For those who experience heartburn on a regular basis, their favorite foods can seem like they’re the enemy. Minutes or hours after enjoying a meal, a painful burning sensation arises in the chest. And it can sometimes even drive your meal right back up into the esophagus. But those who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, more commonly called GERD, can usually figure out how to make friends with food. They just need to learn which foods are safe to eat and which ones to stay away from. This will go a long way towards providing heartburn relief for the discomfort they experience on a regular basis.
Healthy eating on its own won’t eliminate your heartburn condition. However, by sticking to the recommendations of the food pyramid you’ll certainly make a dent in the problem. But those who suffer from GERD will most likely have to include a few extra guidelines with regard to their personal eating habits.
If you have GERD, your objective is to get heartburn relief by cutting back on excessive acid production in the stomach. As well, you’ll want to soothe and restore the lining of your esophagus, which is there to shield your body from harm.
If you take a look at the food pyramid, you’ll see that whole grains should be the focus of your diet. For GERD sufferers, this is even more critical to maintaining your health and easing your pain. Concentrate on consuming more whole grains, and leave starchy products with high levels of fat and sugar in the store.
The next level of the pyramid recommends that vegetables and fruits play a key role in our diets. But if you suffer from GERD, not all produce is created equal. Some of these products can contribute to your problem.
Fruits such as pears, grapes and apples pack a nutritional punch and won’t aggravate your problem. But consuming produce containing citric acid, such as grapefruit, lemons, oranges and limes, can lead to an instant outbreak of heartburn.
The majority of vegetables won’t trigger heartburn symptoms and should be eaten in abundance. Just make sure to prepare them in healthy manner and don’t load them down with excessive fat and unhealthy oils. Too much fat will almost certainly lead to some GERD symptoms if you’re prone to them.
When choosing the meats and proteins to include in your diet, make sure to select lower fat products. Lean meats don’t worsen your GERD symptoms. So avoid the marbled cuts of beef, and enjoy the well trimmed selections.
If you want to lower the risk of having to deal with your heartburn after you eat, cook the meats healthfully, just like your vegetables. Bake, grill, or broil them and your GERD symptoms are less likely to make an appearance.
More Information