Making a Heartburn Food Plan
If you have heartburn you know there are certain foods that make your condition worse. That is why it is recommended that you have a heartburn food plan which outlines the food you can safely eat and avoid.
Heartburn happens when there is a reflux of liquid containing pepsin, to the esophagus and to the throat. The liquid that comes from the stomach is acidic, burning the lining of your esophagus. It this happens frequently, a visit to the doctor is recommended to help you cure this condition.
One of the things that are advised for you to do is, as mentioned, having a heartburn food plan. The ones you should avoid generally are those that are hard to be digested, since they put too much pressure on the stomach and the lower esophagus muscle, and those that can make the LES relax.
So what are the foods that cause heartburn? Take note of the following:
- Fatty food (cream, dairy products, mayo, butter and oil – in short, anything that is high in fat)
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Spearmint and peppermint
- Alcoholic drinks
- Fruit juices like orange juice, lemon, lemonade, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice
- Caffeine
- Spices like onions and chili, as well as spicy food
- Citrus fruits
- Products which are tomato-based
- Baked food and desserts high in fat
- Junk foods
If there are foods to avoid, there are those that you can eat. These include:
- Food rich in complex carbohydrates
- Apples and bananas
- Steamed vegetables
- Baked potato
- Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrots
- Legumes and lentils
- Low fat food (that can be something like skinless chicken breast, or low fat fish, dressings, cream and dairy products – food that are low in fat are fine)
As you can see, spices, fatty foods, citrus, greasy foods, tomato-based foods and caffeine should be excluded from a heartburn diet. What you should eat, therefore, are those low in fat or baked.
An advisable way of keeping track of the safe food for you is by having a heartburn food record. This records all the food and drinks you ate and drank for the day, as well as the symptoms you felt, if any. When keeping a food journal, you should specify the type of food you are and how it was cooked.
Also, it is wise to keep a list of food and drinks that are safe and to be avoided and have it posted on your ref, for easier references.
When eating out, avoid those trigger food at all cost. It could be hard because there are many ingredients involved but you should ask for something baked or grilled instead of fatty or fried ones, for example.
Following a heartburn food plan is a must for every heartburn sufferer. While this means avoiding some of your favorites, I advise you to just replace them with something healthier that will not cause you any harm.
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Would you like to know the best natural heartburn treatment? It’s the ebook “Heartburn No More” by Jeff Martin, who has found a totally holistic way of curing heartburn. This has helped thousands of other people get rid of their heartburn forever, and you might, too. Read my review on it on my Acid Reflux Natural Cure blog.
