Reflux Lowdown

If you suffer from acid reflux, knowing what acid reflux food to avoid and how best to manage your symptoms are critical to living a better life.

If you’d like to know more about acid reflux and obtain information on how to improve your diet to improve your daily life, read on.

An Introduction to Acid Reflux

Acid reflux, also known as gastro-esophageal reflux, is a common condition that affects many people. It is the most frequent cause of indigestion and can also trigger heartburn. The condition flares up when the sphincter becomes abnormally relaxed, allowing the acidic contents of the stomach to flow back or “reflux” into the throat.

Acid reflux has numerous symptoms. The most common is a burning feeling in the chest, a bad taste, breathing problems, a hoarse or sore throat or larynx and sometimes belching. Though acid reflux can be treated through surgery, it’s most often addressed with antacids, diet change or H2 blockers.

However, you can often prevent instances or flare-ups of acid reflux by knowing the types of food to avoid. To learn the categories of food you should cut out of your diet and other lifestyle modifications you can make to improve your acid reflux condition, take a look at the particulars.

Food that Tends to Generate Acid Reflux

With acid reflux, not everyone’s trigger foods are the same. However, most people experience flare ups after drinking coffee, eating fried foods, processed foods or spicy meals.

Highly acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits may also cause a flare up. If you don’t know what foods are causing your acid reflux, then start to maintain a food and symptoms diary. Keep track of everything you eat along with your symptoms and see if you can recognize a pattern.

When you cut out your trigger foods, replace them with those that are good for acid reflux. For example, foods that are high in fiber can help your body absorb excess acids. Also, whole grains and non-acidic fruits and vegetables can do wonders for reducing acid levels. Your best defense though? Drink at least eight glasses of water every day.

Herbal teas containing ginger, chamomile, catnip, and licorice root, as well as green tea can assist in the repair of the stomach lining. Do not drink mint tea as it may worsen your symptoms. You also want to eat food that’s nourishing to the stomach and spleen like sweet rice, beef, honey, corn, celery, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes.

Changing Your Habits With Acid Reflux

If you’re experiencing an acid reflux attack while lying in bed, try sleeping in a slightly elevated position. Either put pillows behind you or try sleeping in a chair. Another effective method is to engage in anti-stress activities on a daily basis. Cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, will affect stomach acid levels, so reducing your stress will reduce your acid reflux.

To better manage your acid reflux. It’s important that you know the acid reflux food to avoid, the foods you should eat and how best to manage your symptoms.