It’s a scientific reality that in America “at least” 15,000,000 people suffer from acid reflux and if half of them knew the benefits of raw yogurt there would be half as many suffering from acid reflux symptoms.

Yogurt qualifies as a new group of healing foods called “functional foods.”

Suggesting until now most Americans have been exposed to mostly “dysfunctional foods,” you could say.

Yogurt in itself isn’t a cure for acid reflux, however the whole group of “functional foods” is. Yogurt just represents a small fraction of the healing foods available to help remove the root cause of acid reflux, acid indigestion and heartburn.

Treating the symptoms of acid reflux is what created 15,000,000 Americans who constantly suffer from the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux diseases.

I find it interesting and maybe you will too, that in these difficult times the only companies really making seemingly unlimited amounts of money , with exception of the petroleum sheiks, are the pharmaceutical corporations.

Sadly, government protected medicine ensures their? financial success despite of their blatant short comings and outright failure to cure anything these days . . . even simple heartburn.

Acid reflux can be cured by consuming yogurt rich with natural probiotics, which simply restore and help maintain the natural pH balance in your gut.

Yogurt is not the end all of acid indigestion, heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but it’s a foot marching in the right direction.

Many yogurts contain little if any beneficial micro-organisms such as probiotics.

In fact many of these so-called yogurts are so full of sugar,? additives and artificial sweeteners that they are nothing more than examples of supreme contradiction.

In fact the bad bacteria like Helicobacter pylori thrive off the acid pH environment sugar and undigested animal proteins helps create.

Beneficial micro-organisms naturally occur in raw yogurt, but because of the over pasteurization of dairy products in America, any probiotics you can find in these commercialized yogurt brands had to be added after the fact.

It’s just NOT the same.

There is no comparison to the benefits of eating raw sheep or goats’ milk products like kefir, cheese and yogurt, these are abundant in healthful flora building micro-organisms that will help optimize your gut pH and digestive health.

I mentioned sheep and goat yogurt products for two reasons.

1.?????? They are grass fed.

2.?????? Their protein is similar to human breast milk.

Both of these factors are responsible for a superior product higher in nutrition, probiotics and are easier to digest. Cow’s milk has a larger protein molecule made for growing baby heifers? remarkably fast. These larger protein molecules? are hard to digest and can cause allergic reactions and are also known to induce a more acidic pH in the gut because of the wasted, undigested animal protein.

The good bacteria and micro-organisms thrive in a more alkaline pH environment.

One of the causes of acid reflux is from an acidic pH level that produces harmful bacteria, killing off the good flora.

So yes, yogurt is great for acid reflux and combined with a high? protein plant-based diet, ample sunshine and a semi-active lifestyle you can overcome acid reflux, heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux diseases naturally, without getting deceived by ineffective and outright harmful pharmaceutical gimmicks .

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

Nearly everyone has experienced heartburn at some time or another and has sought relief through one of the home cures for heartburn. Heartburn is often the result of either over-eating or indulging in too many rich and spicy foods as we tend to do during holiday meals. A mild case can involve some stomach discomfort such as feeling over full, bloating, and belching accompanied by a mild pain. People with more severe cases experience a burning pain in the abdomen or lower chest that travels up to the neck area. While people refer to this as heartburn, it really has nothing to do with the heart.

Heartburn is the layman’s term for acid reflux pain. When you swallow food, it travels down a tube-like structure called the esophagus and then into your stomach. Your stomach contains strong acids that help digest the food. At the bottom of your esophagus there is a muscle known as a sphincter. This muscle will open and allow food to pass from the esophagus into the stomach. Once this has occurred, the muscle contracts and tightens. This action prevents the food from backing up or the stomach acid from escaping into the esophagus. But if this muscle does not contract and tighten after the food has passed, the food and acid will back up (known as reflux). The end result: heartburn pain.

Since most people experience this from time to time, nearly everyone has a home remedy that they try before calling a doctor or buying an over the counter medication. Contrary to what many people think, home cures for heartburn can be very effective. However, like many other health problems, there is no magic bullet. People are individuals and what works for one, may not work for another.

The effectiveness of the cure can be related to the cause of the problem. With some people the heartburn is triggered by a particular food. If the person can identify the food that is causing the problem, avoiding the food is the simplest way to stop reflux at its source.? Everyone is unique, but some common food triggers are alcohol, citrus, onions and garlic.

Another effective home remedy is one containing an alkali ingredient to neutralize the acid that has escaped from the stomach. What might be one of the most common home cures for heartburn that many people try is adding one teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and then drinking the mixture.

Something else that may help is a simple adjustment in the way you eat.? If you tend to eat a few large meals every day, try breaking it up into several smaller ones.? This prevents tremendous amounts of food from reaching the stomach at once, which causes pressure to build, and reflux to ensue.

On his website www.refluxremedy.com Bob Barton mentions eating a red apple as one of the most successful home cures for heartburn. And according to Barton, you don’t even have to eat the entire apple. A couple of slices can do the trick.

Barton?s book, The Reflux Remedy Report also suggests trying techniques like elevating your head during sleep.? This helps keep your head in the appropriate position and alignment with your stomach, keeping acids where they belong.

For more home cures for acid reflux, visit www.refluxremedy.com and read The Reflux Remedy Report today!

They call it heartburn for a good reason . . .one of the most corrosive acid substances in the world, called your stomach acid, is breaching the stomachs natural perimeter and causing a searing, burning effect in the throat, voice box, mouth, lungs and sinus areas.

The fact is you have a special valve that is designed to keep your stomach acid down below, where it belongs. Problem is, due to extraordinary circumstances this so-called valve becomes compromised, or by-passed for one reason or another.

This valve is technically referred to as the Lower Esophageal? Sphincter or better known as your LES. This valve, or sphincter is located just above your diaphragm, right next to the top of your heart.

Hence the term heartburn refers to the sensation of caustic gastric fluids breaking through this vital biological seal.

Once the stomach acid gets passed your LES, it’s up to you how far it goes.

Your simple acid reflux, heartburn or acid indigestion could do harm to even more sensitive areas as I mentioned above from not knowing what to do to control acid reflux and what the cause is from

The worst thing you can do is lay down after eating, or especially after having a heartburn “event.”

Picture this hydrochloric stomach acid burping up pass your LES and then dripping back down to rest on the “wrong ” side of the seal, right next to your heart.

Now imagine that same heartburn sensation moving slowly further and further upward along your throat because you decided to lie down.

In fact, this is the worst thing you can do after a heart burn attack, it’s likely that by lying down on a full stomach, more gastric acid will by-pass your LES valve and create even more damage and heartburn pain.

This bad habit is largely responsible for causing further corrosive damage to your LES and your throat. The gastric acid from heartburn is so nasty that it will ultimately mutate the cells lining your throat and make them more like your stomach acid.

Giving you a permanent heartburn sensation called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Isn’t it amazing how the built in Intelligent design of your mind automatically knows what’s best to do to keep your body alive.

All you have to do is pay attention and learn better ways to work with your body/mind, rather than against it.

Heartburn feels like your heart is burning because one of the largest and most sensitive nerves in your anatomy , called the vagus nerve, runs through your throat and to all your organs. So it’s easy to picture how once stomach acid erupts up into your throat and inflames your upper chest, respiratory and the wrong side of your LES valve, that your heart is going to feel as if its burning alive.

Like mother said,? “Sit up straight when you eat” and maybe try going for a walk after eating.

For best results avoid eating too much at one time, chew your food extremely well and don’t eat iceberg lettuce before a greasy meal. In fact, I chose to eat my mixed green salads the European way, which is “after” the greasy meal.

Soon you’ll forget where your heartburn used to hurt.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

Heartburn is a common complaint in today’s fast-paced, fast food world.? The feeling of burning in your upper stomach, perhaps in your throat…the tightness in your chest or even trouble swallowing…all can be symptoms of heartburn. When the acid pumps in your stomach are overactive, it starts to erode the esophagus, which is responsible for keeping acid down in the stomach. Esophagitis can occur, where there are tiny fissures (or tears) in the lining of the esophagus, and other more serious ailments can be caused if this condition is left untreated for a long period of time. Treatments for heartburn vary widely, from homeopathic remedies to prescription medication and even surgery, so first of all, see your doctor if your heartburn persists for more than a few weeks.

If your doctor okays, it you can try lifestyle changes first, including switching your diet away from fatty meals and acid-producers, such as alcohol and coffee. Maintaining a healthy weight is another way to combat heartburn naturally, so limiting fatty foods might have two benefits in your lifestyle. Other tricks include eating smaller, more frequent meals, and even elevating your head a couple of inches when you sleep can help keep acid down in your stomach where it belongs. Other specific food culprits that you might want to avoid include chocolate, tomato and tomato-based products, citrus fruits, fried foods, and pepper. Also, try staying hydrated. Eight glasses of water a day is not only good for your whole body, but it can help your body naturally dilute strong stomach acid and give your esophagus a break.

Other treatments for heartburn include over-the-counter medications, including Pepcid and Zantac. These work by decreasing the amount of stomach acid produced and are effective remedies against gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD), where acid from the stomach actually makes it past the esophagus into the throat. Other OTC remedies include antacids, which neutralize stomach acid. Brands include Tagamet and TUMS.? However, these medications are not meant as a permanent solution and should not be taken for more than two weeks, unless otherwise advised by your physician.

Prescription treatments for heartburn can include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which stop the release of acid in the stomach; this class is frequently prescribed as well for GERD sufferers. Another class of prescription medication is a promotilty agent, which helps patients who have slowed emptying of their stomach.? These medicineshelp hasten digestion, and are often effective against sufferers of GERD.? Prescription medications can often be pricey, and sometimes taking a pill every day for the rest of your life is not the most appealing option.

In that case, there are a number of natural methods for combating this problem on your own. Homeopathic treatments for heartburn include lifestyle changes, as mentioned above, and supplements like calcium carbonate to quell acid, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), which can be found in a natural foods or supplements store. This latter product has inflammatory properties, and lines the stomach, intestines and esophagus, forming a barrier between tissue and acid. Fresh ginger can help some sufferers, which you grind up and add to foods or drinks like herbal tea. Chamomile tea is another good one to try, along with licorice root.

For further treatment ideas, the Reflux Remedy Report contains a host of natural ideas.? Visit their Web site at www.refluxremedy.com.