The article on acid indigestion below is not intended
to replace professional advice, but is simply a guide to
the causes and effects of acid indigestion,
or heartburn as it is more commonly known. For a
comprehensive guide to heartburn prevention and indigestion
medication, please visit our acid
reflux website.
Acid Indigestion Recovery - Simple and Easy!
By: Charles Stewart
Richey
Acid indigestion is a condition
that plagues millions of people worldwide. It is caused by
stomach acid splashing up into the esophagus. The lower
esophageal sphincter (LES) is a ring-like valve at the bottom
of the esophagus. It opens to allow food to enter the stomach
and then closes to keep it there. When the LES becomes damaged
and, or relaxed, stomach fluids are refluxed up into the
esophagus and throat. The hydrochloric acid in this fluid has
been compared to the corrosive acid in a common car
battery.
It is important to remember why this condition usually exists
in the first place. In most cases it is due to a damaged
esophagus and LES. These can easily be scratched by eating
foods with jagged edges like corn chips or crackers. Even
crusty bread which has not been chewed properly can cause this
type of damage. These little lacerations can then be irritated
by acidic foods which are spicy or fried. Before you know it,
you have a full fledged case of acid reflux. Once this cycle
begins, it is not that easy to get rid of.
Let the esophagus heal by not eating the same foods in the same
manner that caused the damage in the first place. Loosing
weight, exercising, chewing properly, drinking sufficient
amounts of water and eating in a pleasant atmosphere are all
simple things that anyone can do to improve this condition.
There are also many natural ingredients found in any grocery
market or health food store, which can help during the acid
reflux recovery period. Herbs, like slippery elm and
marshmallow have wonderful healing properties. Aloe vera juice,
licorice and natural honey can sooth the esophagus and assist
in the healing process.
By eating dinner at least three hours before retiring, one can
drastically reduce the chances of acid reflux. Chewing gum
between meals actually reduces stomach acid. Saliva is
extremely alkaline in nature and chewing stimulates its
production causing the system to be more alkaline.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Forget the Three Big Meals we
have been taught to indulge in. Try eating four or five little
meals each day. Start the day with Kukicha Twig tea instead of
acidic coffee. This tea has been used for hundreds of years to
make the body more alkaline. For breakfast, banish that cereal
and instead eat fruit, like bananas and melons. Have several
snacks of walnuts, almonds and more fruit during the day. For
lunch have a salad, made with grilled chicken breasts, or tofu,
mixed with hearts of romaine tossed with a little lemon juice
and olive oil. Lemon juice is preferable to vinegar, as it is
more alkaline in nature.
During this reflux recovery period, eating anything which could
irritate or damage the esophagus must be avoided. Until the
lacerations have had a chance to heal, spicy foods, such as
acidic tomato products, hot peppers, raw garlic and raw onions
should be eliminated from the diet. They just further irritate
the condition. Eating chocolate, smoking and drinking alcohol
relax the LES, allowing stomach acid to splash up into the
esophagus, thus impeding the healing process.
The key to acid reflux recovery is to eat only mild, easy to
digest food until the esophagus has healed. Eat early and
slowly, chewing your food completely. Last, but not least, try
to eat in a relaxed, pleasant and stress free environment.
There are many things one can do to improve the chances for
success in defeating acid reflux. The choices in behavior that
we make like exercising, loosing weight, wearing loose
clothing, eating and chewing properly and avoiding carbonated
drinks are all very important. There is another very potent
technique for managing this condition. It is called
meditation.
Meditation has the power to eliminate any unpleasant side
affect of our stressful lives, including acid reflux. Try this
out; in a quiet place, sit erect with your hands at your side
and take a long deep breath. Close your eyes and look up toward
the space between the eyebrows, without straining. Continue to
breathe deeply. You will soon find yourself in a very relaxed
state with no particular thoughts in mind. Now visualize
yourself eating beautiful food slowly and carefully. See your
mouth, throat, esophagus, LES and stomach all pink, young and
perfect. Feel all the parts of your body working in complete
harmony. Look at yourself. You are smiling. You are enjoying
perfect health.
I promise you that if you did this exercise at least once a
day, your acid reflux would go into remission. With these
little changes in food choices and lifestyle with a few natural
supplements thrown into the mix, anyone would be able to
accomplish acid reflux recovery.
2006 Wind Publishing
For more information on how to heal acid reflux the natural
way, go to: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com
Mr. Richey is also a self-educated
expert on how to cure acid reflux disease by natural means and
has written an extensive report entitled, REFLUX GONE FOREVER,
Natural Acid Reflux Remedies. For more information on how to
heal acid reflux the natural way, go to: www.refluxgoneforever.com
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