Foods To Consider For An Acid Reflux Diet

This is some general advice if you are going to be following an acid reflux diet. Eating large meals and eating just before going to bed are not recommended when you are on an acid reflux diet. You are also supposed to avoid fat and/or spicy foods. All of these habits can lead to the increased production of stomach acid that may enter and cause damage to the esophagus. This is particularly true if the closing muscles do not work as they should. The consequence is that you end up with permanent heartburn.

There are many foods to consider when you are speaking about an acid reflux diet. There are foods that should be avoided, foods that can be consumed in moderation and foods that one can definitely have. The first section of the acid reflux diet will deal with the foods that are to be avoided:

Fruit - Lemon, orange juice, lemonade, cranberry juice, tomato and grapefruit juice

Vegetables - Mashed potatoes, raw onion and French fries

Meat - Ground beef or chuck, chicken nuggets, marbled sirloin, buffalo wings

Dairy - Milk shake, sour cream, ice cream and regular cottage cheese

Grains - Spaghetti with sauce and macaroni and cheese

Beverages - Wine, liquor, all coffee whether decaffeinated or regular, all tea whether decaffeinated or regular

Fats/oils - creamy salad dressings, oil and vinegar salad dressing

Sweets/desserts - Chocolate, butter cookies, high-fat, brownies, doughnut, potato chips that are fried and corn chips

The next list of foods are considered to be safe foods if you are on an acid reflux diet:

Fruit - fresh apple, dried apple, banana, apple juice, pineapple, papaya( these help to neutralize stomach acid)

Vegetables - carrots, baked potato, broccoli, cabbage, peas, green beans

Meat - extra-lean ground beef, skinless chicken breast, London Broil steak, fish with no added fat, egg whites, egg substitutes

Dairy - feta or goat cheese, fat-free sour cream, fat-free cream cheese, low-fat soy cheese

Grains - Corn bread, multi-grain or white bread, graham crackers, bran or oatmeal cereal, pretzels, brown or white rice, rice cakes

Beverages - Mineral water

Fats/oils - low-fat salad dressings

Sweets/desserts - fat-free cookies, red licorice, jelly beans, baked potato chips

The following foods are to be consumed in moderation when you are following an acid reflux diet:

Fruit - low-acid orange juice, peach, apple cider, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, dried cranberries, grapes

Vegetables - onion that is cooked, garlic, leeks, scallions, sauerkraut

Meat - lean ground beef, scrambled eggs in butter, chicken salad, fried eggs, tuna salad, fried fish, beef or pork hot dogs, ham

Dairy - Yogurt, frozen yogurt, 2% or skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese

Grains - Granola cereal, garlic bread, muffin

Beverages - Non-alcoholic wine, non-alcoholic beer, cola, beer, root beer

Fats/oils - Ketchup

Sweets/desserts - low-fat cookie

This is by no means a comprehensive list of the foods that you can consume and avoid on an acid reflux diet but it is a start. When you find that your reflux disease is somewhat under control, then perhaps you can slowly add a food from the forbidden list to see how you will react to it. If it makes your acid reflux worse, then you know to avoid that food for good.

Finding Relief From Acid Reflux Disease

Millions of people suffer from acid reflux disease which can range from a hoarse throat in the morning to symptoms that might have you rushing to the doctor thinking you are having a heart attack!

This very common chronic condition, sometimes referred to as heartburn by every day folks and often called gastroespohageal reflux disease or GERD by your doctor is not only very uncomfortable, but it can also lead to very serious problems due to the stomach acids burning your esophagus if left unchecked over long periods of time. This condition called Erosive Esophagitis can be serious and some doctors think it may even be linked to esophageal cancer

If you have ever felt that burning in your throat or tasted the bitter sour taste in the back of your mouth then you won't be surprised to learn that acid reflux is caused by stomach acids, and sometimes food, backing up into your esophagus. There is a muscle in between the stomach and esophagus and this muscle acts like a valve that lets food enter from the esophagus into the stomach but is supposed to only open one way so that food and stomach acids cannot back up. However, in many people this muscle does not function properly and the result is acid reflux.

There are many ways to treat acid reflux but you will want to visit a health professional to get a good diagnosis before you choose the right path for you to take. Usually treating acid reflux is an ongoing process and your doctor might suggest medicines such as pump inhibiters that reduce the amount of acid produced or he may leave it to simple dietary and lifestyle changes such as avoiding some foods and sleeping on an incline

No matter what your doctor suggests, it's in your best interest to find out what foods trigger bouts of heartburn for you. Try keeping a food diary and noting what you eat, when you eat it and how you feel shortly after. This will tell you what foods you might think about avoiding. Typically fatty and fried foods cause acid reflux. Other foods you might want to avoid include chocolate, tomotoe based foods, peppermint, citrus and spicy foods.

Other things you can do to reduce the effects of acid reflux disease include wearing loose clothing (especially around your stomach area) and not eating for several hours before bedtime.