Stay away from acidic foods. They can both cause and exacerbate acid reflux. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, try to avoid oranges, tomatoes, grapefruit and vinegar. If you can’t cut them out of your diet completely, at least try to avoid eating them in the evenings, so acid reflux doesn’t strike when it is time for bed.
Slow down! When you eat more slowly, your body is able to keep up with what is being deposited in your stomach. This means that it will know that it is full when it truly is full, and you will eat less. If you overeat, you’ll find your acid reflux goes crazy.
Chew your food. The more you chew your food, the less work your stomach will have to do. This also slows down the rate at which you are eating, which allows your stomach to keep up with its fullness level. Once you’ve eaten enough, your stomach will alert your brain and you’ll feel full.
Don’t overeat. Only eat until you feel sated, your stomach stops growling and ends your hunger discomfort. If you become hungry again shortly after eating, drink a glass of water instead of having a snack. When you eat too much, your stomach has trouble digesting and you may find acid reflux rears its ugly head.
When eating, never lie down! It is important that you sit in a sturdy chair with good posture. Allow your stomach to be decompressed and your esophagus to be fully extended. As you eat, enjoy every bite of your food so that you eat slowly and chew fully, then you may avoid acid reflux afterward.
Enjoy your food. If you savor each bite, investigating the flavors and truly allowing yourself to taste it, you will chew more and even eat less. Your stomach will realize it’s full when you eat slowly, which allows you to keep your weight in check by eating less and also keep your stomach from overfilling.
You may need to change your diet if you suffer from acid reflux disease. Sugary and processed foods increase the amount of acid that is produced in your stomach, the cause of acid reflux disease. Fruits and vegetables are great foods to eat that do not cause or worsen acid reflux.
Keep a diet diary. Everyone is different, and which foods will trigger your acid reflux may not be the same as mine. Write down how you feel before, during and after each meal, and include a list of what you eat and drink all day. After a month, you should have a clearer picture of which foods cause you the most grief.
Skinny jeans are the enemy of the acid reflux sufferer! Wearing tight clothes can block up your digestive system, causing you a great deal of pain when acid begins to back up. Go for elastic waistbands until you have your acid reflux under control, then you can consider getting back into your tight fitting pants.
Exercise is a good way to stop acid reflux. Through exercise, you can lose weight, which will put less pressure on the stomach and reduce the severity and occurrence of heartburn and acid reflux. The key is to use moderate, low impact exercises. Intense exercises can cause reflux through excessive agitation. Try to avoid drinking sports drinks and eating food before exercising, as these can cause reflux as well.
For quick relief, pick up cinnamon flavored gum. When you chew gum, your salivary glands pick up the pace which can help neutralize stomach acid. On top of that, you’ll swallow more and help clear the acid out of your esophagus. Lastly, choosing non-mint and non-citrus flavors ensures you don’t trigger your acid reflux.
Smokers, it is time to quit! Smoking exacerbates acid reflux and actually can be a cause of it. It makes digestion slow down and causes an increase in stomach acid, and it slows down saliva production on top of all that. It weakens the sphincters on the esophagus, too. That’s why you need to butt out today.
Always keep gravity in mind. Remember that acid is being held down, so when you position your body in a way where down isn’t towards your feet, problems will ensue. Keep your head up and your stomach uncompressed, then you should be able to find relief from acid reflux all day long.
Stress can cause your muscles to contract, and when this happens to your stomach, acid will be pushed upwards. Try some relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga or meditation to reduce your stress and help you deal with situations which can be emotionally tumultuous. When you master these techniques, acid reflux may be reduced.
