Diet for Reflux

A diet for reflux can help you avoid the consequences of consuming foods and beverages that are harmful to your stomach. Acid reflux is not just an uncomfortable inconvenience. When acids back up through the top of the stomach into the esophagus, it can cause inflammation and result in serious harm to the lining. An acid reflux diet involves abstaining from foods and beverages that cause heartburn and eating healthy foods that have a calming effect on your digestion.

Those who suffer from acid reflux often find themselves chewing antacids after meals or downing pills to prevent the reflux from occurring. The problem with chewing antacids after meals is that by the time you chew them, you are already in pain and chewable antacids may contain unwanted, or even harmful ingredients. The problem with pills to prevent acid reflux is that there are often many unwanted side-effects and problems that may occur as a result of long term use. A diet for reflux can help heal your problem and keep you feeling well without all the worry over whether you have your medication on hand, or what your medication will do to you.

When you have problems with frequent heartburn, the first foods you should cut out of your diet are acidic foods. Citrus fruits and tomatoes are often triggers for an episode of reflux, but so are some starches, sugars, dairy products, and meat. The foods that trigger your heartburn may be different than the foods that cause others trouble. For instance, some people find that chocolate gives them heartburn, while others who suffer from acid reflux can handle chocolate just fine, but end up in pain over something as simple as a few french fries.

The first step of an acid reflux diet involves figuring out what your particular triggers happen to be. You can do this by keeping a food journal over the course of one or two weeks. For the best results, record everything you put in your mouth as well as your reactions to each item. Once you have pinpointed your trigger foods, the next step is to remove them from your menu and test different ones. In this way, you will discover the foods that cause flare-ups of reflux and will be able to structure a diet plan around your particular needs. Your diet should include grains, such as oats and bran; fresh vegetables, low-acid fruit, such as bananas and apples; and lean meats, including poultry and fish.

Eating is not the only action that can cause acid reflux. If you have heartburn problems, try abstaining from drinking beverages that contain alcohol, carbonation, caffeine, sugar, or citric acid. Smoking and certain types of drugs can exacerbate the condition.

Another way to decrease attacks of reflux is to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than eat two or three large meals. Large meals result in more acid production and empty stomachs can also bring on heartburn. A diet for reflux should leave you feeling energized and healthy rather than feeling hungry or too full. Contact Reflux Remedy at refluxremedy.com to learn more about diets for acid reflux today!