Heartburn and acid reflux symptoms can usually be greatly reduced simply by changing or adjusting your diet and lifestyle. If you have already quit smoking and abusing alcohol but still have significant acid reflux problems you may want to change or modify your diet. Many times simple changes in the amount and kinds of foods you ingest will reduce your pain and suffering from acid reflux heartburn.
The number of times that you eat and the amount you ingest at each meal will have a major impact on your digestion system. Smaller amounts of food produce less acid and less pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter muscle located at the junction of the esophagus and your stomach. Too much pressure and the sphincter may leak acid into the esophagus causing acid reflux pain and damage. Many medical specialist that treat acid reflux heartburn disorders suggest eating 5 smaller meals a day rather than the socially accepted 3 meals. You should not eat for at least 3 hours before retiring for bed so as to reduce the chances of acid reflux while lying down. In addition you should review your diet for acid reflux heartburn causing foods as well.
The most common acid reflux heartburn causing food problem comes from ingesting acidic foods like lemon, orange, tomato and grapefruit juice. Even a glass of cool lemonade on a hot day may lead to very hot acid reflux heartburn attack. If you have chronic acid reflux heartburn then you should stick to drinking water. Water has lots of benefits including the facilitation of the digestion processes. In addition it reduces the build up of acid in your stomach. Drinking whole milk is also not advised; however skim milk can be ingested in moderation. In fact any heavy dairy product including sour cream, ice cream and regular cottage cheese will tend to aggravate your acid reflux heartburn symptoms.
Many acid reflux heartburn sufferers find that most fried foods cause acid reflux heartburn symptoms. These include French fries, fried chicken, Buffalo wings and any pan or deep fried meats. When it comes to eating meat broiling although not totally safe is a much preferred method of preparation. In fact any cooking method that involves high levels of fats will increase your risk of an acid reflux heartburn attack. Food or drink that contains caffeine including chocolate, coffee or tea will most assuredly initiate an acid reflux heartburn attack. It requires a degree of discipline to control acid reflux heartburn symptoms.
The choice is always how much can I get away with without getting burned by heartburn pain and suffering? Each of our bodies is unique and as such some types of foods will cause problems and others will not. Keeping a log of what you are eating and drinking will assist your decision making. If you find that certain foods initiate acid reflux heartburn then you can note to avoid them. The more detailed your information becomes the better your diet choices. In time you will find that simple changes in diet and lifestyle will help you control your acid reflux heartburn symptoms.
