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Acid

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.Reflux
Darlene Booth
R.N.C.P
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.... Our digestive systems are often taken for granted and rarely given much of a break. We are a society that has been programmed to eat too much and eat 		...
.... Rather than deal with one symptom of digestive distress it is best to treat the system as a whole. If symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux are occurring more often than you
too often. Our food choices are rarely health promoting and all of these practices place a tremendous burden on the digestion and assimilation of nutrients needed to support optimal health.
.... One of the least comfortable and most common by-products of digestive distress is Acid Reflux - more formally known as “Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD”. Many people just simply refer to it by the most common symptom of heartburn but acid reflux has little to do with a burning heart and everything to do with the contents of the stomach backing up into the esophagus and causing irritation and inflammation. While
would care to admit it may be time for you to look closely at your lifestyle and take some proactive steps to remedy the situation.
1. Start with a detoxification diet. There are quite a few ways in which to go about this but the basic idea is to lighten up by eating smaller meals and eliminating junk food, sugars, dairy products and refined carbohydrates of all kinds. A week or so of fresh fruits, vegetables and a little bit of lean protein can do wonders to perk up a stressed digestive system. You could support that with one of the many herbal cleanses on the market. Probiotics such as acidophilus and digestive enzyme supplements can also help. If your problem is chronic you may wish to
infrequent bouts of acid reflux may be somewhat normal and of little consequence, chronic acid reflux can seriously damage the tissues of the esophagus and lead to serious problems.
.... Heartburn often flares up after overindulging in rich or acidic foods. It can also be aggravated by laying down, bending over or straining too soon after eating. Sometimes the causes of acid reflux can stem from a deeper and more structural nature such as hiatial hernia or genetic factors. There is a sphincter muscle between the stomach and the esophagus and sometimes stress, drugs and certain foods can weaken the ability of this muscle to keep the stomach contents from backing up into the esophagus. Fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, tobacco smoking and carbonated beverages can often trigger an unpleasant episode.
.... Living with acid reflux can be a challenge and many sufferers are looking for fast relief. Much of today’s marketing is aimed at promoting products that “deal” with symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux. This band aid approach to masking symptoms is not exactly the best approach. The products are mainly aimed at reducing stomach acid which is much needed to digest the actual food eaten. Stomach acid also plays a role in protecting us from food poisoning by neutralizing some food born bacteria before they can make us sick. So over the long term, more problems are compounded on top of the initial complaint.		 ... enlist the help of a natural health practitioner to oversee and guide your process.
2. Don’t lie down for a couple hours after you eat. Let gravity help move the meal through the system. This also minimizes the effect of a full stomach on a weakened sphincter muscle and reduces the chance of regurgitation.
3. Obesity creates abdominal pressure which pushes food up into the esophagus. Try to maintain a reasonable weight and you may find that alone can help your symptoms.
4. Avoid or limit alcohol, coffee and carbonated beverages. We don’t often give much thought to beverages consumed but many of them can greatly increase stomach acid. Also a factor is that drinking too much with meals can dilute the digestive juices and place more stress on the system.
5. There are a number of better reasons to quit smoking and I suspect that if one has not quit due to cancer risks that acid reflux may not be high on the quitting priority list – however cigarette smoking does contribute to acid reflux by weakening the sphincter muscle.
.... Reaching for the antacids may very well be a quick fix that enables poor food choices or lifestyle habits but if you want total freedom from digestive discomfort it is time to be your own health detective. Slow progress is better than no progress. Why not start your journey to optimal health today!
.... Good Health to You!
 
 

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