GERD Diet

GERD is popularly called 'heart burn' or 'acid reflux'. It takes place when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which are a bunch of muscles at the end of your esophagus, do not close properly and allow acids from your stomach to travel into your esophagus and sometimes your mouth.

A large number of people, including infants and children suffer from GERD. The symptoms are a burning sensation in your chest and throat. Additionally, one may also experience an acidic taste in the mouth. These symptoms have to be experienced more than twice a week for it to be termed GERD. Other symptoms include trouble in swallowing or also experiencing pain while swallowing.

A multi-pronged approach is adopted while treating GERD. It includes medication and change of diet and lifestyle. Modifications in diet can bring great relief. The best method to adopt is for each person to identify which foods do and do not trigger acid reflux in them. There are some foods that usually trigger this condition in most people, and those should be avoided as far as possible.

The GERD diet basically highlights which foods are to be avoided and which ones are to be consumed. One of the first changes that needs to be made is to stop consuming large meals. Certain foods, such as those high in fat content, decrease LES pressure and delay stomach emptying, consequently increasing the risk of reflux.

The following are a few pointers on what foods are excluded in a GERD diet.

• Fried foods, especially deep fried foods are a definite no-no.
• Unfortunately, chocolate and mint are also amongst the foods that trigger reflux, so they have to be given up.
• Coffee and tea aggravate GERD in most people. Experiment and find out if you are amongst the lucky few who can tolerate either.
• Certain fruits and their juices in particular, such as lemons and lemonade, grapefruit, orange and cranberry need to be renounced.
• Acid-like foods pose a problem, such as tomato and tomato juice and raw onions. Certain preparations of potatoes, like fries and mashed potatoes need to be avoided.
• Dairy products such as cheese are known to cause problems for most GERD patients.
• Amongst the meats, refrain from chicken nuggets, ground chuck, buffalo wings, and marbled sirloin.
• Liquor and wines are likely to cause reflux, so exercise caution while consuming them.

Now, the good news. Here is a list of foods that are well tolerated by most GERD patients.

• Fruits like apples and bananas which are non-acidic are good for GERD patients.
• Vegetables including carrots, beans, baked potatoes, cabbage and broccoli are all known to be safe GERD diet foods.
• For the non-vegetarians out there, despair not! Amongst the meats, chicken breast, lean ground beef, and London broil steak are good options.
• Fish is a great option too, and should be included in your GERD diet.
• You may be able to tolerate some types of cheese, such as cream cheese, feta or goat cheese and soy based cheeses.

Your solution lies in supplementing your usual ingredients with foods that you can tolerate. For example, replace your regular cheese with a variety you can tolerate and use whole wheat pasta when you make mac and cheese.

Here is a sample of what your daily meals could include.

Breakfast
Apple juice (½ cup)
Whole-grain cereal (¾ cup)
Banana (½)
Whole-wheat toast (2 slices)
Margarine (1 tsp)
Jelly or jam (2 tbsp)
Skim milk (1 cup)

Lunch
Lettuce
Fresh fruit salad, no citrus (½ cup)
Vegetable soup (1 cup)
Saltine crackers (4)
Lean beef patty (3 oz)
Hamburger bun (1)
Reduced calorie mayonnaise (1tbsp)
Mustard (1 tbsp)

Snack
Skim milk (1 cup)
Graham crackers (4)

Dinner
Broiled skinless chicken breast (3 oz)
Herbed brown rice (½ cup)
Steamed broccoli (½ cup)
Green salad (4 oz)
Vinegar and oil dressing (1 tbsp)
Whole grain roll (1)
Margarine (1 tsp)
Low-fat frozen yogurt (½ cup)
Medium apple (1)

While following a GERD diet will help a great deal, the results you will experience will be all the more pronounced if you compliment it with certain lifestyle changes. They include:

• Posture while standing, sitting or sleeping plays a big role in elevating GERD symptoms. Maintain an upright posture during and after meals. Sleep on your left side, preferably with your head elevated.
• Your last food intake should be approximately 2 hours before bed time.
• A step that will help with GERD as well definitely improve your overall health is to quit smoking.
• Most of the changes one is required to make are steps towards a healthier lifestyle. This includes loosing extra weight, exercising and maintaining a healthy body weight.

There are several studies that present contradictory evidence of the influence of diet changes on GERD. For this reason, if you exhibit any of the symptoms, it is best to consult your doctor without allowing time to lapse.