gastroesophageal more than likely know all too well what food
and drinks they should avoid. However many do not know all the
foods that they can eat that will not aggravate their symptoms.
The only way to avoid real problems is to establish a diet for
acid reflux and strictly follow it. The bottom line is to reduce
the amount of excess stomach acid in your stomach which will
help reduce reflux pressure on the lower esophagus sphincter
muscle. All of which should reduce or prevent GERD symptoms.
Probably the easiest and fastest way reduce your symptoms is to
change the way you eat. Instead of eating the standard 3 meals
each day you should eat amounts of food 5 or 6 times each day.
Smaller amounts of food will cause the stomach to produce less
acid. In addition the fact that food is present in the stomach
most of the day any access acid will be used in the normal
digestion processes. Making a diet for acid reflux means
including pasta, cereal grains and breads are more complex
carbohydrates. These foods require longer digestion time and
thereby act as a buffer any excess acid production.
While many fruits such as citrus are to be avoided others such
as papaya and pineapples are recommended as they have a natural
chemical that aids in digestion and reduces stomach acid damage.
Neutral fruits such as bananas and apples can also be eaten
without problem. As far as vegetables are concerned carrots,
green and yellow beans and broccoli can almost always be eaten
without causing acid reflux problems.
When it comes to ingesting liquids alcoholic beverages,
carbonated drinks, some teas, citrus juice and coffees should be
avoided. It is said that if you are suffering from acid reflux
or heartburn that you cannot drink too much water. In some cases
drinking two gallons of water a day has stopped all acid reflux
symptoms. It may take a week but drinking lots of water can only
help you. Many people recommend mineral water for those that
have problems with common tap water.
If you are going to eat meats they should be very lean and not
cooked in fats. Removing the skin off of poultry will reduce the
changes of heartburn. Broiling meats to remove fats is another
way to reduce acid reflux symptoms.
Most people with acid reflux symptoms will have to remove them
from their diet. However some people can drink skim milk in
moderation. If you are a sweets lover then stick to natural
chocolates and peppermints for desserts. When developing your
diet for acid reflux you may have to try many different recipes
and foods to find the right ones that work for you. Each of us
is an individual and as such will react to different foods in
our diet differently.
There are also some desserts that are not advisable to be eaten
during an acid reflux diet. Two of which are peppermint and
chocolate. Ice creams can be consumed as long as they are low in
fat. Also, people with GERD should avoid eating spicy foods. In
dairy products, consume only those items that are low in fat or
fat free.
About The Author: James Kesel, MS. is the publisher of the Acid
Reflux Heartburn Cure website at http://www.heartbur
