Ways To Reduce Heartburn Pain With A Diet
Heartburn symptoms can make you feel miserable and are potentially dangerous. It can result in respiratory symptoms and even cancer. Here are some simple ways to reduce heartburn pain with your diet.
1. Eat food slowly
Don’t overeat during a meal. Sit down and enjoy your food until you are comfortably full instead of feeling stuffed. Remember to chew each bite and savor the flavor instead of ‘scarfing’ your food down. One idea that helps slow down eating is to set your fork down between each bite while you chew and swallow your food.
2. Reduce beverages when taking meals
Liquids will add to the volume of your food and causes an increase in stomach volume and pressure. When your stomach is full, it puts more pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter which prevents food from going back into your esophagus. That increases your risk of reflux. Take small sips while you eat and try to drink mostly between meals.
3. Lose weight
Being overweight is a major contributor to acid reflux. Extra pounds put more pressure on the stomach, which causes the LES to relax, allowing stomach backflow. Even losing a small amount of weight can help alleviate the symptoms of heartburn.
4. Get moderate exercise
Exercise is beneficial in more ways than one. The key word here is ‘moderate,’ though. Vigorous exercise can agitate the digestive track and cause heartburn.Exercises like walking will help prevent it, and it keeps you upright which allows gravity to aid in the digestive process. Exercise will also aid you in losing weight, helping to kill two birds with one stone.
5. Avoid fatty food
Stay away from fatty food, such as chicken wings, pizza, and fried foods. High-fat foods relax the LES and delay the stomach from emptying, which increases your chances of reflux.You also want to eat foods high in fiber and whole grains. Sticking to this sort of diet will greatly reduce your likelihood of suffering from acid reflux and also help you lose weight. Still, eating smaller meals will help far greater than what you eat.
6. Be careful of certain trigger foods
There are specific foods that trigger acid reflux, which you should try to avoid all-together.But monitoring what you ate prior to a bout of heartburn can help you determine which ones are trigger foods for you and that you need to avoid.
7. Don’t lie down after eating
If you are prone to acid reflux, then you should not lay down for at least 2 hours after eating a meal. Try walking around even, which will help the gastric juices flow in the right direction.
8. Avoid tight fitting clothing
Don’t wear clothes that fit snugly around your middle section. This will only put more pressure on the stomach. Until you get your symptoms under control, stick to loose fitting clothes. Think comfortable!
9. Chew non-mint flavored gum after meals
Chewing gum increases saliva production, which neutralizes stomach acid. It also encourages frequent swallowing, which will help keep acid clear from the esophagus. Make sure you only chew non-mint flavored gum.
10. Quit smoking
Smoking increases the risk of acid reflux. It’s not only inconvenient for your health, but GERD is just one more reason to quit. Smoking slows digestion and increases stomach acid which directly causes acid reflux…
