Aside from the usual symptoms, most of those with acid reflux have to suffer from nighttime symptoms, waking up in the night grabbing their chest in pain. A pain so intense most people mistake it for heart attack.
Some people with heartburn consider the pain they experience once a month to be an inconvenience they will have to live with. But for some, heartburn has proven to be more than just a nuisance that they can easily brush off.
Acid reflux symptoms may get in the way of almost everything you do, even preventing you from functioning well during daytime and having a well deserved rest at night.
Eating with Heartburn
People with heartburn will live the rest of their days with heartburn — unless they get into the habit of permanently washing it off their system. Most people do this with their antacids. While this measure does work, you know that in the long run, you need something that can totally set you free from heartburn pains.
According to the recent survey conducted by the National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA), 92 percent of heartburn sufferers lists food as the primary agent causing their digestive woes. What does this data reveal? First, that a change in your diet can help you avoid heartburn and, second, that you can actually do something that can permanently wash your acid reflux away.
Though what triggers your heartburn differs from the guy buying the very same antacid brand you have just purchased, there are known drinks and foods that encourage stomach acids to splash up into your esophagus. Here is our quick list:
Vegetable, fruit, and juice. It may look and even taste healthy, but some fruits and vegetables are known to do more harm than good to heartburn sufferers. Orange juice, grapefruit, cranberry juice, raw onion, tomato, and mashed potatoes are just some.
Pasta. When you think of fiber and energy, you may want to not include mac and cheese and spaghetti with marinara sauce in it.
Meats. Have a heartburn-friendly list when shopping for animal-based protein. This should not include ground beef, buffalo/chicken wings, chicken nugget cut, and marbled sirloin.
Sweets. Who says you can’t have dessert? But heartburn sufferers should strive to order anything but high-fat butter cookies, chocolate-based sweets, doughnuts, and brownies.
Oils and fats. And yes you can have your share of fried foods too. But make sure that you watch your portions and, of course, what goes in the pan. When you fry, go light, choose healthy fats.
Though salads look and sound healthy and safe, most of them are not, particularly for heartburn sufferers. Aside from the usual salad ingredients like tomato and citrus, you may want to check for salad dressings that are usually known for its high fat content.
A good rule of thumb: Oily and creamy salad dressings are essentially heartburn ready to happen!
