A few tips to Manage Heartburn and GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) - thanks to Vivamus' informative post on NF.

A few tips and tricks for GERD

(1) Pursue variety and moderation in the material, below. Avoid fanaticism:

(2) “Low carbohydrate diet” is just a synonym for a high fat, high protein diet. These diets tend to exacerbate GERD – and have other negative health consequences, as well. I suggest that you focus on “low fat Whole Food Plant Based diet.”

(3) Note that fat closes off your pyloric sphincter and traps food in your stomach – with peristaltic churning – for hours. This exacerbates GERD symptoms. The fat intrinsic to meats, cheese, oils, avocados, nuts, seeds and chocolate are all sufficient to bring about this effect. A low fat diet reducing or eliminating much of the above is a good place to start to combat GERD.

(4) Ice-cold food and drinks open up the pyloric sphincter and empty the stomach, reducing GERD symptoms. Avoid carbonated beverages – the carbonation just expands the stomach and exacerbates GERD symptoms.

(5) Graze – multiple small meals and snacks instead of three large meals a day.

(6) Different people have different triggering foods. Look for yours and avoid as appropriate.

(7) Do what you can to reduce abdominal pressure. If overweight, lose weight. A BMI of 21 may be a useful target. Or a waist-hip ratio of .95 or better (.85 in females). Or a waist circumference that is ~50% of height.

(8) Avoid clothing that increases abdominal pressure – particularly when sitting down. Buy larger-waisted clothes and avoid belts; switching to loose-waisted.

(9) Elevating your head off the bed by 6 inches may be helpful (but stop if this causes ankle swelling).

(10) Avoid eating for 3+ hours before sleeping. Final meal of the day - small, cold, low fat, low spice.

(11) Switch sleeping positions. If you normally sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side, and experiment with different-sized pillows and the other side of the bed

(12) Try sublingual B12.

(13) Antacid medicines may reduce absorption of B12/iron and other nutrients - have a blood test. Your stomach is “designed” to be an acid factory – when that is curtailed medically, there are profound effects on digestion.

(14) Pay attention to your body, and adjust as appropriate.

(c) Vivamus - Not medical advice. Merely informational. For medical advice, work closely with your wise and learned locally licensed Physician.

The Best Diet for Upset Stomach

'Dyspepsia' is upset stomach — the common feelings of fullness, discomfort, nausea, bloating, belching. People become hypersensitive to the stretching of their stomach when they eat.

Try:
- Reduce the amount of food eaten (smaller, lighter meals).
- Amalaki (amla, Indian gooseberries) - 1tsp amla powder, 3 times/day
- Cut out gluten.
- Reduce high-fat meals (helps 86% of people) - fatty foods take three times longer to empty from the stomach, and increase the severity and frequency of dyspepsia. More fat = worse symptoms (nausea, discomfort).