Showing posts with label Heartburn remedies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heartburn remedies. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Diet- best preventive remedy for acid reflux or heartburn


If you suffer from chronic acid reflux then its time for you to check what food you are eating. Seeking treatment for acid reflux is not a long term solution. Focus on prevention rather than cure. You should be aware that if you avoid certain foods it will save you from this problem. If you make a change in your diet you will notice a lot of difference. In the first place your health will improve and secondly it will ease your acid reflux problem if you happen to periodically suffer from this disease. Another common name of acid reflux is heartburn so don’t think that these are two different conditions.

The problem occurs when foods that you eat come up to your esophagus after getting broken down and mixed with stomach acids. Actually after eating the food goes to your stomach from where it goes to the small intestines for further digestion. It should not come back to your esophagus. If you eat highly acidic foods your normal digestion process gets disrupted which results in abnormal return of food to the esophagus. These foods which are highly acidic in nature get mixed with the acids produced by the stomach (for digestion). When such foods mixed with stomach acids come into contact with the esophagus you experience heartburn or acid reflux. In some cases the discomfort can be very severe which may require immediate medical attention.

Some people seeking acid reflux remedies take antacids or also opt for surgery but these steps do not guarantee you long term cure. There is every possibility that you will again suffer from heartburn. Therefore your best bet is to make suitable changes in your present diet. Make a list of foods that tend to trigger heartburn. Eliminate those foods from your diet if you wish for a long term cure.

Avoid fried, fatty and spicy food. Some citrus fruits like oranges, lemons etc are acidic so it is best to avoid them. There are also certain vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Even chocolate can trigger heartburn. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages. In some people milk can also aggravate heartburn. However as diet is individual specific so before making changes discuss with your doctor or dietician. Sometimes it may not be possible to eliminate certain foods mentioned herein from your diet. So the best thing you can do is to limit your intake. Always prepare your food in a healthy way. There are lots of healthier alternatives for people in search of heartburn remedies.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Do away with stomach ailments with a healthy lifestyle


Acid reflux is a common problem with people. When it happens it leads to discomfort and pain. Usually people turn towards medications to get relief but medications only provide temporary relief and are not a long term solution. Moreover it leads to many side effects. Any medical expert will tell you that the problem of acid reflux lies in your diet. Your stomach gets stimulated when you eat food and this stimulation results in production of acid which helps in digestion. There are some foods which affect your digestive system. As a result there is overproduction of acid which leads to acidity. Therefore if there is a problem with your diet you should make changes. If you you’re your digestive system to work efficiently you have to keep an eye on your diet.

There are many traditional acid reflux remedies which help people overcome this problem. These are ginger, Swedish bitter herbal tonic, apple cider vinegar, milk and water. However you can also cut down the risk of acid reflux by following healthy eating habits. Eat smaller meals and do not sleep immediately after eating. Fibre rich foods are good for your digestive system. Discard foods like fatty or spicy foods, junk food, carbonated beverages and even caffeine as these trigger acidity. The most effective remedy is being aware of what you eat.

It is an established fact that acid reflux leads to heartburn. It can happen at anytime and to anyone. Usually people are more interested to know about heartburn remedies but they tend to overlook the reasons that lead to it. It is only when they experience pain and discomfort they look for a solution. Only remedies are not enough because you need a long term solution to this condition which can recur again in the future due to negligence on your part.

Health experts advise people that instead of depending on remedies you should try to alter the situations that lead to heartburn. If you are able to understand the reasons which trigger heartburn you can eliminate the problem forever. This is very important for those with chronic heartburn problem. These are actually preventive measures that ensure that your digestive system works smoothly. As explained earlier your stomach has to produce acid for proper digestion and you cannot avoid that. However you can prevent your stomach from producing too much acid by practicing healthy eating habits followed by an active lifestyle.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Eat healthy to stay healthy


Millions of people throughout the world suffer from digestive disorders. Disorders like heartburn and indigestion are linked with this problem. When you suffer from heartburn you experience a burning sensation just below your chest. It is followed by a bitter or sour taste in your mouth/throat. You are sure to suffer from heartburn if you lie down immediately after having a large meal. This burning sensation can last for a couple of minutes or maybe even for several hours. It is one of those common digestive disorders that affect people of all ages.


There are certain foods, beverages, mouth fresheners or even your physical condition which can make your heartburn worse. Foods that have lots of fats and spices, citrus foods, beverages like coffee and chocolate, mouth fresheners like mints etc can trigger heartburn. You can also suffer from heartburn if you have excess weight.


Another common digestive disorder is indigestion. This problem too occurs just after a meal. During indigestion you feel discomfort in your upper abdomen/chest. You can be sure that you are suffering from indigestion if you experience heartburn, loss of appetite, flatulence or if you feel like belching. Sometimes it can turn into a serious problem which may require emergency medical attention.


The walls of the stomach, esophagus and intestines are lined with a mucus layer. Any damage to this layer leads to irritation triggered by the acids passed by the stomach. When you have foods that are devoid of living enzymes, protease, amylase or lipase digestion fails and as a result you suffer from indigestion/heartburn.


People who seek digestive disorders cures or heartburn remedies are usually advised to go for repair of the digestive disorder damage. Age is not a factor here since anybody can suffer from this problem. The cure lies in repairing the damage done to the digestive system. The first step is to identify the factor or factors responsible for this condition. Once the cause is determined it removes the first hurdle towards cure.


Being overweight can also be one of the reasons for this condition. If you have excess weight you will be asked to reduce it with adequate exercise. Along with exercise you should also adopt a balanced and healthy diet. There are traditional cures too like eating a banana or drinking a glass of water which people believe since ages help provide respite from the pain or discomfort.


Remember that for your overall healthy well-being your digestive system should function smoothly. For this you have to discard unhealthy food and maintain a weight that is proportionate to your body structure

Friday, February 11, 2011

Magical remedies

I was invited for a dinner by my office- friend. Yes we have been working for so long that the term ‘colleague’ can now be happily substituted with ‘friend’. I always get delighted to receive an invitation for lunch or dinner for two reasons- first I love to relish good food and secondly for that part of the day I don`t have to venture into the pandemonium called kitchen. I know many women would dislike me for saying this as kitchen is a lovable place but for me since my culinary skills are not so honed properly I prefer to enter kitchen out of compulsion. Even my aunt kept on saying that if you love eating you will also love cooking. She didn`t talk about men who love to eat but don`t know the way to kitchen. As a matter of fact even that saying never implied on me. I am a foodie but kitchen is drudgery.

I was informed to expect a delectable Turkish delight from her. Reaching there it was a surreal dinner table right in front of me. It had Susamli Tavuk (Sesame seed Chicken), Mantarli Pilaf (rice tossed with mushroom) and a starter called Imam Bayildi (minced stuffed eggplant) and red wine which I brought. You must be wondering how I remember names. Well my friend painstakingly cooked all these items and for our Turkish tour had mentioned the names next to the bowls. The names and the look made me more eager and I couldn`t even wait to dig on it. So when the intoxicating smell gulped the portico where we decided to eat it was a different atmosphere that couldn`t be explained in words.

Suddenly to our despair another invite confided that he isn`t feeling well. He got chest pain and nausea and cannot gulp wine also. Well I realized that this guy is in need of acid reflux remedies and asked my friend if we can arrange fennel tea for him. I gave him some candied ginger and also advised to take lots of fresh water. Asked him not to have caffeine for few more days and go for leafy vegetable diet. After leaving him home we returned to her house and had our dinner. Ofcourse the enjoyment got lessened when our friend got ill. Next morning I went to his place with a jar of Aloe Vera juice and bananas as they are best heartburn remedies. Told him to improve his lifestyle and reduce stress. It’s been a week today and Jeff is doing well after seeking medical guidance. We promised to arrange Turkish spread especially for him once he is absolutely fine.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Digestive Problems

In today’s fast paced life it is hard for some of us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is race for time from the moment we wake up in the morning—we only get a few minutes to gulp down a sip of coffee before we rush out to our workplaces and the rest of the day is a blur and flurry of work. This running around continues till we drop down to sleep and the next day the cycle begins anew. This kind of a life is unhealthy especially for those who have weak bodily systems—even for those with a strong immunity it causes other kinds of problems. Stress, anxiety, tension, obesity, lethargy are but a few of the problems. The disorders, which in turn, arise from them, are quite serious.

An irregular diet or wrong eating habits and the lack of exercise causes major digestive disorders. Constipation is one such disorder. It is the inability to pass stool in a normal manner, or it is simply the hampering of normal and regular bowel movement. Constipation causes the solid excreta to remain in the body for too long and the body starts releasing toxins which are quite harmful. There are some natural constipation remedies, however. For mild cases one can drink a glass of water every day after waking up. The water to be drunk is to be kept standing in a vessel of copper the whole night. Intake of spinach in the daily diet also prevents constipation from aggravating. For long term sufferers the intake of fruits as guava, papaya, orange, pear etc has proven especially beneficial.

Another type of digestive disorder problem is heartburn. It’s an effect of acidity coming up through your oesophagus and causing you chest pain. Regular and constant heartburn is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). With GERD, the acidic contents of the stomach flows back into your esophagus, which can irritate the delicate lining of the esophagus and cause pain.

If you are experiencing heartburn, it’s important to see your doctor to be evaluated. If it’s not treated properly, GERD may result in serious problems, including esophagitis, strictures, esophageal bleeding and ulcers, Barrett’s esophagus, and an increased risk of esophageal cancer. The heartburn remedies are avoiding a special class of foods like citrus fruit, chocolates, peppermint spearmint etc and also avoid going to bed just after eating your meal. Also avoid alcoholic beverages. These digestive disorder cures are in your hand only so stay healthy.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Drink Greens

Winter pale afternoon, oranges, cakes, lazing up at the terrace sums up the winter season`s fantasy. Winter is basically indolent spell and this time of the year we involuntarily roll ourselves with layers of woolens. It’s very heartbreaking to leave the cozy warm quilt in the mornings and move ahead with our daily routine. I love this period because the nip in the air entices me, stirs in me the vivid memories and yearnings exclusively attached with this season. Alas it doesn`t last long! Have felt that this is the ideal time for outing and eating…slurp and drool!

Going to the vegetable market during winters is an onomatopoeic delight. The stack of my local vegetable shop-owner is all colorful and cheerful. It’s like you can get your kid and while getting vegetables you can actually check whether he recognizes the colors like green, white, orange, yellow, red, purple so on and so forth. Everything looks fresh and just out of the fields. Sound childish but I love it. These small things in life generate more joy than bigger things. The elders always say that if you have to eat well and varied wait for the mercury to descend. There is a strange belief that in winters falling ill is less compared to any other season of the year. I don`t know if this is absolutely true but then there is nothing wrong in playing safe. Treat your taste buds, pamper them but don`t inflate. Acidity and heartburn will follow soon if eating is not under surveillance. We actually don`t know whether we have less acids or more acids. We think acidity is always more and as such should be curbed down by taking pills meant for counteracting acidity. It’s as common as chewing gums.

Since we are talking of winter and its infinite possibilities it’s better to shake our memory a bit. Banking on vegetable juices as acid reflux remedies will never ever disappoint you. Fruit juices have high sugar content. People go for fruit juices more than veggies but that is not going to be helpful if you want to employ heartburn remedies. Instead juices made of spinach, beet, apple and a little celery is a natural way to combat stomach related ailments. Or how about lemon, ginger and apple blended together? People suffering from acid reflux and heartburn can start their day with a glass of these healthy nutritious juices to kick away all the problems and detoxify their body.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Know-how of eating right

There is some ecstatic pleasure and childlike thrill in seeing places by road. Of course you cannot walk away miles after miles away from home. I always felt that moving in and around new places via bus is the best option to explore more and stumble upon untold beauties and new learning. There might be many who would oppose me saying that they feel cramped and suffocated. That can be granted and accepted. But I am going to disclose one reason which many doesn`t mention and try to camouflage with some imprudent excuse. What lie beneath is their inability to cope with distance without the option of relieving themselves at odd times. This mainly happens when your body degrades as a trashcan for undigested food.

 
It is indeed painful and for patients suffering from this common ailment finds it embarrassing and difficult to adapt and adept their bodies as per the changing situations. This might explain the reason for their inhibitions to take up any adventure and their affinity towards convenient restful mediums.

Body is a machine and like our cars and bikes it requires fuel and maintenance. The food that we eat keeps the motor running and metabolism functioning throughout. Now this is tricky. Anything edible cannot be characterized as ‘food’. Instead those food-items that nourishes, energizes and replenishes the body should be consumed. The problem is today`s man is so much armed with knowledge that he has stopped paying attention to the important facts. Had we were in Neolithic times and didn`t know about the details of keeping healthy the mistakes won`t have been scrutinized with piercing eyes.
But we are not. Since we love thwarting notions it is a matter of immense pleasure for us to kick away the notion of forewarned is forearmed! We know what should be eaten and what shouldn`t be but still blaming on time and office-pressure we feed on junk and fast foods. Food taken in morbid condition remain stored in body for two to three days or even more and as such increases the pain and irritation in bowel cycle. This new despicable guest won`t sit quietly and will stir you through chest pain and sour mouth.Heartburn remedies are not complex clinical science. My brother eats so hurriedly that my mother is always shouting at him. Be at dinner or lunch she keeps him telling to take time to eat and not to jump on bed just after eating. He hates the sight of aloevera juice but with motherly bribe from the kitchen he gulps it down. 

These things have been mandatory for my brother because he is often seen gorging on chocolate, spicy foods, carbonated beverages and processed foods. Precautions before things take ugly shape.
Enjoying life is always accompanied with eating right and letting spirits fly. If body is fit nothing can stop you from embarking anything under the sun.