I've had a lot of questions from people who are visiting my website about acid
reflux and what can be done about it.
I'm gonna share what I've learned from having acid reflex for over 20 years and
seeing many, many doctors about it.
So acid reflex is no fun,
as I'm sure you're aware. It can affect lots of aspects of your life.
I'm gonna share some diet and lifestyle changes that can make a big difference
for your quality of life. I'm not a doctor or a gastroenterologist,
but I've spoken to many of them over the past couple of decades to get the best
advice possible. Always check with a doctor first,
to get a diagnosis and for any modifications they suggest. I'm also gonna talk
about acid reflex and exercise and how you might be able to modify your workouts
and still achieve your fitness goals.
So acid reflex may present as heartburn around that stomach area.
The acid is being pushed up from the stomach up into the esophagus.
It could be an acid taste in the mouth.
Some people like myself also experience soreness in the throat
and coughing. Those are two things that happened to me.
It was only in the last few years that I discovered that the nighttime coughing
that I was having was related to my acid reflux.
A lot of times people don't associate that with GERD.
I often get the feeling that something is stuck or that my voice is a little bit
hoarse. I can hear it now, actually. And that is from my reflux.
You may also experience burping or hiccups and just feeling like your meal is
coming back up now. GERD,
which I suffer from, is gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
So this is sort of the chronic form of acid reflux.
That means that you have it on an ongoing basis.
Practically everybody experiences acid reflex at some point.
Anyone who has a very large meal may feel that typical heartburn or the
pain in the stomach that is reflux. Now,
there are a lot of different causes of acid reflux,
and it may be genetic. In some people,
the lower esophageal sphincter is just a little bit loose or defective.
And that LES is supposed to prevent acid from coming back up.
GERD is actually quite common. 10 to 20% of people suffer from this.
Some people are undiagnosed. I'm gonna talk about what you should eat,
what you shouldn't eat.
And a lot of surprising lifestyle tips along the way. Smaller meals are
recommended.
A large meals can place more pressure on the LES and then force the acid
back up. It's also important that when you eat,
you don't lie down immediately afterward.
Generally about three hours after a meal is how long you should wait before
lying down. Now this can be really tricky.
Most people don't even think about it, but for someone like me,
who's had acid reflux for a long time. I constantly have to think about, "Oh,
am I gonna have to lie down?" If I go to a dentist appointment,
I need to make sure I've eaten three hours prior.
Otherwise I'm gonna have a reflux issue. The same applies to exercise.
So it's generally better not to have anything in your stomach for three
hours before some people can fuel up right before an exercise.
But if you suffer from acid reflex,
you probably wanna make sure you have a big enough gap between your meal and
your workout. So in terms of general nutrition changes,
the American College of Gastroenterology recommends that people with GERD limit
their intake of chocolate, alcohol, citrus, and tomato products,
fat, coffee, tea,
basically anything with caffeine. Smoking can also cause acid reflex
or make it worse.
So I'm gonna go through those nutrition recommendations in a bit more detail,
because for some people, they are an issue and for others they're not.
And the foods themselves are not the cause of acid reflux,
but if you're susceptible, they may make your condition worse.
So we'll start with caffeine.
So caffeine sources tend to be acidic and caffeine has been shown in research to
lessen the pressure of the LES, which we talked about.
So that means that it's gonna release more acid.
Alcohol is also very acidic and it's been shown to loosen the LES as
well. Certain choices of alcohol are better than others.
Wine can be quite acidic.
Beer is a little better and things like vodka are a little bit less acidic.
Fried and fatty foods are generally not a great idea anyway,
but they can be a real problem for reflux.
They cause the LES to relax and they can also delay stomach emptying.
So your stomach is holding that food there longer,
which gives it more time to reflux back up again. For me, fried food is just,
it's one of those almost no go, almost ever.
Because I know that I'm gonna taste that for hours afterwards.
But it might not be an issue for you. Processed meats may also be a trigger.
Smaller amounts of healthy oils and fats are still okay,
but you don't wanna have a large quantity at once.
Citrus fruits and tomatoes are very acidic. So things like lemons,
limes, oranges can be quite hard for someone who suffers from heartburn,
Spicy foods can also irritate the stomach. I always say that I love spicy foods,
but they really don't love me.
Soft drinks can also be a problem because they contain Citric acid. So again,
they're acidic and that's not something that you wanna add when you have reflux.
And the carbonation can cause digestive issues for some people as well.
So if you find yourself burping quite frequently,
it may be because you're taking in too much carbonation and you might wanna cut
back. Vinegar is something that you might wanna watch out for.
It's not on the official list from most gastroenterologists,
but it is quite acidic. And some people will suffer, myself
included. Mint and peppermint tea are often considered good for your digestion,
but they can cause reflux.
Garlic and onions can also loosen the LES and they can be an
irritant to the stomach. For me, garlic and onions are probably the worst.
As much as I love the taste, I really can't have them.
So here are some foods that are safe for acid reflux. Lean meats.
And that's usually what you should be eating. If you have reflux.
Fatty meats are harder to digest and because they contain a lot of fat,
they're gonna be sitting in your stomach for longer. So leaner meats,
chicken, fish, turkey, pork are better for reflux.
Non-acidic fruits are actually good for people who suffer from acid reflux.
So bananas, melons,
Cantaloupe, guava, papaya or pear. Oatmeal is high in fiber and good
for your digestion, but it helps to neutralize acid as well.
Sometimes when you're really suffering from acid reflux,
plain foods like crackers or potatoes can be helpful.
They just help neutralize that acid a little bit.
If you suffer from acid reflux, egg whites are a better choice than egg yolks.
Although most of the nutrition in the egg is found in the yolk.
So I always say try to have some yolks and then a little bit more in terms of
egg whites. So that means you'll be higher in protein and a bit lower in fat.
Dairy is little bit of a tricky one when it comes to acid reflux.
While dairy can delay gastric emptying.
That means that the food is in there for longer.
So it's more likely to come back up. Dairy can also neutralize acid.
And for myself personally, I've found yogurt is really great.
When I have a bad bout of acid reflux, it helps cool things a little bit.
It really does feel good, but for some people it won't be ideal.
So it's best to check for yourself.
And now let's move on to some lifestyle changes for GERD or acid reflux.
It's a good idea to go for a walk after your meals,
particularly any meals that are a bit larger,
it has been shown to reduce the acid a little bit.
Chewing gum after meals has also been shown to reduce the acid. Wear loose
clothing. So this is the one that I always go for.
I really hate high waisted pants because they're tight.
Anything that constricts you. If you're wearing super tight jeans
or anything like that, it's more likely to push things upward.
So stick to loose and comfortable clothing.
Particularly if you're reflux has been aggravated.
Weight loss can be an important part of reducing your acid reflux.
Obesity is a major risk factor for GERD.
Obviously not everybody who has GERD is obese.
But if you are obese or overweight,
it may help reduce your symptoms.
Another thing to try is elevating the head of your bed.
So if you you've got some four by four blocks,
you can just stick them underneath the head of the bed.
The idea is that when you're sleeping, you're on a slight angle.
So not as much acid comes back up.
Now I'm gonna go into some exercise guidelines for acid reflux.
And I think this is really important.
I've given a lot of thought to it because I was an athlete competing in karate for
many years. And I also am, have always been physically active.
So it's something that I've had to deal with and make accommodations for my acid
reflux. Avoid high impact activities.
So things like plyometrics, skipping rope,
they're not ideal for acid reflex. They cause the acid to come back up.
So of course, if you love your high impact exercise,
it's very hard to give it up. I don't run anymore because of this.
Although occasionally if I'm outside playing with my son, then we'll run around,
but I don't do it as a regular part of my workouts because as I do find that
regularly running makes my reflex worse. Weight training can also be a challenge
for people with GERD. When my reflux is acting up, I have to be very careful.
Really heavy lifts place a lot of pressure on the stomach.
The intraabdominal pressure starts to push things up. When your symptoms are
acting up, it's best not to do any exercise in the lying down position.
So no bench pressing or chest pressing or even yoga.
Those type of things are not useful when you've got acid reflux. Being in an
inverted position for any reason,
isn't really a great idea because you're basically just letting that acid come
right up. That's not to say that you have to give these things up permanently,
but when your symptoms are bad, it's often a good idea to adjust.
I usually make modifications to my weight training. When my symptoms get worse,
I'll only do weight training in the standing position or a slight incline
rather than doing anything lying down. And then when things improve again,
I go back to doing the regular routine.
One thing that can be important for some people is stress management.
A lot of people suffer from more acid reflex when they're under stress.
I haven't found that to be the case for myself.
I'm often in a very relaxed time and all of a sudden I'm gonna experience those
reflux symptoms. If it is the case for you though,
try to find some ways of managing stress, whether that's exercise,
particularly walking for people with acid reflux is probably ideal.
There are breathing exercises you can do, or you can try meditation as well.
Traditional treatment for GERD tends to be proton pump inhibitors,
those reduce the acid in your stomach and hopefully reduce your symptoms as
well. I haven't had any luck with these, although I have tried.
If you're one of these people who benefits from them,
then there's no need to feel bad about that. If this medication can help you,
obviously there may be side effects and there may be some long term concerns,
but every medication has to undergo a risk benefit analysis
for you. Honestly, if I could find a PPI that works for me,
I would probably take it.
If it meant that I never had to have acid reflux symptoms again.
Acupuncture is sometimes used for acid reflex.
The scientific evidence is fairly weak on this front,
but if it becomes your method of relaxation, for instance,
if you enjoy the process, then it may be helpful.
If you suffer from acid reflux, believe me, I know how you feel.
I know how it can affect the quality of your life.
Hopefully some of the tips that I've provided can help reduce your symptoms.
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