Are you dealing with acid reflux? Try these top three lifestyle changes to improve your symptoms.
If acid reflux tells you what you’re going to eat day after day, it might be a sign that it’s time to talk with our New York, NY, gastroenterologist Dr. Daniel Alpert about more effective strategies for treating your acid reflux. However, if you are only dealing with occasional acid reflux, you may be able to get it under control with simple lifestyle changes. These three lifestyle modifications could reduce your acid reflux,
Stop Eating A Couple of Hours Before Bed
How much you eat can undoubtedly impact whether or not you deal with acid reflux. We know that New York is chock full of amazing restaurants and that New Yorkers love to wine and dine late at night sometimes; however, if you are prone to acid reflux, you will want to make sure that you are eating smaller but more frequent meals (don’t load up your plate, especially at dinnertime) and that you stop eating at last two to three hours before going to bed. You will also want to make sure not to lie down immediately after eating or drinking, which can trigger acid reflux.
Avoid Triggering Foods and Beverages
It’s essential to recognize the common offenders and the foods and drinks that you think might be safe but could be making your acid reflux worse. A good rule of thumb is limiting or avoiding acidic, citrus, spicy, and fried, fatty foods. You should also limit or avoid caffeine and alcohol. What foods are good for acid reflux sufferers? These acid reflux-friendly foods include,
- High-fiber foods such as whole grains, root vegetables, and green vegetables
- Low pH foods such as nuts, cauliflower, and berries
- Foods that contain a lot of water, such as broths, herbal teas, cucumber, lettuce, and celery
- Lean meats and seafood
- Egg whites
- Healthy fats such as nuts, olive oil, and avocado
Not sure what’s triggering your acid reflux? Keep a food diary to help you pinpoint potentially offending foods so you can remove them from your diet.
Losing Excess Weight
If you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to deal with acid reflux. By shedding some excess weight, you may significantly improve acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. Even just losing five to 10 percent of your body weight saw a reduction in acid reflux symptoms. If you want to lose weight to improve acid reflux symptoms, talk with our New York, NY, gastroenterologist about safe and effective ways to do it.
Are you dealing with persistent or severe acid reflux in New York, NY? If so, you could benefit from turning to our gastroenterologist Dr. Alpert to find out what additional treatment options will provide you better relief. Call (212) 599-7910 to learn more.