2009年4月27日星期一

Heartburn Foods

Just thinking about heartburn can bring a frown to the face of many a heartburn sufferer. Only a person who has suffered from heartburn, can know the true pain caused by it. That’s why most heartburn sufferers will search almost zealously to find a solution to either prevent, or cure their heartburn. One way of doing this is to pinpoint the ‘heartburn food’ that triggers off an attack.

Researching the subject of heartburn food thoroughly will bring more benefits for the constant heartburn sufferer than realized, as not only will you be able to stop or avoid intake of these trigger foods, but you will now be able to concentrate more on the foods that you can eat without a problem.

So, I think it’s safe to say that ‘heartburn foods’ can be classed into two sections. Those foods that are good for you, and those that will bring an attack of heartburn at the drop of hat.

Naturally, different foods will induce different symptoms in different people. What acts as a trigger for one person, causing an intense pain, might not act in the same way on another person. The pain caused might only be one of mild discomfort, or perhaps that person might not suffer any symptoms at all.

Unfortunately there is no comprehensive list to tell all heartburn sufferers to stay away from this, this and this particular heartburn food. Most of us will just have to learn by trial and error.

Fortunately however, for the vast majority of sufferers there are many common foods that have been found to trigger heartburn, and these have to some extent been catalogued. The best place to find a list of these common foods would be at your doctor’s office.

Most people will be dismayed to learn that any kind coffee, and tea, will generally produce heartburn, as will acidic juices like orange, cranberry, and tomato. Dairy products like ice cream, and milkshakes should also be avoided. For those unfortunates with a sweet tooth, chocolates, brownies, doughnuts, and butter cookies should be avoided as well.

The list of heartburn food to avoid can sometimes seem endless, but there is a sliver lining to this cloud, and the list of good foods isn’t modest either. Apples and bananas, carrots, and baked potatoes, are but a few foods you can enjoy, along with breads, cereals, sour cream and feta cheese.

Most people tend never to go to their doctor with their chronic heartburn, and live with this condition for years. This can result not only in a worsening of their GERD, but can also lead to the complication known as ‘Barrett’s Esophagus’, where the esophagus walls line themselves with new cells similar to those found in the intestines. This in turn leads the chronic heartburn sufferer open to a condition called ‘Adenocarcinoma’. In other words, Esophageal cancer.

If you’re looking to eat a meal that’s fit for a king, then you’ll probably be disappointed by the choice of foods available to you, but if you eat to live, and not live to eat, then you won’t have any problem. The benefits of staying away from such heartburn food that you might feel drawn to, far outweigh the disadvantages of actually giving in to your cravings. So remember to eat healthy and live heartburn free.

2009年4月21日星期二

Acid Reflux Remedies - Put That Medication Down and Try Something Else

When you look at acid reflux remedies, are the first things that you think of over the counter remedies from pharmacies or prescription medication given by your physician?

If this is the case, it may be time that you put these back in the medicine cupboard and started looking further afield for more natural remedies that have less in the way of side effects and more in the way of a natural approach to avoiding the painful symptoms associated with acid reflux. There are a number of reasons as to why it might be worth you taking a look and more natural acid reflux remedies:

• Medicated treatments are only designed to be used for a short time frame and are not generally advised over a longer period of time.

• A patient with acid reflux symptoms may rely on the medicated treatments and become dependent on them to avoid the symptoms and get on with normal life instead of focusing on lifestyle changes that could eliminate the symptoms on a long term scale.

• Some over the counter acid reflux remedies are expensive and buying them over longer of periods of time can lead to a lot of money spent.

• Prescription medicines and over the counter treatments do not stop the acid reflux condition, they just lessen the symptoms and make life more bearable. After bearing these ideas in mind, do you not think that it might be worth looking at more natural acid reflux remedies to better your life and lessen your symptoms?

There are plenty of ways in which you can incorporate natural acid reflux remedies in to your lifestyle and diet. First of all, finding the things that work is a necessity in order to make them work. Among the favourites that sufferers of acid reflux swear by, you will find the following items rather handy:

• Apple cider vinegar • Apple juice or apples • Aloe Vera • Ginger • Peppermint

You may have notice that there are a couple of acidic things on the list such as apples, which most guides will tell you to avoid when suffering from acid reflux. However, it can help to kick start the digestive process and although it can make the acid reflux symptoms worse for a short period of time, over the long term it can help to speed up digestion and therefore avoid the symptoms lasting longer and with more painful symptoms.

There are many old wives tales on the internet that you can try, some of which have been said to work and some of which have been ridiculed as ridiculous. At the end of the day, you can only try them to see if they work with you and see where it goes from there.