GERD / Acid Reflux Information
Most
people think of GERD as occasional heartburn, but there are
a significant number who have chronic, persistent pain and
discomfort. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, affects
about 15 million people in the United States.
Being overweight has clearly been shown to be associated with GERD, and those with a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) have less risk of symptoms. Diet appears to be a major part of this as well, and most all of my patents with GERD can tell me what foods will provoke their reflux.
The most common foods that people complain of include:
Whole milk products
Acidic fruits and juices (orange, grapefruit, pineapple and lemon)
Onions
Tomatoes and tomato products
Vinegars or foods cured in vinegar (pickles, relish)
Foods very high in sugar
Fatty meats
Fried foods
Recipes that are very high in fat
Alcohol
Coffee
Tea
Carbonated sodas
Spicy foods
Peppermint
Chocolate
Many
of my recipes use ingredients that will cause symptoms.
Every recipe on the Dr. Gourmet website is now labeled in
the Special Diet Information section with whether it might
cause reflux symptoms. Some recipes will have suggestions
for changes to make them more “reflux friendly.”
Weight loss is one key and I see patients almost every day whose reflux symptoms improve when they lose weight. Using My eatTHISdiet is a good way for you to get started, with meal plans and recipes specifically created for those with GERD / Acid Reflux.
GERD-Safe Recipes
The recipes on the Dr. Gourmet website are individually labeled for their appropriateness for those with GERD. These are some of the top-rated recipes that should be safe for those with GERD.
Breakfast Soups and Salads |
Main Course Extras, Side Dishes and Desserts |
News Bites
Maintain your weight, avoid gallstones: Obesity is known to be a strong risk factor, in and of itself, for the formation of gallstones. We also know that rapid weight loss, like that seen in those who have weight-loss surgery, is also a risk factor for gallstones. Those painful little stones, often formed of cholesterol crystals, are more often seen in women than in men, and studies of gallstone risks are often focused on women. More....
Be aware of soft drinks: I have a patient who drinks a six-pack
of sugared soda every day. As you might expect, he has a
weight problem: in addition to his regular eating habits,
he's consuming an extra 900 calories of sugary-sweet soft
drink every day. Soft drinks are pervasive in American culture
and it's clear that the increase in their consumption since
1960 coincides with the widening of the American waistline.
More....
Trying to control your weight? Get some more exercise: Despite the fact that Americans spend over $50 billion per year on weight loss products and services, one-third of adults are still obese. To combat this, in 1998 the National Institute of Health recommended that adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise, 5 days per week (150 minutes/week), in addition to reducing calories consumed. More....
“Just tell me what to eat!” said a patient when Dr. Harlan told her she needed to lose weight to protect her health. So he did. Try MyeatTHISdiet and see how easy it can be to cook and eat healthy, whether you need a low sodium diet, are lactose-intolerant, or need to manage your Coumadin (warfarin) or your GERD / Acid Reflux.
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Ask Dr. Gourmet
Is it true that when dieting you shouldn't eat past
7pm?
Eating later is difficult because this usually means you
are eating extra calories. If you are going to have something
light like a fruit-juice popsicle or orange juice this is not likely to
add many calories to your day. These are healthier calories than eating
cookies or buttered popcorn. More....
Is cutting down on carbohydrates a healthy way to lose weight?
This is absurd. One can lose weight by cutting down on carbohydrates
because this essentially means cutting down on calories. The problem with
this is that the body uses carbohydrates as a more immediate source of
fuel. More....
What are the best ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol)?
Change in diet is key. Eating a diet that is lower in saturated
fat. Choose fats like olive or grapeseed oil for cooking
and minimize the amount of butter or other spreads that
you use. This
means consuming leaner meats when you choose red meat. More....
Which is worse, margarine or mayonnaise?
The short answer is that they are about the same. Two teaspoons of
either "cheap generic" mayonnaise or margarine contains
about 7.5
grams of fat. Of that about 1 gram is saturated fat. There's
probably a little more sodium in the margarine. More....
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