Acid reflux has several medical names such as heart burn, acid indigestion and gastro-esophageal reflux disease, regardless they’re all associated with STRESS.

Everyone loves stress don’t they? NOT.

Stress is stressful. Just the thought of being stressed out stresses me out . . . at least it used to. I’ve learned how to not sweat the little stuff in life in order to better enjoy the bigger, more important things . . . like my health.

Acid reflux is unnatural; it’s what happens when you do unnatural things, but in a way I guess you could argue that it’s a natural response to an unnatural act.

Acid reflux is your inner intelligence getting back at you for not going with the flow. Seriously, we humans really do take everything for granted. Your mind/body is the most intelligent representation of Mama Nature’s handy craft in the entire world, and look what we do to ourselves.

We stress ourselves out in so many ways it’s not funny one bit.

We have dumped industrial pollutants into our oceans, lakes and streams. We’ve spewed noxious gases into the air . . . we stress out the world.

Then we take living soil, rich with more than 72 trace minerals and burn it up with chemical fertilizers until our foods have nothing but nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium . . . we stress out our food.

The result is biological stress caused from under-nutrition. It takes a bushel of tomatoes to equal the nutritional value of an heirloom tomato from 100 years ago.

Then we stress ourselves out . . . with radiation from the thinning sky, cell phone transmissions and nuclear fallout to boot. Add to that our desperately paced lifestyles, racing us around 24/7 just to pay the bills . . . it’s no wonder millions of people have acid reflux and acid reflux associated diseases.

Up to 44% of the United States adult population experience acid reflux, heartburn or acid indigestion at least once per month, 14% weekly and 7% daily. Acid reflux is one of the most common disorders today and it’s all from a dysfunction between the throat from the stomach.

When people are stressed in America, they eat more, or they eat the wrong food and often eat it at the wrong times. All this triggers acid reflux because the food isn’t being digested so it places stress on the barrier between the throat and the stomach called the diaphragm. Once the stomach is stressed from all the undigested garbage food in it and the diaphragm is stressed from the pressure forcing it up toward the throat . . . acid reflux happens.

You have a flap-like valve called a Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which normally keeps acid reflux separate from the throat. However, once the food pressure becomes great enough it warps this flap-like seal allowing stomach acid to reflux upward into your throat, lungs, sinus cavity and mouth . . . which stresses you out even more.

Bottom line acid reflux patients who are stressed report chronic acid reflux symptoms. Psychological factors may play a critical role, especially for patients without inflamed throats. There are further studies on understanding the brain/gut relationship and how a person’s perception of stress helps trigger acid reflux.

Considering all forms of stress and its relationship to acid reflux clearly shows that less stress equals less acid reflux.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

Source: http://www.cns.med.ucla.edu/Articles/PatientArticleFl99GERD.htm

The symptoms of acid reflux in women are the same as the acid reflux symptoms for men. One outstanding difference is women tend to be more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies than men. This is most likely due to the fact that they can grow babies and men obviously do not.

The more nutrient deficient you are the more likely you’ll suffer from acid reflux, which is a double edge sword for women because suffering from acid reflux means you’re not absorbing enough nutrients from your food.

What many woman don’t understand about their acid reflux symptoms is that sometimes it’s because of a lack of stomach acid rather than an over production of it.

A woman’s body needs specific nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Just as important, if not more so are the 72 trace minerals that help make nutrient absorption possible.

If you’re a woman and you suffer from acid reflux triggered from a stomach acid deficiency, you most likely are also suffering from a mineral deficiency as well.

Fortunately, you can get plenty of minerals and nutrients from following a Mediterranean-style diet. Not only do woman who eat a Mediterranean -style diet have less deficiencies and therefore less health problems like acid reflux, they actually live longer too. At least that’s what articles published in the British Medical Journal and the Archives of Internal Medicine show.

At the University of Athens, Greece, their medical school did a study with more than 70,000 women who didn’t have any major diseases like heart disease, stroke and cancer. All of them were over 60 years old and data was taken concerning their lifestyles and diets for 8 years.

Bottom line is a Mediterranean diet was linked to a significant reduction in mortality.

I challenge any woman to increase here quality of life by eating more naturally, like Mediterranean woman do and I’m sure you’ll find your acid reflux problems disappearing once and for all.

What does one have to do with the other? Based on my personal research, eating healthy naturally cures acid reflux in men and woman. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is a “sad” joke played upon the American people. I hope to soon publish the Healthy American Diet, which will be an improved version of the Atkins diet-stay tuned!

A focus on raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products, low intake of red meat, low intake of refined grains, and avoidance of fried foods meets the wide variety of nutrient needs for people suffering from acid reflux, whether a man or a woman.

Acid reflux caused from a stomach acid deficiency is a nutritional imbalance just as an acid reflux from an over-production of stomach acid is- both can be cured by eating a healthier more intelligent diet.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

If you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD.? The chronic heartburn condition is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter malfunctions.? When operating normally, the sphincter only allows food and liquids to flow one direction – into the stomach.? GERD occurs when stomach acid is allowed to flow the opposite way, and up into the lower esophagus. ?This results in pain and irritation of the esophagus.

What causes GERD?

GERD has several causes ranging from health and hormonal abnormalities, to daily habits.

• Medicines: Certain medications can be pointed to as causes for, and irritants of, GERD. Over the counter pain medicines called NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as vitamin supplements like iron, potassium and calcium.
• Health: Hormones help control the contractions of the lower esophageal sphincter, so pregnant women often find they suffer from frequent heartburn. Additionally, a small percentage of people with Type 1 Diabetes have a digestive disorder (called gastroparesis). It delays food passage out of the stomach, causing pressure to build and leading to GERD. There is also a condition called Hiatal Hernia that is thought to worsen the symptoms of GERD. This happens when a part of the stomach is displaced and either forced into the lower esophagus, or beside it.
• Foods: It’s difficult to point to one certain food that causes heartburn, but some foods can cause it more frequently than others. Things like garlic, citrus, caffeine, alcohol and onions can make heartburn worse. But, everyone has their own triggers – something that may cause heartburn in one person, someone else with GERD may not react to at all.
• Habits: Daily routines can also cause GERD. Things like wearing clothes that are too tight and smoking can cause acid build up. Even if you’re just a little overweight, that added pressure on your abdomen can trigger heartburn.

What are the symptoms?

GERD presents with a few symptoms.? They include:

• Frequent heartburn
• Regurgitation
• Difficulty swallowing

These symptoms can be exacerbated if you lay down to soon after eating, eat a large meal, or even bend down to lift something heavy.

What can you do?

If you have GERD, there are many options for treatment.? If you’re a smoker, quit.? If you’re overweight, loose a few pounds.? You should also use caution with medicines known to aggravate GERD.

Even a change in diet can have a profound effect.? Try keeping a food journal and track what foods set off your heartburn, then avoid them.? Also, wait 2 to 3 hours after eating to go to bed, and eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid pressure build up in the stomach.

Over the counter antacids or prescription medications can also be helpful.

If all else fails, your doctor may recommend surgery.? The procedure involves attaching the stomach around the lower esophagus, tightening the muscles there and blocking acid from making its way up.? However, this is generally a last resort.

For more on this condition and coping with its symptoms without surgery, read our Reflux Remedy Report.

Heartburn is the uncomfortable result of stomach acids backing up into the esophagus.? While medicines are widely used to treat heartburn, there are a number of inexpensive home remedies that can be tried before rushing out and spending a healthy sum on a month’s supply of medication.

• First of all, try changing your eating routine a bit. Eat smaller more frequent meals instead of a few giant ones. This helps prevent the buildup of acid and pressure in the stomach from too much food. Also, avoid eating before bed. Gravity helps keep acids where they belong, and lying prostrate allows them into the esophagus if the stomach is full.
• Watch your weight. Extra pounds on the chest and abdomen create pressure build up in the stomach causing reflux.
• Try putting a few pillows under your head when you sleep. This will help gravity do its job. In addition, when napping during the day, sleep in a chair or in a semi-upright position.
• Stop smoking. Heartburn is only one of the many health issues caused by smoking.
• Watch what you eat. Certain foods can trigger heartburn. Garlic, caffeine, alcohol, citrus and onion are a few common triggers. Monitor what sets you off and then stay away from that food.
• Don’t wear clothes that are too tight. They put pressure on the abdomen, causing acid to back up into the esophagus.
• Avoid medications known to cause heartburn, like calcium, iron, potassium and NSAID pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Drink a glass of water. This helps dilute the stomach acids and flush contents through the system.
• Chew gum. Your body responds similarly to drinking water when chewing gum. Excess saliva helps flush your stomach contents and dilute acids.
• Ginger is an effective natural remedy for many stomach conditions, including heartburn. When taken in pill form, as tea, or candied it can help treat and prevent heartburn.
• Fennel or chamomile tea, when sipped warm, can help soothe acid reflux.
• Milk can help absorb stomach acids, but should be used in moderation as it also contains fats that are difficult to digest and causes acid production.
• Papaya contains a helpful digestive enzyme that aides in the breakdown of foods. When taken before meals, it helps prevent the buildup of pressure in the stomach.
• Glutamine, an amino acid, can help heal damage done to the esophagus as a result of frequent acid reflux and eliminate damaged cells.
• Just a few tablespoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar can eliminate heartburn. When diluted in water, it acts as a preventative.
• Just a handful of almonds contain soothing oils that help relieve heartburn.
• Unflavored yogurt has helpful bacteria that aid in the healing process of the esophagus and helps tighten esophageal muscles.

For more ideas on natural heartburn remedies, please see our Reflux Remedy Report.