Don’t overdo it

If you’re prone to heartburn or have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), certain days—particularly Thanksgiving—may fill you with dread.

What could be worse than a food-related holiday? Although it may seem like a recipe for heartburn pain, there are things you can do to help prevent acid reflux on the big day.

First, choose the right food (and drinks). Second, don’t eat too much at once. (Read more about daily habits that curb heartburn.)

A major cause of heartburn is overeating, which can push acid into the heartburn-generating danger zone.

Selecting a salad

Salads are good news for those with chronic heartburn or GERD—if you have the right salad dressing and ingredients, that is.

High-fat foods are a known trigger for acid reflux, so the National Heartburn Alliance recommends avoiding creamy salad dressings, as well as oil and vinegar.

Your best bet is a low-fat salad dressing, and avoid tomatoes, raw onions, and other acid-aggravating ingredients. (Want fruit in your salad? Choose apples, not oranges, if you want to avoid heartburn.)

Eat more ginger

Ginger is one ingredient that can help ease heartburn, if you don’t get too much of it. (More than 2 to 4 grams per day can actually cause heartburn.)

Ginger is a natural match for root vegetable dishes commonly served during the holidays. Heartburn-friendly vegetables include carrots, cabbage, peas, broccoli, and green beans.

Choose multigrain rolls or bread

When choosing grain-based food for the holiday, you can’t go wrong with multigrain bread or rolls. Corn bread and white bread are good choices too, if you want to avoid heartburn.

One side dish that should be strictly for the kids, however, is macaroni and cheese. This is one of those dishes known to trigger acid reflux, according to the National Heartburn Alliance.

Dried cranberries are relatively low-risk in terms of acid reflux, but avoid cranberry juice.

Choose baked, not mashed

If you have chronic heartburn, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods. You just have to choose wisely to save yourself some pain later on.

For example, mashed potatoes can trigger heartburn, but baked potatoes may not. When it comes to dairy products, the less fat the better. So limit butter and avoid sour cream.

But if you simply can’t live without sour cream on your baked potato, choose a low-fat variety to limit acid reflux.

Eat light turkey, not dark

High-fat food can spell trouble if you’re prone to heartburn, so do yourself a favor and skip the skin when it comes to turkey time.

You’re best bet is to eat turkey breast and avoid oilier dark meat.

The same goes for gravy. If it’s not fat free, it may be smarter to skip this dish.

How to end the meal

If you’ve made smart choices so far, don’t get tripped up by the beverages or after-meal choices. In fact, choosing to drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages may trigger heartburn no matter what you eat.

The National Heartburn Alliance recommends mineral water as your safest bet; even nonalcoholic wine or beer can pose an intermediate risk. When choosing dessert, avoid chocolate (apple pie may be your best bet), and don’t follow your meal with a cigarette—a well-known heartburn trigger.

A post-meal walk is probably better than a nap, and when you do hit the pillow, make sure to sleep with your head elevated 6 to 8 inches to curb acid reflux.

For more tips, please click before

Heartburn, that uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest, results when acids from your stomach back up into a weakened part of your lower esophagus (the tube that runs from your mouth to your belly).

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend summer gatherings doubled over in pain. Here, some tips to help you enjoy your next picnic or barbecue:

Know your trigger foods — then avoid them Every stomach is different. If you’re not sure what ticks off your tummy, start a food diary, advises Kim Galeaz, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Indianapolis. Write down everything you eat and drink, plus any symptoms you have and when they occur. Then see if you can discern a pattern. “You might discover that half of a hot dog doesn’t cause a problem but a whole one does,” says Galeaz.

Pick your beverages wisely Cold beer, iced tea, lemonade and soda — what summer party is complete without them? But alcohol and caffeine (found in many sodas, coffee and tea) are common culprits for both heartburn and IBS. Carbonation can also contribute to bloating in some acid reflux  sufferers, and the high acid content in lemonade (and other citrus juices) can irritate the esophagus, making it problematic for people with heartburn.

Fat is not your friend Fried and fatty foods, such as greasy burgers, fried chicken or salads dripping in oil slow down your digestive system. The more time food sits in your stomach, the more likely it is that acid will back up, causing heartburn pain.  When making burgers, buy meat with the lowest fat percentage you can find. Grilled chicken breast and fish kabobs with vegetables are other safe options, she adds.

Stick with salads- Lettuce and potato salads are safe choices, especially when made with low-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free dressing or mayonnaise. While vinegar can be problematic if you’re prone to heartburn, you may find you can enjoy cider or rice vinegars, which tend to be milder than other vinegars, advises Pat Baird, registered dietitian and board member of the National Heartburn Alliance. You also may want to skip tomatoes, which can trigger heartburn.

Broccoli and beans: a mixed blessing Broccoli, cauliflower, beans and cabbage are nutritional powerhouses that provide plenty of good-for-you fiber. Fiber is often recommended for heartburn acid reflux sufferers since it can ease symptoms in some people, particularly those prone to constipation. However, these foods can also cause gas, which may trigger bloating and cramping. If this happens, your body may be able to adjust as long as you start small and add these foods gradually to your diet, a little at a time. If you find you can tolerate these foods, don’t forget to use low-fat dressing or mayo when making coleslaw or bean salad.

Condiment cautions Spicy foods – especially those featuring black pepper, red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce and fresh garlic — can be a problem if you have heartburn. But most heartburn sufferers can eat mustard, and some can handle small amounts of ketchup, notes Baird. If you love garlic and onions, consider garlic and onion powders or dried onion pieces, which tend to be more heartburn-friendly than the fresh kind, she adds.

Don’t load your plate- An overstuffed stomach is more likely to result in acid reflux for heartburn sufferers. So eat moderately and slowly to give your tummy time to digest.

While spicy barbecues and greasy cheeseburgers may seem like a nightmare if you have a sensitive stomach, the great thing about summer gatherings is that they’re usually casual, active affairs. Instead of sitting down to a large formal dinner, you can “snack” at the buffet table in between throws of a frisbee or dips in the pool. The key is figuring out what ticks off your individual stomach. One person’s trigger food is another person’s happy indulgence. Once you know what you can and cannot eat, you can create your own smart strategies for a pain-free summer.

If you are interested to find out more ways to cure your heartburn naturally without taking any medication, you may like to check this out:

Summer Picnic

Summer is here. It is time for picnics and cookouts, and… it is also can be a time for heartburn. No worry about heartburn or acid reflux. As long as you take a few precautions before and during your picnics, you can have a great time this summer.

Foods you can eat for a heartburn-free picnic:

Meat
Grill your meats instead of frying, and choose only lean meats. You can still enjoy burgers at your picnics when you use only the leanest meats and grill them instead of frying.

Salads and Side Dishes
Your salads can be just as tasty when you use carrots or other milder vegetables, instead of tomatoes. An old favorite at picnics, potato salad, can still be enjoyed with the heartburn.

What You Drink
Instead of drinking carbonated drinks such as colas, instead drink water, non-citrus fruit drinks or iced tea. Also, if you want to consume alcoholic beverages, drink less or drink beverages like wine coolers, which contain less alcohol.

Eat smaller meals.
Large meals expand your stomach and increase upward pressure against the esophageal sphincter. The stomach will also produce more acid.

Other ways you can prevent picnic heartburn:

Don’t lie down for about two hours after you eat.
Gravity helps to keep the stomach juices from backing up into the esophagus and assists the flow of food and digestive juices from the stomach to the intestines.

Maintain a reasonable weight.
Obesity increases abdominal pressure, which can then push stomach contents up into the esophagus. According to some statistics, approximately 35 percent of overweight people experience heartburn. The good news is that for many people, as little as a 10 percent decrease in weight will improve their heartburn symptoms.

Don’t smoke.
Nicotine relaxes the esophageal sphincter. Smoking also stimulates the production of stomach acid.

Relax.
While stress hasn’t been linked directly to heartburn, it is known that it can lead to behaviors that can trigger heartburn. Follow these relaxation tips to alleviate stress and make stress-related heartburn less likely.

If you are interested to find out more ways to cure your heartburn naturally without taking any medication, you may like to check this out:

Don’t lie down for about two hours after you eat.
Gravity helps to keep the stomach juices from backing up into the esophagus and assists the flow of food and digestive juices from the stomach to the intestines.

Elevate your head a few inches while you sleep.
Lying down flat presses the stomach’s contents against the LES. With the head higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure. You can elevate your head in a couple of ways. You can place bricks, blocks or anything that’s sturdy securely under the legs at the head of your bed. You can also use an extra pillow, or a wedge-shaped pillow, to elevate your head. Read this article for more tips on easing nighttime heartburn.

Maintain a reasonable weight.
Obesity increases abdominal pressure, which can then push stomach contents up into the esophagus. According to some statistics, approximately 35 percent of overweight persons experience heartburn. The good news is that for many people, as little as a 10 percent decrease in weight will improve their heartburn symptoms.

Don’t smoke.
Nicotine relaxes the esophageal sphincter. Smoking also stimulates the production of stomach acid.

Relax.
While stress hasn’t been linked directly to heartburn, it is known that it can lead to behaviors that can trigger heartburn. Follow these relaxation tips to alleviate stress, and thus make stress-related heartburn less likely.

If you are interested to find out more ways to cure your heartburn naturally without taking any medication & ruin your summer, you may like to check this out:

==> Summer Fight Against Heartburn Triggers

Foods and beverages that are most often heartburn triggers:

* Fatty meats
* Fried foods
* Citrus fruits
* Citrus juices
* Chocolate
* Peppermint
* Excessive alcohol consumption (especially red wine)
* Tomatoes and tomato-based products
* Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee
* Carbonated beverages, such as colas
* Peppers
* Garlic and onions

Foods you can eat for a heartburn-free summer:

Meat
Grill your meats instead of frying, and choose only lean meats. You can still enjoy burgers at your picnics, when you use only the leanest meat and grill them instead of frying.

Salads and Side Dishes

Your salads can be just as tasty when you use carrots or other milder vegetables, instead of tomatoes. An old favorite at picnics, potato salad, can still be enjoyed without the heartburn.

What You Drink
Instead of drinking carbonated drinks, such as colas, drink water, non-citrus fruit drinks, or iced tea. Also, if you want to consume alcoholic beverages, drink less or drink such ones as wine coolers, which contain less alcohol.

Eat smaller meals.
Large meals expand your stomach and increase upward pressure against the esophageal sphincter. The stomach will also produce more acid.

If you are interested to find out more ways to cure your heartburn naturally without taking any medication & ruin your summer, you may like to check this out:

Easter is the time to spend with friends and family, a great time to celebrate the new spring season and the renewal of life everywhere after winter’s chill. It’s also the time when godparents, grandparents, and family friends get to do some of their best gift-giving.

Here are 7 tips you can use during this Easter holidays:

1. Avoid drinks that contain alcohol, teas, coffee and colas. Herein lies the culprit – caffeine.

2. If you have a penchant to drink coffee, then try some of the decaffeinated coffee instead. It will not give you that buzz, but you will not be bothered by heartburn either.

3. Avoid citrus fruits, tomatoes and drinking coffee. The big problem in these foods is the acid in them. Also, coffee contains caffeine which you do not need.

4. Don’t over-indulge in peppermints, chocolates, onions and food with a high fat level.

5. Try to avoid whole milk if you are a milk drinker. Instead you should try fat fee milk or milk that has 1 or 2% fat.

6. Try not to eat large meals. Instead, try to space your meals throughout the day and eat several smaller ones.

7. Take your time eating. Remember that it has been said to chew each mouthful of food 25 times before going on to the next mouthful? Try this and see if it does not help to alleviate your acid reflux symptoms.

Have a great Easter holiday.

If you are interested to cure your heartburn naturally without taking any medication, you will like to check this out:

So, what do an adult sufferer should do during this holiday?

- Make sure not to forget medications.  The hustle and bustle that happens with the addition of extra parties, though fun, can often cause us to forget something as basic as taking our medication.  It is especially important to remember your child’s medication since many are unable to articulate the early heartburn warning signs like an adult can.

- Do not go to the party hungry!  If you know you are going somewhere that will have foods that could trigger a reflux flare for yourself or your child, eat before you leave.  A small reflux friendly meal before the party can help curb overindulging once you arrive.

- Prepare yourself and your child. There will be foods at the party that they will be unable to eat.  Older children respond better when they are given a “heads up”.  Let them know that you will have to look through the candy before they eat it and that you will provide them some treats that will not hurt their stomach.   You may also need to give a limit on the amount of treats, even reflux friendly ones, they can eat.

- Bring treats you or your child CAN eat.  There is nothing worse than being the “odd man out” when you are a child.  If you know of a few candy items or treats that don’t bother your child’s acid reflux bring those along.  When everyone else is munching down bags of chocolate you and your child can snack on the items that you brought from home.

- Take time to go through the candy carefully. Avoid eating those candy that contains acid reflux prone ingredients which can trigger your acid reflux symptoms.

- Avoid going right to bed when you get home.  A long night of trick-or-treating can wear both parent and child out!  Heading straight to bed sounds like a great idea but can trigger painful issues for those with acid reflux.  It is important to remain upright after eating.  I have found that waiting two hours after eating is best for my own reflux and waiting at least an hour for my children seems to work for them.

- Provide your children with fun Halloween activities that are not food related.  Having a pumpkin carving party or doing a Halloween craft can be a lot of fun and a much healthier alternative to chomping on candy!  Physical activities, like a mini-pumpkin hunt or a Fall walk, can help to burn off the occasional treat.  If you take the time now to teach your children to have a healthy relationship with food it will pay off for years to come.

Happy Halloween!