• Eating large meals
• Eating foods that irritate the stomach
• Constipation or poor elimination
• Excess belly fat
• Excess intake of acidic foods
• A high fat diet

Natural Ways to Eliminate Acid Reflux

While the common response to GERD is to reach for an antacid or the latest anti-GERD miracle medicine such as Zantac or Prilosec, this only treats the symptoms and does not eliminate the cause. In some cases, even medications aren't enough to fully eliminate symptoms. In others, you are forced to take more and more medicine in order to get the same level of relief. And even if you have relieved the symptoms through medicine, have you eliminated the cause? Of course not!
Fortunately, you can control the symptoms of GERD naturally, and even help your body heal so you never need to reach for that roll of Tums again! By making lifestyle changes that support good health, you can start feeling relief without medicine.

1. The Glowing Green Smoothie: I really do believe the GGS is a miracle in a glass. Starting your day with one can do so many positive things for your health. Here's how it helps with GERD. Since one of the leading causes of GERD is constipation (straining to eliminate hardened stool can widen the LES over time, allowing acids to back up through the esophagus), all of the beneficial fiber from a daily GGS will help bulk up your stool and eliminate constipation. Another reason the GGS is so powerful in your fight against GERD and acid reflux is that you are starting your day with a powerfully alkaline drink that can neutralize any acids in your system and help maintain your body's pH levels.
2. Eat a plant-based diet: Plants are full of wonderful nutrients, fibers, and active enzymes. Additionally, plants are alkaline, which can help create an internal environment that inhibits acids from building up. Plants are easy to digest, so your stomach doesn't need to work nearly as hard or produce nearly as much acid as it would with other foods.
3. Avoid or minimize all animal products: On the other hand, animal products (including dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry) are very difficult to digest. They require tremendous effort (and acid release) on the part of your stomach. Likewise, animal products create an acidic environment in which conditions like acid reflux thrive.
4. Minimize acid-forming beverages: Coffee, soda, and energy drinks all create tons of acid in your body – and your stomach. They can also irritate your stomach lining. Carbonation may also contribute to GERD symptoms. Switch to herbal tea, pure water, or a water with a squeeze of lemon.
5. Avoid gluten grains: Wheat, rye, barley, and some processed oats all contain gluten, which is a protein that is very hard for the digestive system to process. Instead, switch to healthy, non-GMO grains like millet and quinoa. These not only add beneficial fiber to your diet, but the are much easier on digestion.
6. Minimize fats: While your body needs some fat to survive, minimizing your intake of super fatty foods like fried foods and animal products can make a big difference in GERD.
7. If you are overweight, lose weight: Belly fat can contribute to GERD, so losing weight can ease the pressure on the LES.
8. Stop eating before you are stuffed: Eat your meals slowly, chewing fully, and stop when you start to feel full – not when you feel so full you can't move. Huge meals overextend the stomach, which can cause – you guessed it – acid reflux.
9. Eliminate foods that may irritate your stomach: Certain foods can really be irritating to the stomach, including things like onions and peppers. If you notice a certain food irritates your stomach, cut it out.
10. Wait an hour after eating: Before you lie down or get all excited about bending, stooping, and other actions, wait an hour after a meal. This helps keep the acid right where it belongs – in your stomach. If you allow gravity to aid stomach acid by bending or lying and you have a weakened or widened LES, it's going to wind up in your esophagus and mouth.
11. Sleep with your upper body in an elevated position. If acid reflux gets you at night, defy gravity by lying in bed with your upper body raised to keep acids where they belong.
12. Avoid antacids: While these chalky pills temporarily relieve symptoms of acid reflux, they also cause the stomach to produce more acid to overcome the alkalinity they create. This creates a downward spiral where you take more antacids to combat the increased acid, and your stomach produces more acid to combat the increased number of antacids. Before long, you'll be going through a Costco-sized Tums in just a few days. Nobody wants to live that way!
13. Stop smoking.

 

Natural Acid Reflux Treatment

I can see you saying, "But I have acid reflux right now. These things will take time. How can I relieve my symptoms now?"

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Have some licorice root tea. This tea soothes and can coat the lining of your esophagus. If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before trying licorice root, which can elevate blood pressure.
2. Chew a fresh basil leaf. This Ayurvedic remedy can sooth your digestive tract.
3. Suck on a slippery elm lozenge. Available at the health food store, these lozenges will protect your digestive tract and relive coughing or pain.
4. Take digestive enzymes. This can help encourage digestion to occur more quickly.
5. Try some organic raw honey. This will neutralize the pH in your stomach, reducing acids that can come back up.
6. Have some chamomile tea. Chamomile can soothe and neutralize stomach acids.

*Please note that the above is a repost from Kimberly Snyder's blog on April 19th, 2012
Kimberly Snyder is a nutritionist and author of three books, which appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Click on the below links to find out more about these books and/or make a purchase:
Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted
The Beauty Detox Foods: Discover the Top 50 Beauty Foods That Will Transform Your Body and Reveal a More Beautiful You
The Beauty Detox Power: Nourish Your Mind and Body for Weight Loss and Discover True Joy

Kicking It Up A Notch!

That’s it!  I tried to take this change in my diet slowly, but I must be a little hastier.  I am going full vegan with a large portion of my diet becoming raw food.

Let me explain.  Over a month ago, I stopped using deodorant because I kept getting these lumps under my arm.  I went to the doctor and she felt that perhaps it was an infection, which can come from microscopic openings left under my arm from shaving and deodorant, sweat or other bacteria getting caught in the openings and getting infected.  My doctor prescribed antibiotics and told me to try resting steaming rags under my underarms from time to time to help clear out any clogged pores or impurities.  I’ve been too afraid to return to deodorant once the lumps disappeared, so have resorted to pouring baby powder under my arms each morning.  I even have one of those facial puffs that I put powder on, and then pat my underarms, when I have a little more time and don’t want to make a mess.

Fast forward to Sunday.  Out of nowhere, I developed a pimple-like thing on my left inner thigh.  By nightfall, it had a huge white top and I developed a similar structure on the left side of my upper lip.  I popped both and put acne medication on them before I went to bed.  However, by morning, they were both back and bigger than ever.  Ugh!!!!!!   So, anyway, by the end of the day, my leg bump had burst due to the constant friction it had to endure under my pants all day.  The lip pimple was alive and thriving.  After I washed my face last night, I put the acne medication on my lip bump again and then was so desperate that I also put toothpaste on the bump to try and dry it up.  By morning, the very middle of the white head of the bump seemed to by dryer, but overall the bump was thriving.  I couldn’t go back to work another day with this stupid thing on my lip, so I popped it, cleaned it and put some stuff on it.  Needless to say, now it looks like I had a cold sore, instead of a pimple.  Smh!  Soooo embarrassing.

Fast Forward to 10:00am this morning.  I looked down and low and behold this exact same pesky pimple-like bump has appeared on my left forearm.  WTH! My forearm?  I don’t sweat or produce loads of oil on my forearm.  Why would I get this pimple there?

Well, I decided to do what any self-respecting person would do under my circumstances……I took to Google and looked up white puss bump….or something like that.  What I came up with is that perhaps this is some kind of boil or staph/bacterial infection on my skin.  They make it very clear online that while your doctor can prescribe antibiotics; these types of bacteria often become resistant to medications.  The best way to fight this (assuming that my hypochondriatic conclusions are right) is to change your diet and hygiene.  Well, my hygiene’s pretty good.  I don’t even touch bathroom doors when I’m exiting them in public restrooms and I always wash.  My research also revealed that meat products and processed foods also contribute to these infections.  Removing those items from your diet has been proven to be successful to both treat and combat these infections……as well as a thorough detox.

So…….forget my 12-step program to better health and detox.  I am starting it all (or at least most) today!!!!!  ….or tomorrow.  I love my life and me too much to take any more chances.  And if it is determined that I never had a staph infection and these are just pimples, it doesn’t matter.  I will be healthier, have more energy, clearer skin, etc., etc.   J  God Bless America!

PHASE I Detox & Diet: The Power of the L.E.M.O.N.

Last night, my husband and I went grocery shopping and #1 on my list were…..LEMONS.  Thus, I have chosen to begin stage 1 of my detox and diet today!

PHASE  I: Start your day with a mug of hot water with lemon.

You are not cleansing unless toxins and waste are actually leaving your body. How you begin each and every day is important. It’s important to get in the habit of allowing yourself to have as complete an elimination as possible first thing in the morning.

This means that right when you wake up, you really shouldn’t eat anything immediately. If you do, part or the majority of your digestive fires will be directed at digesting the food you just put into your body, rather than focusing on your very important first (and maybe only) elimination of the day (!).

Here’s an excellent habit to get into:
Turn on your tea kettle first thing, then make yourself a cup of:
- Hot water**
- Fresh juice of a quarter of a lemon squeezed in

**Remember your water should be fairly hot but never boiling!!! Let it cool down before you squeeze the lemon in. Don’t kill all the enzymes and vitamins of the lemon!

This drink will help relax your bowels and promote elimination. The warm lemon water will also dissolve mucus in the body, flush and support the liver, and help with the absorption of minerals. So let this be the first thing that enters your lips in the morning- and don’t eat anything for at least one hour after you wake up, as your body can use this time to detox.

 To maximize cleansing benefits, get into the habit of drinking one hot mug of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in first thing in the morning. Refresh yourself throughout the day with cool lemon water. Something sweeter more your speed? Feel free to throw in some natural sugar, honey, stevia or xyitol for a lighter taste with the same benefits……or make tea with lemons.  To really cash in on the goodness of lemons, spritz a mix of lemon, apple cider vinegar, stevia (and sea salt/pepper to taste) on all your greens for the day.

Cleansing is one of the most powerful instruments we have in our toolbox to bring our bodies (and our minds) back into alignment. After all, balance is one of the most important things in our lives, right? The important thing to remember about this PHASE I cleansing step  is that it  is meant to instill long-term habits, which I want you to keep doing after this stage  is over.  On March 1^st, I intend to move on to PHASE II, which will build on to PHASE I.

Please note that this information has been obtained from various sources, including The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder.

My Journey Towards Cleansing, Nutrition and Optimal Health

It all started a month ago when I was flipping through the TV channels on an uneventful Saturday night.  PBS was doing another one of their pledge/money drives and had a man by the name of Joel Fuhrman on the screen, giving a presentation called “3 Steps to Incredible Health.”  Depending on the amount you pledged to give the TV station, you could get special DVDs and books from Joel Fuhrman to help you on your path to incredible health.  If you know me, you know that I always get dragged into these types of infomercial-type presentations.  He talked about how to naturally avoid and/or reverse the signs of aging and sickness.  He brought people on stage whose lives were changed by following his plan.  I was amazed!  I was so amazed that I stayed up later than normal, even though my husband was ready for bed.  However, I was not amazed enough to pledge $100 to PBS and receive this very special package Fuhrman was offering.  Instead, I did what any smart and frugal woman would do, I researched Fuhrman online and proceeded to reserve all of his books through the New York Public Library.  Why would I pay, when I can get his books and articles written about his health plan for free?  Duh!

Sign #2 came that very next Monday.  I woke up “sick” and had to call out of work that day.  A lady by the name of Kimberly Snyder was on one of the morning shows giving the very same message that Fuhrman was giving two nights before.  You can have optimal health, clear skin, reverse aging, etc., etc. simply by changing your diet.  According to both health experts the key to doing this, mainly, were green leafy vegetables.  Hey!  I like vegetables.  Tell me more.  So, I did what Faunya always does when new information comes to her attention.  I researched this lady online and reserved her book at the library.

Both books arrived at the library at the same time, but I chose to read Kimberly’s book first.  The reasons have more to do with library etiquette and aren’t that interesting.  However, I must say that I am so glad that I chose to read Kimberly’s book first.  It has been life changing.

Anyway, I want to go on this life changing journey towards total body cleansing and optimal health and I would like to take some people with me.  I would like each change that I make to be lifelong and so, therefore, I have decided to take it slow and make only 1-2 changes in my lifestyle per month.  Will you go with me?
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