April 30, 2007

Holiday Season Could Ring in A Heartburn SeasonA

Newswise (press release) -… to indulge in foods likely to cause them heartburn can now take a histamine receptor blocker … ThatA s why we donA t recommend them as a specific treatment.A . …::

More: continued here

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How Heartburn or Acid Reflux Drugs and Antacids Are Killing You

Tip! Over eating is a no go zone if heartburn plays are part in your life on a weekly basis. Cut down to smaller meals and be careful not to eat close to bedtime.

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Doctors and Pharmaceutical giants know that their drugs and antacids do not cure heartburn or acid reflux. They have known for a long time that their drugs simply suppress the condition and continue the cycle of heartburn, acid reflux, and drugs. If you have fallen prey to this medical cycle, for sure you are headed toward serious malnutrition. The inability to feed your body the nutrients it needs will result in the diseases that you now see in most elderly people.

Because your mouth and stomach are the first step in getting nutrients into your body, you don’t want to get this step wrong. If you are taking Prevacid, Prilosec, Aciphex, Protonix, Nexium, or even antacid, its time you re-evaluated the use of these drugs.

Tip! Food and drink intake is often associated with heartburn. Identifying what types of food or drink seem to correlate with an attack is important.

Fact1: Your stomach is designed to have a pH of 3.0 or less, more acidic

Fact 2: When you stomach pH is consistently higher than 3.0, more alkaline, you create disease

Fact 3: Taking heartburn or reflux drugs or antacids raises and keeps your stomach pH above 3.0 and higher.

When your stomach has the proper pH, it digests your food so that,

* The meat you eat is broken down into amino acids that you absorb later

* Vitamins are created from the food you eat

* Vitamins are separated out from the food you eat

* Minerals are kept in solution for later absorption

Tip! Make sure that you eat you eat your meals at a normal pace. By taking your time and not rushing you will be able to cut down on heartburn.

* Stomach digested food moves into the duodenum at the proper pH level and triggers digestive juices from the pancreas and gallbladder

* Bacteria overgrowth is prevented and eliminates their interference with the absorption of vitamin B-12.

When your stomach pH gets higher than 3.0, It secretes more acid to keep its pH below 3.0. When heartburn or acid reflux medication interferes with stomach acid by raising it pH above 3.0, the stomach is no longer functioning like a stomach. It is now creating chemical combinations that are not usable by your body. What it now produces is affecting the function of subsequent processes in the duodenum and colon. It causes these body organs to malfunction and they fail to digest and absorb the nutrients from the food you ate.

The cascade effect of a stomach with a high pH over a long period of time results in numerous ill conditions that are not traceable to an inefficient stomach.

So it’s your job is to keep your stomach’s pH at the proper level and look to solve your heartburn and acid reflux issues using natural remedies. If your condition, has evolved into GERD then you may have to consult a doctor or an alternative practitioner to recover from this disease.

Tip! Many people report a correlation with their sleeping style and heartburn. Whether it be the way they rest their heads on their pillows, which may be too high or too low or the way they actually lay in bed; it may be on their backs, side or even stomachs.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid e-books. He writes a newsletter called natural-remedies-thatwork.com and his information on natural remedies for heartburn and acid reflux can be seen at: http://www.acidreflux-relief.info

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April 29, 2007

Heartburn Free Foods for the Holidays: Enjoy Great Food Without the Heartburn This Holiday Season

Tip! Aloe Vera has also proven to be a great heartburn home remedy. It has an alkalizing effect on the body, meaning it will help neutralize acid, and thus will relieve your heartburn.

Ahhh, the holidays… a time of friends, family and for all too many people…

Heartburn!

If you’re one of the 60 million Americans who suffer from acid reflux disease you know how one meal of indulgence can lead to a day or night of misery.

The problem is that during the holidays we allow more things into our diets than we do the rest of the year. We eat more sweet and rich foods, drink more alcohol and coffee, and quite often can pay the price with increased heartburn.

But be of good cheer, dear holiday party-goer, you can still eat well, have a great time, and avoid your heartburn problems!

The secret lies in knowing what foods are bad so you can limit them or substitute something in their places.

The bad heartburn foods come in two varieties…

Tip! Eating a banana each day works like an antacid to soothe heartburn. If you’re already stricken with indigestion, eating pineapple or papaya (or drinking the juice) can help settle your stomach naturally.

1. Those that cause an increase in stomach acid, some of which can spill over into your esophagus causing heartburn.

2. Those that relax the esophageal sphincter. The esophageal sphincter is a little muscle at the base of the esophagus that acts as a lid that prevents stomach acid from entering the esophagus.

Here are some of the heartburn causing foods you should look out for this holiday season.

Peppermint

What candy is more associated with the holidays than the red and white striped candy cane? Yet, peppermint is one of those foods that relaxes the esophageal sphincter and allows acid up into your esophagus.

Instead, try a stick of red licorice. You can buy these sticks in bulk, or individually wrapped.

Chocolate

Yes, I’m afraid it’s true; chocolate is another “relaxing” food that can open the way for stomach acid to reach your esophagus. Instead of chocolate, though, try substituting…

Just kidding. True chocoholics know that there’s no substitute for chocolate, but there are people who are thinking of creative ways to make chocolate heartburn free.

See the resource box at the end of this article for a collection of heartburn-free recipes, including one for fudge!

Tip! Relaxation: If people take time to rest and relax, they are able better able to reduce the amount of stress that could lead to poor choices. For example, it could reduce a person’s desire to consume large amounts of alcohol which can certainly aggravate the pain and discomfort associated with heartburn.

Alcohol and Coffee/Tea

Between the office holiday party, Christmas with the family, and New Year’s Eve, alcohol consumption for many people sky rockets during this time of year. And, even non-drinkers can over indulge with higher than normal levels of coffee or tea (regular and decaf).

All of the above beverages can increase the acid production in your stomach and give you heartburn. Instead try substituting hot cider (in moderation) for the coffee or tea, and non-alcoholic beer or wine for your other favorite alcoholic beverages.

Hors d’ Oeuvres

Spicy and fatty foods are notorious for generating stomach acid production, and no place are these foods more conveniently and neatly presented than on the hors d’ Oeuvres trays and tables at holiday parties.

Tip! Tums: These are tablets that come in chewable form which contain calcium carbonate, an ingredient that helps relieve symptoms of upset stomach and heartburn. It is termed an antacid.

Foods to look out for include cheese, salami, beef sticks, and, of course, spicy buffalo wings. Instead, stick with pretzels, apples, or carrots and broccoli dipped in low fat ranch dressing.

Brunch Food

Lastly, another meal that friends and family share together during the holidays–and one that’s loaded with heartburn traps and snares–is brunch.

From the coffee, to the eggs prepared in butter and garnished with bacon or sausage, to the donuts and fruit juices, brunch offers heartburn foods at every turn. Even here, just a few modifications can result in a very satisfying meal followed by a pleasant, heartburn free day.

Here are a few tips for making your brunch selections…

Egg white omelets are better than those made with whole eggs, and if you like to have some sort of bread with breakfast, try a whole grain bagel with low fat cream cheese.

Tip! The first thing you’ll want to do when you’re awakened by heartburn pain, is to stand up. This helps keep the acid at bay while you go and get a full glass of cool water.

Apples and bananas are the best choices for fruit and, if you want a fruit juice, apple is probably your best bet there, too.

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for acid reflux and heartburn sufferers to enjoy delicious heartburn-free food this holiday season.

Simply, approach each get-together or party with a strategy about what and how much you’ll eat. Then, choose to avoid the bad heartburn foods and, most importantly, have a great time this holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

For more tips, suggestions, and plenty of heartburnfree recipes that you can use this holiday season and all year long, go to http://acid-reflux-help.blogspot.com/2005/11/heartburn-free-foods-for-holidays.html

Tip! Do not eat foods that are known to make heartburn worse. By avoiding these foods you will be able to avoid some of your problems.
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