You have muscles that protect you from one of the most dangerous caustic acids in the world?your stomach acid.

Gastric acid, or stomach acid, is so dangerous it can actually burn glass, so imagine what gastric acid is doing to millions of people who suffer from gastric reflux.

Another word for gastric reflux is Laryngopharyngeal reflux.

People, who suffer from acid indigestion, heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) in fact, usually suffer from a mineral deficiency which leads to a gastric acid shortage. The ironic thing is that people who suffer from a gastric acid deficiency are hard to tell from people who suffer from an over production of gastric acid. The root causes are different; however the damaging effects remain pretty much the same.

Before gastric reflux can fully develop, a build-up of gastric acid eventually weakens the muscles that protect the throat and vocal cords from the gastric acid reflux.

The gastric reflux happens because as a result of a gastric acid deficiency the food in the stomach becomes stagnant and piles up to the roof of your rib cage where the muscles of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) are trying to protect you.

Because of the lack of stomach acid, food remains undigested and goes through a toxic form of fermentation. As these toxins build-up the starving body desperately strives to produce random spurts of corrosive gastric juices. These gastric juices are released at the top of your stomach lining and sit there bubbling and churning away at a massive amount of fatty foods and all the rest of it.

Unfortunately the gastric reflux builds-up in the LES muscles, weakens them and is forced upward. Gradually the same thing happens to your larynx, or voice box, this is the stage defined as gastric reflux.

Basically the flow of gastric acid and powerful digestive enzymes becomes reversed as gastric acids are allowed to reflux upward . . . chemically basting the once sensitive lining, tissue and muscles of your throat, voice box and mouth area.

This degenerative process is also called GERD, or gastro-esophageal reflux disease. It is from the build-up of gastric acid in your larynx which causes Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR).

When LPR is persistent enough it can cause a non-cancerous growth on the back of your vocal cords, called a granuloma.

Symptoms of LPR can include:

• A choking sensation
• Sore throat
• Voice changes
• A sensation of something caught in the throat
• Frequent coughing and throat clearing
• A sour or bitter taste in the mouth

Those symptoms of acid reflux, acid indigestion and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), such as heartburn, burping and chest pressure are not always experienced as symptoms of gastric reflux, or LPR.

To avoid build-up of gastric reflux on your vocal muscles don?t start treating just the symptoms, learn how to address the root cause.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

Acid reflux, sometimes called heartburn, happens when stomach acid is allowed to flow up into the lower esophagus.? This can cause discomfort and pain for the sufferer.? Although there is no one sure and fast cure for heartburn, there are many ways to alleviate its symptoms.

Medicine

• Over the counter medications like Tums or Mylanta may help by neutralizing stomach acid. However, they can also have some nasty side effects, like constipation or diarrhea when over used.

• Prescription medicines can help attack heartburn in many ways.? Some, called foaming agents, help prevent heartburn by coating the stomach.? Others, known as H2 blockers (like Pepcid and Zantac) and proton pump inhibitors (like Prilosec and Nexium), prevent production of acid in the first place.? Prokinetics (like Reglan) can help strengthen the muscle that prevents acid from moving into the esophagus (called the lower esophageal sphincter), as well as help push food through the system faster ? preventing pressure buildup and reducing acid reflux.

Natural Remedies

• Apple cider vinegar has been found to be very helpful in relieving and preventing heartburn.? As little as 2 to 3 tablespoons can help relieve acid reflux, and when added to a cup of water, can help prevent future attacks.

• Ginger is also a widely used remedy.? It can be found in many forms ? pill, candied and tea ? and, like apple cider vinegar, can help alleviate heartburn, or prevent it when taken before a meal.

• Among the helpful bacteria in yogurt, unflavored yogurt is said to contain the kind that helps tighten stomach walls.? This in effect, prevents acid from backing up into the esophagus.

• Drinking chamomile or fennel tea may also help.? However, it should be sipped at a warm temperature, not gulped while hot.

• If nothing else works, drink a glass of water.? It will help flush the system and dilute the acid in the stomach.

Daily changes

• Smoking has been shown to aggravate acid reflux.? Quitting may help soothe symptoms.

• Wear loose fitting clothes.? Wearing tight clothes puts pressure on the abdomen causing acid to back up.

• Sleep with a few pillows under your head, and take naps in a more vertical position, like in a chair.

• Eat smaller meals more often.? Also, avoid eating right before going to bed.

• Extra weight can put pressure on the stomach, so overweight people may try losing a few pounds.

• Monitor consumption of over the counter pain medications and supplements.? Some NSAIDS ? like aspirin and ibuprofen ? as well as vitamins ? iron, calcium and potassium for example ? have been shown to exacerbate heartburn and acid reflux.

Surgery

Generally, surgery is not necessary and used as a last resort.? However, if dietary changes and medications are not helpful, a procedure called fundoplication may be necessary.? It involves wrapping part of the stomach around the lower esophagus, tightening the muscles there and preventing acid backups.? The procedure can be done laparoscopically as well as through an open incision in the abdomen.

For more information on finding relief for acid reflux, please read our Reflux Remedy Report.

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek who is considered today to be the Father of Western medicine said, “Let your food be medicine and your medicine be food.”

So today I thought I could share some helpful cookbook remedies for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and more.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is almost exclusively thought of as a problem caused from an over production of gastric, or digestive acids in the stomach. Whether it’s from too much or not enough gastric acid, either way this nasty stuff eventually erupts into the throat, or esophagus, eroding away normal throat, sinus and mouth tissues.

This chemical erosion actually mutates the throat cells to become more like the stomach cells, transforming your throat into a literal extension of your stomach lining, which can lead to throat cancer and sometimes death.

Left uncured the gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD) often ends up as throat cancer.

Despite the fact that advertisers for drug companies would have you believe it’s just a common nuisance and that only “treating the symptoms” of heartburn, indigestion and GERD is enough. The truth is heartburn, acid indigestion or gastroesophageal acid reflux diseases (GERD) are all very serious problems that can be helped through proper nutrition.

There are two cookbook approaches to naturally healing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). One is based on knowing you are making too much stomach acid, which is actually very rare. The other approach is to address the root cause of a stomach acid deficiency, which is extremely common.

Unfortunately, if you are treating “the symptoms” of your gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD), it will only get worse anyway.

That’s why natural alternative and integrative medicine which use food as medicine is so very successful compared to allopathic or orthodox (Westernized) medicine these days. ?Natural cures come from eliminating the true cause of the dis-ease, which any good GERD cookbook will tell you is from under-nutrition and poor eating habits.

The idea of eating properly is to prevent any mineral, enzyme or nutrient deficiencies.

As I already mentioned, if you are suffering from heartburn, you are in danger of developing esophageal cancer, if you allow the cause to go unaddressed.

According to a new study a single mineral may make a significant difference in whether your heartburn will become GERD and your GERD, then cancer.

A GERD cookbook will give you the dietary wisdom you need to replenish this and other critical factors to help your body prevent, treat and eventually cure itself of all gastro intestinal diseases, such as GERD and throat cancer.

A good GERD cookbook will encourage you to eat plenty of raw or steamed vegetables to help provide a high level of nutrients, minerals and enzymes needed to fight the root cause of GERD.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) studied biopsies from 130 people with GERD related cancer using an X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy that detects toxins as well as nutritional factors.

The missing ingredient to preventing heartburn, GERD and throat cancer turned out to be zinc.

Zinc is an essential mineral you need to have a sense of smell, a strong immune system, build proteins, activate digestive enzymes, and create DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter.

A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, depressed immunity and GERD related cancer.

So to help you find a GERD cookbook with the best recipes to prevent heartburn, acid indigestion and GERD related cancer . . . I’ve included a list of the top 10 foods highest in zinc.

Oysters: a 100 gram serving can provide 110 to 1200% of the RDA of zinc.

Wheat germ: 100 grams of properly processed wheat germ can offer 112% of the RDA of zinc.

Veal liver: 100 grams can provide more than 80% of the RDA of zinc.

Tahini (Sesame butter): Contains 10 mg of zinc per 100 gram serving, that’s about 70% of the RDA.

Grass fed beef: A lower fat source of beef contains about 70% per 100 gram serving.

Pumpkin seeds: Again this super food contains about 70% of your RDA for zinc per 100 grams.

Dried water melon seeds: A Middle Eastern delight, eaten raw can provide 70% of the RDA per 100 grams.

Cacao beans: Nature’s source of dark chocolate provides 64% of the RDA for zinc per 100 grams.

Lamb: Provides up to 58% of the RDA per 100 grams.

Peanuts: per 100 grams peanuts provide about 22% of the RDA for zinc

So when you’re looking through all the GERD related cookbooks out there, keep these healing ingredients in mind.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

Whether your acid reflux problems are triggered from too much or too little stomach acid, you need to find the best diet to promote proper digestive balance.

There?s an old saying that variety is the spice of life. So the worst thing you can do if you want to cure your acid reflux would be to eat the same thing all the time.

Truth is millions of people crave one kind of food and what?s worse is when they eat one brand of one kind of food.

In fact that may be the best thing you can do for your acid reflux symptoms; eat foods that are different in some way. It could be the monosodium glutamate (MSG) content, or the aspartame (a.k.a. NutraSweet) content, maybe it?s nitrates or one of the hundreds of other processed food additives and preservatives.

Besides all this chemicals are bad for you in other ways than triggering acid reflux or heart burn.

Acid indigestion is a very serious health problem, especially in first world countries. Mainly because eating microwaved, fried and processed foods leaves your body empty of any nutrients.

Your body will live long and well by simply eating more raw fruits and vegetables and less animal sourced protein. You see, eating foods that are processed with chemicals, foods that are over cooked and basically anything dead, is bad for you.

It may not show ill effects for years, but the bottom-line is raw fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices contain their own enzymes and minerals for one.

Your body can?t digest everything with stomach acid; your body needs these vital enzymes and cofactors to help them digest.

Indigestion is what happens when there isn?t anything to help your body breakdown food into nutrition.

After all the reason we eat is to provide nutrition.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) takes nutrition away from your muscles and tissues, leaving you with acid indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn.

There?s an old saying, ?It?s not so much what you eat, it?s what?s eating you.? This also applies to acid reflux problems. In other words, there?s a reason people in America eat too fast. The reason is that they are ?preoccupied.?

It is important to eat right, yet just as important, is that you enjoy eating the right foods. Acid reflux and all indigestive issues are inflamed from eating on the run, or not taking the time to chew your food.

You should set aside 20 minutes to chew your steak, rest 5 minutes and take another 20 minutes to enjoy your salad, etc . . .

Notice your eating the salad after eating the steak. American?s get this backwards. In Europe it has been tradition to eat the salad after the main course. Europeans also take 2 to 3 hour lunches in most countries as well.

It?s best to eat your protein first, then your carbs . . . try it, you?ll lose weight too!

In America everyone is wolfing don?t everything while standing up, driving or talking on the phone while on the way to something else.

Look at your acid reflux as a blessing- it?s trying to tell you to slow down and select the right foods. It?s asking you to take the time to taste your food and learn to eat things separately instead of piling everything on top of the same plate.

No wonder Americans have so many health issues- we all need to be grateful for our humble portions and learn to enjoy the benefit of eating the right diet . . .then acid reflux, heartburn and esophageal acid reflux disease (GERD) will become a thing of the dark past, a past of a faster less health conscious age.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist