Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the valve that seperates the esophagus and the stomach, fails to close sufficiently, allowing acid to backup into the esophagus.

Basicly, acid reflux is chronic heartburn and if left untreated can lead to more serious complications. If the esophagus is exposed to acid reflux over a continous period of time the corrosive affects of the acid will begin to errode the lining of the esophagus. This condition is called Erosive Esophagitis which will have a serious impact on your quality of life.

The good news is that Acid Reflux disease, GERD or any digestive disorder can be treated completely naturally without the use of drugs and their nasty side effects.

For more information on how you can cure your acid reflux or heartburn check this out!.

The most common symptoms of acid reflux disease are:

A burning sensation or chest pain e.g. hartburn
A bitter or sour or aftertaste following regurgitation of food or drink.
Sore throat
Difficulty swallowing
Upset stmoach
Persistent coughing
Hoarseness

Many people mistake the symptoms of a heart attack or angina for acid reflux disease or heartburn. If you experience chest pain then you should call your doctor immediately.

If you suffer from heartburn or acid reflux disease then there is a good chance that certain foods or drinks that you regularly take can trigger another unwanted attack.

Certain foods affect people in different ways, good or bad, however there are certain food and drink types that commonly bring on symptoms of acid reflux.

To help you identify them I have listed the most common triggers.

Fatty Foods: anything that's fried, fatty meat such as fried bacon, or diary products such as cheese or double cream.

Spicy foods: hot curries.

Processed foods: food that you take out of a box to put in another box to heat it!!

Fizzy drinks and Sodas: these are so full of sugar that they create the perfect environment for increasing acidity in your stomach. Avoid them like the plague!

Acidic Fruits: Fruits are suppose to be good for you, aren't they?, however certain types can bring on an attack so, avoid citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, garpefruits, also avoid fruit juices made with these fruits.

Acidic vegetables: raw onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and chillies.

High caffeine drinks: coffee (even decaffinated coffee as they use chemicals to remove the caffeine!!), tea and other beverages such as those high energy drinks.

Alcohol: If you have to then water it down.

Chocolate: I'm afraid so!!

Peppermint and spearment: avoid tea and chewing gum.

You may be saying to your yourself, "Give Up Chocolate!! are you mad, chocolate is what I live for". Well, you gotta make a choice, either stop acid reflux or suffer the consequences of what you put in your stomach.

Its not the end of the world, there are plenty of food and drinks you can enjoy that will help alleviate your acid reflux symptoms and give you boundless energy.

Try these for example:

Lean meats: chicken & turkey without the skin.

Fruits: bananas, avocados apples,pears.

Fruit smoothies: avocado with banana is delicious.

Vegetables: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas,cauliflower, broccolli.

Most grains, oats such as porridge, muesli

Whole meal bread.

Ghandi once said food should be digested before it reaches your stomach. If everybody took his advise there would be fewer people suffering from digestive problems, heartburn and acid reflux disease.

What Gandi means is that the food we eat should be digested (chewed sufficiently) in the mouth before we swallow. Most people do not do this. They chew a few times and then swallow. This results in the disgestive system having to work harder (producing more acid) to break down the food you should have done in your mouth.

From now on make an effort to chew your food. With each mouthful chew at least 30 times before you swallow. Like any habit this will take time to get use to, but do it, and you will feel the difference!!