In
this article we are trying to find out what a
healthy diet for GERD is
Though
a healthy diet for GERD will vary from one
person to another, depending on each individual's
trigger, it may be guided by some basic principles
that will not cause acid reflux in any form
whatsoever.
For
example, the healthy breakfast food for
gastroesophageal reflux patients may differ from
the usual one that consist of a glass of orange
juice, a few slices of toasted white bread with
butter, fried eggs and or sausages and ending with
a cup of strong black coffee. The morning diet for
GRED may have aloe vera juice (1/4 cup 10 minutes
before breakfast) and a bowl of healthy toasted
Oatmeal, fortified with minerals. The recipe for
this healthy breakfast food includes ½ cup quick
oats, ½ cup water, ½ cup 2% milk, 1 tsp light
brown sugar and 1 tsp light
spread.
Placing
a medium sized stainless steel skillet over
medium-high heat, the oatmeal may be cooked for
about 5 minutes till it resembles the color of
toast. Removing the pan from heat, the water has
to be added and as it starts boiling, the milk
goes into it. As the cooking comes to a draw, the
light spread is added along with the salt and
sugar. Yes, a healthy diet for GERD need not be a
very troublesome affair.
The
above breakfast plan only indicates the type of
food that is meant for a healthy diet for
GERD - however it need not necessarily mean
that anything else is harmful. In fact, the GERD
diet is a part of a comprehensive treatment plan
that includes (a) medication, (b) lifestyle
changes and (c) dietary variations. Eating less as
well as consuming foods that are usually good for
people affected by GERD is a good
idea.
While
providing a healthy diet for GERD, it should be
borne in mind that the preliminary task of
identifying food items that trigger is of
paramount significance. But this again is an
extremely tiresome and frustrating exercise. It
involves the age old system of trial and error
where each item of food has to be carefully
eliminated first. At least a week has to go before
its effect can be verified. If the symptoms do not
recur, it is a trigger and the item need to be
deleted from the diet plan. If one the other hand,
the symptoms persists, it is not an offender and
so stays back in the list and you need to
experiment with another food
item.
No
matter what triggers or not, tomatoes along with
all its derivatives like sauce, ketch ups, soup;
all citrus fruits and fruit juices including
orange juice, deep fried food items including
fried chicken and spicy decorative foods are
taboo. Also significant is the approach while
planning the diet which should be holistic. Also
remember never to include fast foods in a healthy
diet for GERD.
Yes
a healthy diet for GERD will help - but can
it treat the disease? The answer is "No". At best
a healthy diet for GERD will reduce the symptoms
and keep them under check, but for a permanent
remedy, you need to turn to holistic remedies. An
ever increasing number of people are now agreeing
to the fact that, holistic remedies are indeed
best for people who suffer from GERD and
heartburn. GERD is a complicated matter and the
causes of the disease are many. And since holistic
remedies treat the body as a whole, it is most
effective in providing quick
relief.
