Heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD sufferers are conditioned to take over the counter or prescribed medications for their problem.
Well, I can tell you that you can rid yourself of their painful symptoms with a GERD natural treatment.
Here are some natural treatment tips.
We will first look at how we eat our food.
We will name some of the foods acid reflux sufferers should avoid.
Why it is important to chew our food correctly, and lastly, we will look at some tips for after meals.
Don't Eat On the Go We are all busy and on the go.
If you eat on the run, most likely, you are not chewing your food properly.
Why is that important? There are enzymes in our saliva and if food is chewed thoroughly, those enzymes attach themselves to the food.
The enzymes then help the stomach determine the kind of proteins that must be broken down by the stomach's acid (hydrochloric acid).
Proper chewing assists in controlling the right hydrochloric acid balance in the stomach.
If we do not chew our food properly, food particles that are not broken down sufficiently can pass from the stomach into the intestines without providing the proper nutrients and can eventually damage the intestines, a condition that can cause more problems.
In America, it is customary to have a tall drink with our meals.
But, consider this, the more liquids you consume during your meal the more diluted the stomach acid becomes.
Drinking large amounts of fluids with our meals stops the stomach from doing its job of breaking down the food you eat into nutrients.
Take care of the amount of liquid you consume during meals.
Let the stomach acid do its job and it will reduce heartburn and the annoying symptom of bloating and gas.
Some Foods To Avoid I like my food.
You probably do too.
So we can all speak from our experiences.
You probably know this.
Chronic acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD sufferers would do well to avoid spicy and fatty foods.
Alcohol is also a culprit.
Did you know that chocolate and mints also contribute to heartburn? I didn't.
There is a valve in the esophagus that controls the back up of stomach acid.
Chocolate and mints relax the valve and allow stomach acid to back up into the esophagus causing painful heartburn or acid reflux.
Another good reason to limit your chocolate and mint intake is that they increase the hydrochloric acid in your stomach.
We all like good food.
Life without good food is like sleep without sweet dreams.
It's healthy, but lacks adventure.
Heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD sufferers, unfortunately, know all too well the painful consequences of some very good spicy meals.
Not all is lost.
You can control these conditions with a natural treatment.
And maybe once in awhile you can indulge yourself with some moderation.
Other Tips It is inadvisable to eat just before you go to bed, nor should you indulge in late night snacks.
Physicians and nutritionists recommend eating at least three hours before going to bed.
You might find this tip a little odd: sleep on your left side.
The valve at the bottom of the esophagus mentioned earlier is at the left topmost side of the stomach.
By lying on your left side, the opening to the esophagus is above the stomach and its contents (hydrochloric acid).
It is less likely that acid will flow back up into the esophagus and cause dreaded acid reflux.
One last tip, you can raise the head of your bed about six inches.
It is done for the same reason as sleeping on your left side.
Raising the head of your bed reduces the chance of acid flow from the stomach into the esophagus.