Health and Fitness Lifestyle

Fight acid reflux with a GERD diet

acid reflux

Acid reflux, some of you might have experienced this a lot more times. We can understand how bad your experience with your food might get during this phase. Don’t worry, we have explored some wonderful ways to deal with your stomach issue. Acid reflux is a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining. You might even feel these words well if you experience this often. šŸ˜› Also, we will discuss the GERD diet which is famous among people with acid reflux. And, see if one can fight reflux with a GERD diet.

Acid reflux is a common problem among more than 10 million people in India, but the best part is that you can cure this at home with a few lifestyle changes. Remember, you have to consult your doctor if the condition worsens. So, our advice here appears with a term and conditions. šŸ˜› Let’s start this topic by understanding what causes acid reflux. 

What causes acid reflux?

Junk food

  1. Avoid these food items:Ā I am sad to inform you that your favorite junk food (most of the time) is responsible for the acid reflux problem. Having large meals or lying right after a heavy meal can trigger acid reflux. However, the list includes the following:
  • Spicy food- Spice lovers would have felt this. So, drop those chilies there. šŸ˜›
  • Fatty/ Fried foods: Your favorite lip-smacking junk foods or street foods are usually high in fat. So, you have to deal with your cravings for pizza or fries. šŸ˜›
  • Coffee/ Tea: Caffeine is a player here. A higher dose of caffeine can trigger symptoms.Ā 
  • Chocolate: Cocoa and caffeine content in chocolate is responsible for this and reduces symptoms in a few people.Ā 
  • Alcohol: Excessive consumption can trigger symptoms. So, watch out when you plan your weekend parties.Ā 
  • Onion: Onions, especially raw ones can trigger acid reflux symptoms.Ā 
  • Citrus Fruits: Highly acidic fruits can cause GERD symptoms. So, avoid having oranges, lemons, tomatoes, tomato sauces, etc.Ā 

Reduce the intake to improve your symptoms. 

  1. Pregnancy: Many women might experience the symptoms of acid reflux for the first time during pregnancy. The increasing levels of hormones are also one of the causes. Symptoms might worsen during the third semester but would go away after delivery. 
  2. Smoking: Smoking reduces lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. The LES behaves as a protective closure that keeps the acid in the stomach and out of the esophagus. So, this reduced pressure allows the acid to jump up and cause heartburn. 
  3. Other factors include obesity, snacking close to bedtime, etc. The researchers have shown the correlation between obesity and reflux problems. 

Symptoms of acid reflux include:

  1. A burning sensation in the chest- Heartburn 
  2. Difficulty swallowing
  3. Chest pain 
  4. Regurgitation of food or sour liquid.
  5. The sensation of a lump in the throat.

Now, as we already know the symptoms. Let’s dig deeper to address the issue and discuss the not-so-popular- GERD Diet.

GERD Diet:

The term GERD(Gastroesophageal reflux disease) might sound new, but the word indicates a chronic acid reflux condition. Diet plays a huge role in dealing with most health issues. 

GERD diet is also one of those diets that can help you deal with acid reflux issues. Having acid reflux or heartburn once in a while is not harmful but having it every time you eat is something that needs attention. 

Your kitchen has ingredients that can help you deal with acid reflux. Here’s our food recommendation that you must include in your diet. 

  1. Stockpile some fruits and vegetables:Ā Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, etc., can help you deal with symptoms. Go for higher pH fruits (alkaline) like Banana, melons, nuts, etc. The food we eat falls somewhere on the pH scale. So, choosing something less acidic will help us deal with symptoms better. Look for the pH and choose accordingly.Ā 
  2. Increase fiber intake:Ā Fibrous food will make you feel full and thus reduces the chance of overeating.Ā The studyĀ has shown that a high-fiber diet can lower the risk of acid reflux. Whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, and vegetables like sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc., can help you manage your health issue. Also, try to control your portion size and avoid overeating.Ā 
  3. Include watery foods:Ā Fruits with an appropriate water content can help in diluting stomach acid. So, the list includes watermelon, cucumber, celery, lettuce, etc. Make sure you include them in your diet. They can keep you full for longer hours and can reduce your chances of overeating. Thus, one can easily maintain weight also. This way, these watery foods will help you deal with acid reflux.
  4. Grab ginger:Ā Ginger is known for its antioxidant properties and thus has plenty of health benefits. The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger play a role in dealing with acid reflux. However,Ā one should be careful about the portion sizeĀ because having excess can worsen the condition.Ā 
  5. Low-fat and plant-based milk:Ā High-fat food can worsen the symptoms, and that includes milk. So, choose low-fat milk or plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, etc., as they are safe for people experiencing symptoms.Ā 

Wrap-up:

Acid reflux
  1. Follow a healthy and balanced diet plan.Ā 
  2. Maintain a healthy weight.Ā Follow a nutritional calorie deficit.
  3. Avoid overeating. Also, eating fast could be problematic as it can also lead to overeating and worsen the symptoms.Ā Here’s how you can control overeating.
  4. Don’t run to your bed immediately after your meal.Ā 
  5. Avoid smoking and build healthy habits.Ā 

Here we have summed up everything you need to know about acid reflux and GERD Diet. It is always advisable to consult doctors if your symptoms worsen.Ā Most of our health-related issues can be solved through a healthy diet plan. Pay attention to the quantity and quality of the food you consume.

Food is not the only thing responsible for the health problem. It’s our eating habits and lifestyle that make it difficult for us to deal with certain food groups.

Share with your friends and family. šŸ™‚ Also, you can share your ways of dealing with acid-reflux symptoms. 

Have a happy healthy life. šŸ™‚

Acid reflux

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Ranjeeta Nath Ghai
    June 25, 2022 at 11:31 pm

    This is definitely an interesting and detailed read. You have really taken pains to explain the remedial measure. I myself have suffered this many times. Iā€™m sure others too would benefit from reading this.

  • Reply
    Sandy N Vyjay
    June 26, 2022 at 5:21 pm

    Acid Reflux is something that has become fairly common. Blame it on the unhealthy diets that are laden with spices and fats. Care in diet and lifestyles need to be taken to avoid aggravating this problem,

  • Reply
    Indiacafe24
    June 28, 2022 at 10:44 am

    This content is the most useful one for me at this point of time as very recently I am facing the acid refluc problem. Thanks a ton for this content dear

  • Reply
    Manisha
    June 28, 2022 at 11:30 am

    Acid reflux is very common and sometimes can become a big cause of concern. We actually had to get my mother-in-law admitted for the same. your tips are very useful will surely save this reference.

  • Reply
    Sweety Joshi
    June 28, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    What an amazing post,this problem is so common,my dad have this. Thank you for defining the points and solutions.

  • Reply
    Alpana Deo
    August 7, 2022 at 9:26 am

    I have never experienced acid reflux but yes have see people who undergo this problem. Our lifestyle, eating habits are the main culprits behind it. Some small changes can go a long way in controlling acid reflux.

  • Reply
    Yogeeta Yeram
    August 9, 2022 at 12:23 am

    I must say this is a well researched and studied peice of content. To my surprice nothing in this blog was irrelevant or rather vague. People usually boast with complex words which does not have any correlation to the information provided but this was well concised, well organised, simple and yet impactful vlog!

  • Reply
    Amy
    August 9, 2022 at 1:04 am

    I have this bad problem of hyperacidity and acidic reflux. Being a chai lover, it was so hard for me to give up. But the changes are for good only. ā¤ļø Thanks for mentioning what to avoid. I didnā€™t know raw onion can trigger this too šŸ˜£

  • Reply
    Kriti
    August 9, 2022 at 8:06 pm

    My dad has severe acid reflux this will definitely help
    It is very detail oriented

  • Reply
    Jais
    August 10, 2022 at 9:44 am

    True that! I often feel acid reflux when I eat spicy food. I havenā€™t heard of GERD Diet, before but I think itā€™s simple and I can follow it.

  • Reply
    Sarita Panda
    August 10, 2022 at 9:45 am

    Wow this post is so helpful for me as I always suffer a lot due to gastric and yes a big no to junk and spicy food. Will follow the diet. Thank you for sharing the helpful blogšŸ˜šŸ˜

  • Reply
    Jeannine
    August 11, 2022 at 2:31 pm

    Ohhhh! This article comes in handy as my hubby seems to suffer from acid reflux lately. Learned a lot from this and would be taking time in applying those that is applicable for us. Appreciate you writing about this! Informative blog indeed!

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