Healthy Tummy Tuesday: What is Acid Reflux?

One of my good friends was diagnosed with Acid Reflux, or GERD, by her gastroenterologist, and she's had to learn how to eat correctly in order to control her symptoms. Acid Reflux has actually doubled in the last few years (possibly by better diagnosis), and the dangers of finding out you have this includes developing Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. So it's so important to note your symptoms, get diagnosed, and then learn how to eat for your condition.

Some simple foundations for eating if you have acid reflux are the following:

• Stay away from chocolate, caffeine, sodas, anything that's gassy, alcohol, smoking and sometimes random things like tomatoes and very acid fruit like oranges.
• Your diet staples should be simple; rice and veggies or rice, veggies and some type of protein like fish.
• When you go out to eat, stay away from sauces and creamy things - even the soy sauce at sushi places might make your symptoms worse. 
• Stop eating processed foods, and stick to fresh, delicious and nutritious meals
• Don't lie down soon after you eat. Wait at least 30 minutes.
• Drink a lot of water! Try to get 8 glasses of water a day.
• It doesn't hurt to do a juice cleanse once in a while. My friend does BPC cleanses once every so often, especially when her symptoms are acting up. You can also try ZEN  cleanses or  Pressed Juicery.

If you suspect you might have acid reflux, it doesn't hurt to get a simple check up by your gastro doctor, followed by a quick visit to your local nutritionist. Trust us, your tummy will thank you!