Before taking medication, most doctors will advise that the person with reflux disease make some changes to his/her diet, i.e. have a proper reflux diet plan. It is an easy and useful change that one can make. A proper diet for acid reflux could make a huge difference to the health and comfort of many people. With a proper diet for reflux, it could remove all of the symptoms attributed to this condition and provide for more undisturbed sleep.
An effective and proper reflux diet plan includes knowing what food to avoid, what food to consume and good eating habits. In this short article, we shall go through some important guidelines that you can take away.
Appropriate Foods For The Acid Reflux Diet (The Do’s List)
Consume food that is rich with complex carbohydrates
Foods that are good for an acid reflux diet are foods that contain complex carbohydrates. Foods such as bread, pasta, and rice tend to absorb the acid and prevent it from backing up in the esophagus. Since these foods tend to put on weight, it is best to eat smaller portions of them. If you drink milk, switch to a milk that is lower in fat.
Bake or Broil Food
Avoid frying foods whenever possible. Baked or broiled will serve two purposes; it will help control reflux symptoms and help to maintain a lower weight. Do not drink alcohol in excess, especially fruit wines. Having a small glass of wine with dinner will probably be ok but keep it to a minimum of one to two times a week.
Stick to non carbonated drinks
Switch to drinks without carbonation. Decaf tea or coffee is a good choice but water is better. There are many flavored waters that are quiet good and good for you. Herbal tea is another good choice. You can experiment with the foods you eat to determine which foods cause you the most trouble. Everybody reacts to foods differently. By controlling your portions and eating high acid foods in moderation, you should be able to stick to an acid reflux diet without a lot of difficulty.
Use nutritious meat
There are some excellent meats to include in this diet that are nutritious and delicious. Extra lean ground beef, steak and chicken are usually great for a main course when on the best diet for reflux. Most fish is also very nutritious and safe for those with reflux. All of these are acceptable in the best diet for reflux, but these should not be cooked with a lot of grease. Those who want to avoid the symptoms of reflux might want to grill or broil the dishes.
Use wheat based food items
Most bread, cereal and graham crackers should not produce the symptoms of acid reflux. Corn bread and pretzels are good additions to the best diet fiber reflux. The best diet for reflux will eliminate some desserts, but other desserts should be fine for those with this condition.
Use cheese
Cheese often makes a good dessert, and there are some cheeses that will be an important part of the best diet for reflux. Fat free cookies are usually fine for those with acid reflux. People with acid reflux should avoid rich, creamy cakes and most ice creams.
Use ginger
Gingers have some healing qualities, and those with reflux might try adding ginger to some of their food and beverages. Fresh ginger is available in the grocery stores, and this can be ground up and added to meals. Some dishes call for this in the recipe, but it can be added to other dishes. Ginger can also be added to tea. There are some cuisines that include ginger in many dishes such as Chinese cuisine. Those with reflux might patronize the Chinese restaurants and look for those dishes with ginger.
Drink Tea
People with acid reflux should try to add green tea to their diet as this beverage is known to help the body digest other food and beverages. Herbal teas contain substances such as chamomile and licorice root provide a repair mechanism for the stomach so those with acid reflux should consume these teas if possible. People with acid reflux should try to drink plenty of water which will help the body excrete the excess acid more efficiently.
(The Don’ts List)
Avoid Spicy food
Stay away from spicy foods. Even foods you don’t think taste spicy can play a big role in creating acid reflux, so knowing what’s in your food and knowing to stay away from food with spices in them is a great way to naturally remedy acid reflux. This isn’t to say you are limited to nothing but bland foods now, it just means be as liberal as possible when eating spices that can irritate your stomach to the point of being in pain.
Cut down on Large Meals
A recommended choice of acid reflux diets plan always include eating several small meals everyday instead of three large meals as what most people do. This is a good eating habit for everyone, even if you don’t experience from acid reflux disease. This is to let the stomach to have sufficient capacity for proper digestion.
Avoid Any Meal Just Before Bedtime
Consuming just before bedtime, especially heavy meal, is prone to cause reflux problems. This is because the stomach has to produce great amounts of acid in order to digest the food. The excessive acid tends to back up into the esophagus when you lie down. Generally, a good practice is to eat your last meal before 8pm daily.
Avoid Fast Foods
Fast food are high in fat and will cause your stomach to produce more acid. Fast foods can also lead to weight gain, which will add to the problem of acid reflux.
Limit Or Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol will add to the secretion of acid in the stomach. It may also curb the contraction of esophageal sphincter. It is the failure of the sphincter muscle to contract tightly that leads to acid reflux.
Avoid Foods That Stimulate Acid Production
Last but not least, an acid reflux diet should avoid foods that increase the secretion of acid in the stomach. These foods include coffee, spicy foods, tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolate, and alcohol.