Mar 23, 2017

Natural Remedies For Acid Reflux

If you have experienced acid reflux before you may also have experienced the desperate feeling of wanting to get rid of it! Can't eat, can't sleep, can't do a damn thing, it just hurts! WHY? WHY ME?!

Am I right?

It brings out the temper tantrums, and all the weird ass things that you would never typically consume on their own like baking soda and mustard.

The acid reflux conundrum

More often than not, acid reflux is diagnosed as too much acid, but quite the contrary! It is extremely RARE to have high acid levels. You see our bodies produce digestive enzymes such as hydrochloric acid (aka HCL), amylase, lipase and protease, to name a few. Our enzymes roll is to break down foods, such as carbs, fats, proteins, etc. so that the nutrients can be absorbed from them.

Many factors including antibiotic use and eating the same foods all the time cause our enzymes to become depleted. Once our enzymes become depleted, foods are no longer being broken down properly, causing food to sit in the gut and ferment. Not the good kind of fermenting we think of with things like yogourt and sauerkraut.

Fermenting foods in the gut causes a build up of gas. You may have experienced this canning soups or sauces. If a jar doesn't seal and goes left unattended it begins to ferment and once opened the lid pops off with a bit more zip under it and brings with it a foul odor! It is the same thing in your gut! This gas build up creates pressure and the easiest way for it to escape is up into the esophagaus, splashing acid onto the mucousal lining causing tissue damage and your acid reflux symptoms.

The issue is not too much acid, it is too little and making assumptions based on pain can lead you to worsening the issue. Tums, ant-acids and other proton pump inhibitors only further deplete your acid production. Have you ever asked why you are in so much pain when you try to stop taking your ant-acid? It's because we never addressed the root cause and you won't be able to come off of them without extreme pain until you address the underlying cause.

What depletes my enzymes?

Stress
Antibiotics
Eating the same foods all the time
Dehydration
Microwaving foods
Processed foods
Aging

If your symptoms are stubborn and persistent it may be wise to pair the recipe below with a digestive enzyme containing Betaine Hydrochloride or seek out a holistic practitioner who can help you get to the root of your discomfort.

It is also worth noting that depleted enzymes is a reflection of a digestive imbalance and can lead to leaky gut. Read on for 8 Signs You Have Leaky Gut, Plus 4 Steps To Heal It.

How to support your enzymes

Avoid drinking with meals: drinking with meals waters down your enzymes, hindering digestion.
Thorough chewing: your body isn't meant to digest whole food particles, slow down and chew!
Eat more raw, clean, living foods: Raw, living foods, naturally contain digestive enzymes to aid in digestion. Heat kills these enzymes so enjoy more raw, unprocessed foods.

To enjoy your food without the gas & bloating downlaod my FREE 'Healthy Gut' Cheat Sheet for top foods, supplements and lifestyle changes to turn those digestive upsets into more energy, no bloating and no pain!

Natural Remedies For Acid Reflux

Apple Cider Vinegar

If you are trying to boost your stomach acid levels than apple cider vinegar is a must have. Being a vinegar, ACV is naturally acidic and helps to balance the pH in your stomach. It not only effectively stimulates your bodies production of digestive enzymes, but it also aids it fighting off unwanted overgrowth of yeast.

Lemon Juice

Lemons, like apple cider vinegar are also alkalinizing for the body and work to neutralize acidity in the stomach and stimulate your enzyme production. It's ability to help eliminate acid reflux makes it a great thing to add in to your daily routine.

Digestive Enzyme with Betaine Hydrochloride

As we know now, our enzyme production can be hindered for many reasons. Supplementing a digestive enzyme is much like giving your body a vacation. This is meant to be a short term supplement as your body can become dependent and will eventually become lazy in it's production. A full spectrum enzyme will ensure all foods are being broken down properly, with special mention of betain hydrochloride (the main component of stomach acid). This will replace the enzymes and acid that are missing in your stomach.

So, short term vacation, then continue with your enzyme stimulants (apple cider vinegar and lemon juice) for on going support.

Probiotic

While probiotics won't directly resolve your acid reflux, they are integral for the balancing of the whole digestive system. If you have acid reflux, you have a digestive imbalance. SO, your probiotic will work by adding health bacteria to the digestive tract, crowding out bad bacteria, commonly causing indigestion, leaky gut and poor absorption of nutrients. Read more on how to pick a probiotic.

Once you have your FREE 'Healthy Gut' Cheat Sheet, enjoy a cup of this Acid Reflux Be Gone Tea! Just remember this imbalance didn't just all of a sudden occur, so one cup of tea isn't likely going to fix the issue. Enjoy 1-3 of these teas a day, warm or cool and if symptoms persist add in a digestie enzyme as mentioned above.