Have you ever sat down to eat a delicious meal and then felt a pain or burning sensation in your chest afterward? Talk about a buzz kill. Acid reflux is experienced by 3 million people in the U.S. every year! For the sake of this post, I am going to define acid reflux as “a condition in which acidic gastric fluid is regurgitated into the esophagus, causing heartburn.” There are many reasons why people get acid reflux, including being pregnant, being overweight, laying down right after a big meal, and sometimes alcohol.
A lot of the families I cook for have had a family member or two who struggle with acid reflux and aren’t sure which foods really trigger it. Over the last 15 years as a personal chef, I have found that dairy is the root cause of the problem. Whenever one of my clients has eliminated cow’s milk or cheese, their symptoms immediately go away. Some have even decided to no longer take their medications, because changing their diet alone helped their symptoms. Pretty cool how food is medicine!
While we all know that we should avoid spicy or acidic foods to avoid acid reflux, I want to focus on what foods you should actually be eating to help combat this problem!
Oatmeal
I bet you’re happy to hear that this one is on the list! Just avoid adding cow’s milk, yogurt, blueberries or any other acidic fruit.
Organic Chicken or Turkey
If you are trying to fight acid reflux, eat lean meats that are low in fat and easier to digest like chicken or turkey. Sorry, you might have to lay off the bacon for a while!
Fish/Seafood
Did you know that seafood is a great way to avoid reflux symptoms? Don’t go indulging in a bunch of fried-calamari just yet…avoid all fried fishes, and instead bake, boil or sautee your fish for the leanest option.
Fennel
Fennel helps balance pH in your body and improves stomach function (which you need if you get acid reflux!). You can chop fennel and include in slaws, salads, soups and use the fennel herb as a garnish in dishes.
Greens
Eating green vegetables like green beans, asparagus, broccoli are great for acid reflux because they are high in fiber which promotes healthy digestion and lowers risk of developing other esophageal issues.
Like I mentioned before, if you really want to get rid of your acid reflux, try eliminating dairy and see what happens.
You just might find that your acid reflux goes away for good!
Want to learn more about which foods can help you with certain health issues? Download our free “A-Z” Food Benefits guide which includes 5 pages of fruits and vegetables and how they can help you!
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