In recent years there are more and more people are suffering from Acid Reflux, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is a prolonged form of Acid Reflux and Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) aka Silent Reflux. GERD happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is not properly closed and stomach acid that should only be in the stomach travels back up, causing a whole lot of discomfort & symptoms. The most common ones being regurgitation, heartburn, chest pains, shortness of breath and nausea. LPR happens when the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is not properly closed and the stomach acid travels back all the way to the throat and sometimes ears. The symptoms are a little bit different as many people don’t suffer from heartburn and the usual GERD symptoms. LPR symptoms are usually hoarseness, postnasal drip, shortness of breath, cough or chronic cough, sore throat, feelings of a lump in the throat and hard to swallow. There are many reasons for the LES relaxing such as typical trigger foods, smoking, being over weight, hiatal hernia and stress to name a few. I am not a doctor and I won’t be going into the whole science of how the LES and UES work here (there are tons of articles online) but as someone who suffers from LPR and acid reflux myself, I have pretty much perfected my diet and habits over the years to control my symptoms.
I’m going to be completely honest though…I believe we can heal from GERD & LPR fully ONLY if we stick to these diets and habits 100% for the rest of our lives. In my opinion, this is not a sustainable way of living for most people. Food is such a big part of our lives and I just think it would cause way too much stress for most of us, thus having a negative effect, since stress can be one of the main causes of GERD. If you can though, that would be amazing and more power to you! That being said I think we really need to stick to these diets and habits while we heal the damage that has already been done. You should start feeling better in no time. I also have to mention that everyone has different trigger foods and habits. Some of the foods I mention here may not be your trigger foods but to be on the safe side I would avoid them while trying to heal. Once you have healed the damage that had previously been done, you will understand your own trigger foods and habits to avoid and you can keep your reflux under control.
Now, let’s get on to healing!
1. MUST avoid trigger foods
All acidic foods, any food or condiments that have a pH lower than 5. This website has a whole list of food pH. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning has become this super trend for living a healthy lifestyle but this is a big NO NO for anyone with acid reflux. Yes, lemon becomes alkalized once it enters our body but before it reaches our stomach it enters our pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe) and down our esophagus, triggering and activating the pepsin that is already attached to the larynx & esophagus due to GERD & LPR. Pepsin is supposed to stay in the stomach and help digest our foods but for people with GERD and LPR, pepsin is not only in the stomach but it has travelled all the way up to the larynx and is attached to the tissues surrounding that area so it starts eating away at our larynx each time we have anything acidic because it gets activated. Blueberries are considered a superfood but for someone that has GERD or LPR it could be the worst food possible.
Citrus fruits are obviously a big NO NO. This means all! Even sweet citrus fruits. For the longest time, I didn’t realize that eating mandarin oranges were triggering my reflux. It didn’t even cross my mind because they were so sweet.
Tomatos are highly acidic and inflammatory because they activate the tissue bound pepsin. As I previously mentioned above, foods trigger people in all different ways though. For example, I cannot eat a tomato based pasta or anything with a thick tomato base like pizza but if there is a slice of tomato in a sandwich, it usually doesn’t trigger my acid reflux.
Coffee and tea. Anything with caffeine will relax the LES and produce more stomach acid. Bottled teas and coffee are double trouble because they have a lot of preservatives which make the product very acidic as well.
Let’s talk about green tea for a second. As I am Japanese, I grew up drinking green tea and for the last decade every morning I would start morning with a cup of water and green thinking it was the most healthiest thing. Green tea is very low in caffeine compared to other teas but it contains tannins. Tannins stimulate the stomach to produce more acid, which us refluxer`s don’t want. I was doing this every morning on an empty stomach, ouch! Doctor Kaufman mentions in her book DROPPING ACID that green tea is okay, if lightly brewed. This is something that is so hard for me to give up, so I have taken this advice and brew my green tea lightly and never drink it on an empty stomach. Plus it’s everywhere in Japan, they serve it to you in restaurants like water here.
Carbonated drinks. Not just sodas and diet sodas which are full of sugar and highly acidic but plain carbonated water as well. The carbonation puts extra pressure on the stomach and the LES can relax and loosen.
Vinegar, also self explanatory is highly acidic and should be avoided.
Mint, relaxes the LES and should be avoided. Many people suggest mint tea to relieve digestive issues but this has the opposite effect for people dealing with acid reflux. Remember it’s not just the herb but think twice about your chewing gum, toothpaste, mouthwash and so on. Mint is actually used in many products.
Raw onion and garlic. these are very hard on the digestive system to begin with but they also relax the LES. I can get away with using garlic powder and onion powder but if you are sensitive to those, I would avoid those as well. Again see what works for you. Remember that garlic and onions are in many condiments and sauces as well.
Caffeine, as I mentioned above in coffee and teas will relax the LES and it increases acid production in the stomach. Caffeine is not just found in your teas and coffee but also in your desserts, sodas, medicine, alcohol and chocolate.
Chocolate, which is made from cacao powder is acidic and it contains theobromine and caffeine. Plus, milk chocolate is highly fatty which unfortunately can contribute to your acid reflux attacks.
Alcohol, is going to be a tough one to give up for many people but you just have to do it if you want to heal your esophagus. All alcohol loosens the LES but wine is especially dangerous because it is highly acidic.
Processed foods are highly acidic due to preservation methods and some processed foods have ingredients that relax the LES. Plus they are so full of chemicals and extremely bad for your health, that processed foods being a trigger is a bonus!
Fried foods are super unhealthy to begin with and most of the oils used to fry foods are considered bad fats. They also cause chronic inflammation to the body. Another thing is that people with Acid reflux have a hard time digesting food and fried foods are very hard on the digestive system. This means that the your body will use up a lot of energy; making you feel fatigued and the food will sit in your stomach longer causing it to ferment and create bad bacteria to further damage your digestive system.
Smoking. Just quit! You cannot heal your esophagus if you continue to smoke. They relax the LES, produce more stomach acid and they cause cancer.
2. De-stress
I know, this is easier said than done but stress really is the cause of many disease, including acid reflux. Stress enhances acid production and you constantly feel like your stomach is overfull with acid. Finding ways to de-stress is very important. It could be as easy as setting a reminder on your phone every hour, to just BREATHE. Take a few deep breaths in and out and feel immediate results. You could meditate, do some yoga, go for a walk, listen to music, we all have different ways of relaxing but make it a priority to find sometime in your day to do something enjoy.
3. Exercise
Being overweight can put a lot of pressure on the stomach causing the LES to loosen. Losing weight will definitely help get your acid reflux under control. Exercise is also linked to lower stress levels, improves your heart/overall health and better digestion. Plus you’ll look good, it’s a win win!
4. Don’t over overeat
Trust me, just don’t! Over eating puts pressure on the LES.
5. Get rid of BAD gut bacteria
In order for our digestive system to work at optimal speed and performance, we need to eat clean and sweep out the bad bacteria. This means eating more fiber rich foods, which can be found in abundance in vegetables and fruits, cut down on the bad carbohydrates (ex. white bread & white pasta), take a good probiotic supplement to help get more of the good bacteria in your stomach and drink plenty of water, this helps you flush out toxins and detoxes the body. Sugar feeds the bad gut bacteria, so I would avoid any refined sugar. If you have a sweet tooth, like I do, you could try pure maple syrup, stevia, monk fruit or any other natural form of sugar. Just keep in mind that maple syrup, coconut sugar and some other forms of sugar, still spike up the Glycemic Index. I like to stick to monk fruit for my drinks and add just a touch of maple syrup to my oatmeal.
6. Eat smaller meals frequently
Avoid eating huge meals, as this will put pressure on your LES. Instead, get into the habit of eating smaller meals more frequently. Avoid eating empty calories and eat real foods that are better for your health and add healthy fats and protein to your meals to help you stay full longer. If you start to feel hungry, eat a healthy snack but be careful not to mistaken your tummy grumbling for hunger. Your stomach making funny noises, is just your stomach digesting your food. Which brings me to another point, make sure your food is fully digested before you eat something else. Carbohydrates, protein and fats, all digest at different speeds. You can find many online articles on this, do your own research. Lastly, don’t eat if you’re not hungry, skip a meal. Nobody said you have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I used to think I shouldn’t skip a meal and every time I ate something when I wasn’t hungry, I deeply regretted it. It’s not worth it.
7. Don’t eat 2 hours prior to bed
Try to finish your last meal or snack 2 hours prior going to bed. Ideally 3 to 4 hours is best to make sure most of your food has been digested.
8. Use a wedge pillow
Most people with GERD or Acid reflux, suffer the most at night when you lie down. A wedge pillow is specifically designed to help you stay on a slightly incline while you sleep, which will help with regurgitation and heartburn. Stacking up a few pillows could work as well but depending on how you have them, it could put your stomach in an awkward position and also be damaging to your back.
9. Don’t wear tight fitting clothes
Tight clothes can put pressure on a lot of different organs but you really want to be careful around your waist and right where your LES sits. When you sit down, it can put tremendous pressure on your stomach and trigger your symptoms. I love my skinny jeans but I need to choose when and where I can where them.
10. Good posture
When your posture is not upright; especially while your sitting, your clothes can dig into your stomach and put more pressure on your stomach. Good posture lets all your organs breathe better, your heart and lungs will feel much better.
11. Supplements
Some supplements that have done wonders for me are digestive enzymes, probiotics and slippery elm. When I know I’ll be eating a heavier meal or eating many different types of dishes, I will take either a digestive enzyme or slippery elm, I don’t take both together though. Of course, I always advise you to check with a health care practitioner before taking any supplements but these have worked for me. I’ve heard that Vitamin D is also great for acid reflux, I take them when I feel like I’m not getting enough sunshine.
All these tips have helped me keep my GERD and LPR under control and I hope they’ll be helpful to your healing journey as well. I’m human and I do slip up here and there (like when I just can’t resist the urge to dig into that chocolate cake) but these tips always help me get back on track! Once you reset your digestive tract and heal the lining, you will be able to incorporate some of these foods, IN MODERATION! I cannot stress this enough, just because you ate 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate, it does not mean you’re ok to eat more, same goes for wine, just because you had a glass or two of wine, this does not mean you should drink the whole bottle. I have learned all this the hard way, so I hope this can help all you avoid these mistakes. I would suggest following these tips for a month or so, before you start testing out foods. You should be able to feel the digestive tract and stomach are not as sensitive and you don’t get that acidic taste in your mouth. If you have any other tips, please leave a comment and let me know, I would love to hear them and I’m sure they would be helpful to others as well. Please share this post to anyone who suffers from any of these, I think it could be really helpful!
Thank you so much for reading♡
