Heartburn
What is Heartburn?
Heartburn, also known as acid reflux, occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest or throat. It's a common issue that can range from mild discomfort to severe pain and may be triggered by certain foods, habits, or medical conditions. Often not discussed, chronic heartburn can lead to cancer of the throat, esophagus or stomach.
What can trigger reflux?
Spicy, fatty, or fried foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. Large meals, eating late at night, or lying down soon after eating can cause acid to travel when you are trying to sleep.
Being overweight or obese can also aggravate heartburn because there simply isn’t the room in the body needed with too much body fat to have everything work properly. Other things that can cause this issue to be chronic are structural in nature such as having a hiatal hernia or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Tips for Managing Triggers of Acid issues:
Avoid triggering foods. This is not easy when eating out.
Unless you ask for special preparations, restaurants are going to use oils better used in your car engine than in your stomach, known as SEED OILS. These are inflammatory and triggering for ALL digestive issues.
Eating more often but in smaller amounts can help this. When we eat smaller portions we tend to not overeat. Until you solve your own personal issue with acid, avoid becoming too full.
Include alkaline or less acidic foods, like bananas, oatmeal, and leafy greens.
Wait at least 2-3 hours after eating before lying down.
Easy but not so fun, is to start wearing clothes that fit. Avoiding tight-fitting clothes that put pressure on your abdomen, helps your body have the space to move food thru and digest better. Quit smoking if you smoke. Contact me for help here. I have hacks!
Drink plenty of water throughout the day but avoid drinking large amounts during meals.
How much water do I need? 8 glasses is important to aim for. This will help you not eat too much food when you address issues with dehydration. We often mistake hunger where what we need is water.
Reduce stress with activities like yoga, meditation, or gentle exercise. Keep track of your screen time! Many of us spend hours when all added together being on social media or other sites. When we experience stress, digestion is shut off. We often don’t recognize the added stress that comes from too much scrolling until we are laying in bed wide awake.
Cut screen time off one to two hours before you lie down. This helps your body prepare for sleep.
Want a deeper dive?
Here are some links for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw11-jKZr9g
https://drchatterjee.com/blog/medicine-needs-to-change/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZx-8z2U6qY
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