Acid Reflux And Acid Reflux Diet

Acid reflux isn’t something that we are born having.  Largely, this is something that develops during our lives, likely as result of how we live.  Consider hours of working at a desk, never finding time to work out, and eating far too many fast food meals.  And then there are those meals when you go out each weekend; those meals that include numerous of the foods that trigger acid reflux, besides being too much in quantity.

If acid reflux and heartburn are in large part caused by diet, then doesn’t it make sense that dietary changes and an acid reflux diet that avoids the foods causing the biggest problems could be used to remedy the situation?

When you start with your new acid reflux diet, you obviously want to stay away from the trigger foods that are causing you the most reflux and heartburn. Obviously, this will include those foods with the most acid, foods like the citrus fruits oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. Tomatoes aren’t considered citrus, but they do have very high acid content, and are also found as a base in so many things.

You will also want to stay away from foods that have a lot of fat in them, because those types of foods have a tendency to increase stomach acid as they are digested. This happens because fatty foods relax the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. So remaining closed during digest as intended, it instead relaxes and thus the acid can get back into the esophagus. Also note that these kinds of foods digest slower. As result, the acid is going to stay in the stomach longer, and be more available to reflux.

You know what foods have the most fat in them, they are the foods that you like the best, including fast foods with the oils they are cooked in – can you say french fries. Heavily marbled steaks, butter and sour cream, ice cream, and whole milk dairy products are all high fat trigger foods. And chocolate. And desserts made with oil and fat.

Before we go on with the acid reflux diet considerations, I am sure it has occurred to you how restrictive this is going to be – I know this was my thoughts when I made my decision to try and finally go this route to get rid of my acid reflux disease. But then I realized what was at hand. Did I want to really let this get out of hand and maybe eventually have surgery, or did I want to give up some foods, that also weren’t really good for me in general? It became an easy decision to make.

There are other foods to avoid, besides those with high acid content and high fat content, those primary acid reflux trigger foods. Stay away from the hot chilies and peppers – do you ever watch Man –vs- Food and see what that guy can get away with eating? Anyway, avoid the highly spicy foods and sauces, and unfortunately no more hot chicken wings.

As well, the highly processed foods that have lots of white flower and sugar in them are a problem. These kinds are foods lead to an acidic reaction.

Interestingly, there are many liquids that are to be avoided on an acid reflux diet. Alcohol burns the lining of the esophagus. And the fermented alcoholic drinks that would include beer and wine are the worst. For instance, it has been shown that beer can double stomach acid in as little as an hour.

Have you ever heard – drink milk to relax the stomach when you have eaten too much? That is supposed to be a myth. This may help for a short period of time, but milk does cause secretion of stomach acid, which then could cause acid reflux.

Yes, there are foods that you can eat; I eat well, but I get plenty to eat. However, also consider your eating habits. Do you eat a couple of real large meals a day, especially at dinner time? How about after dinner, do you immediately head for the couch and lay down to watch tv?

These are eating habits that need to be changed regardless of what you eat. Eat more smaller meals a day, instead of a couple of large ones. Smaller meals are easier and quicker to digest. Therefore you don’t need to secrete as much acid for digestion, and the food and acid won’t be in the stomach as long to be available for reflux and heartburn.

You really do have a lot of foods you can chose to eat. Just think nutrition and healthy in general, while staying away from those primary acid reflux trigger foods.

Ideally, you will get your acid reflux under control. Once this is done you can consider trying to eat some of those other foods that you like. Just do so slowly and in small quantities until you are sure that you can tolerate it, and it is not causing you problems. It is highly recommended to keep a food diary, where you write down the foods and quantity along with the reaction it has on your acid reflux.