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Questions & Answers

Gerd: Why You Have It And What To Do About It

I have seen a vast number of clients with GERD over the years.

By the time people would come to see me, they were sick of taking proton pump inhibitors, but they were being driven crazy by the reflux.

Your stomach is like a cement mixer. You chew food; it goes down the esophagus, through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and into the stomach. The LES is designed to stop food from going back up the esophagus.

Once the food is in the stomach, it is mixed up with gastric acid and digestive enzymes. The resulting substance is called chyme. Chyme consists of the results of mechanical and chemical breakdown of food, water, hydrochloric acid, and digestive enzymes. Chyme moves into the small intestine for further processing.

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It’s essential that the stomach thoroughly churn up the food and break it down using the digestive enzymes. However, many people eat quickly and without chewing their food enough.

If you eat small meals and take your time eating and chewing, your digestion will be much more efficient. You’ll also be satisfied more readily.

There are common causes of GERD that can explain about 90% of cases.

Firstly, overeating food can contribute to GERD. It’s a particular problem if you eat a big meal and then lie on your back. Eating too quickly and eating the wrong kinds of food also increases the risk of GERD. Spicy, fatty foods and alcohol can all increase GERD as can smoking. So can garlic, onion, and tomatoes.

It’s easy to eat too much if you are sitting in front of an 80-inch television.

Another factor associated with GERD is being overweight. Abdominal fat can constrict your stomach and contribute to reflux. The same thing happens in the later stages of pregnancy.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen can trigger GERD. There are other medications such as blood pressure drugs that can do the same thing.

If you want to reduce your symptoms of GERD, avoid snacking close to bedtime. Take a look at your lifestyle and make healthy changes.

The problem with GERD isn’t only the primary symptoms but the impact it can have on the small and large bowel.

As tempting as it is, I highly recommend that you don’t take anti-reflux medications. Instead, focus on eating smaller meals, avoid trigger foods, increase your activity, and reduce your stress. In many cases, making those changes will significantly reduce your GERD.

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Questions & Answers

The Connection Between Glycemic Index And Weight Loss

Does the glycemic index (GI) matter for weight loss?

Firstly, what’s the GI index? Before the GI index came out, carbohydrate counting was one way that foods and meals were analyzed.

Carb counting has been replaced by the glycemic index, a tool that is particularly useful for people with diabetes. The GI measures a food’s ability to mount an insulin response.

It’s a little bit like flammable substances. If you throw gasoline on a fire, you’re going to get an explosion. That would be the equivalent of a high GI food. White rice and potatoes have a high glycemic index.

Foods with a high glycemic index break down quickly and trigger an insulin response. An insulin spike is associated with an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and circulatory problems.

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Insulin is essential for blood sugar control, but in excess, it can be terrible for your health.

It’s important that your insulin levels be even and well-controlled. This is a boon for your physical and mental health, as well as your energy levels. If you think of diesel, a substance with a much lower flash point than gasoline, it doesn’t have the same explosive effect when you throw it on fire. It’s very underwhelming.

When it comes to the glycemic index, the slow-burn equivalent of foods would include legumes like chickpeas and vegetables. Foods that break down slowly in the gut will stimulate a slow insulin response. It’s really in your best interest to keep insulin tame.

Research tells us that you’re not going to lose a ton of weight just by eating low GI foods. However, eating like that will still improve your blood sugar, which has other benefits. A stable blood sugar helps stabilize your mood and your energy.

The low GI diet is not the most effective way to lose weight. There are other issues to address, including lifestyle, hormone levels, and stress, if you want to lose weight.

If you’re a larger person, it will take your body time to transition to a new way of eating and living. But in the end, your efforts will be worth it.

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Questions & Answers

Mealtime And Weight Loss: What You Need To Know

Does mealtime matter when it comes to weight loss? Only if you’re serious about getting healthy.
It does matter, but you don’t have to be like Dustin Hoffman in The Rain Man. “It is three minutes past noon. I need to eat food.” You don’t have to be rigid to that extent.

I prefer to eat on instinct these days, meaning I don’t look at the clock. When I do eat, I eat at regular times. I always eat breakfasts, I always eat something in the middle of the day, and I always eat something at the end of the day.

If I snack, it will be on something healthy like grapefruit, avocado, hummus, or a small serving of nuts. I might have four Brazil nuts, and I can chew on one of them for 25 to 30 minutes. Timing is everything but not down to the second. You don’t have to be inflexible.

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Breakfast is not important for everybody. Some people aren’t breakfast people, and that’s okay.
I used to be one of those crazy food police. “What you didn’t eat breakfast? You need to eat breakfast.” Now I accept that Some people don’t feel like eating at eight o’clock in the morning. I feel like eating at nine or ten.

Some food in the morning is better than none. It could even be just an apple, although I recommend having some protein in the morning.

Eating at predictable times will get your digestion working more regularly and keep your energy levels stables. Your mood and thinking will also be more stable.

Lots of things will work better if you do them regularly. Now it’s the same thing with exercise. Does it matter? Well, I think it does. I think everybody agrees that exercise is an excellent thing to do. But you’ve got to find the type of activity that you like.

I’m a gardener and beekeeper. I easily keep my weight down because I’m very active and I enjoy exercise.

As you get older, activity is more and more important socially and for your health. I recommend sticking to healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits. Regular healthy habits are an investment in your well-being for years to come.

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Questions & Answers

What’s The Connection Between Gut Flora And GERD?

Restoring the gut bacteria to a healthy mix can help improve GERD.

You will get even better results if you identify the underlying cause of the GERD. For example, it could be related to a hiatal hernia. Spicy food could be contributing to your reflux.

As you make the diet and lifestyle changes that will reduce the GERD, you also want to focus on restoring and improving the bacteria in your gut.

The goal should be to get rid of harmful bacteria, remove or reduce the amount of yeast in your gut, and address SIBO. Revamping your gut flora can occur at the same time as you’re working on eliminating GERD.

Further readings:

I suggest looking into probiotics, antifungals, antibacterials, antimicrobials, and other natural treatments rather than pharmaceutical drugs.

I’ve worked with many patients over the years who got rid of their reflux disease entirely by identifying some key triggers. These clients made changes to their diet, reduced the size of their meals, became more active, and made sure not to eat too close to bedtime. They also focused on getting more prebiotic foods into their diet.

Working on eating good foods that help to build good bacterial health is key. Likewise, eating foods that help curb bacterial dysbiosis is also important.

I recommend tackling GERD and your gut flora at the same time. You’ll get much more improvement in your reflux if you also work on the health of your bowels.

The proton pump inhibitors that many people take for GERD can interfere with healthy gut flora. That’s why so many people with reflux, also need to address their bacteria in their GI tract.

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Questions & Answers

What Is The Connection Between Leaky Gut And GERD?

After years of working with clients, I’ve noted a connection between leaky gut and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

I’ve had many clients who had GERD and were taking prescription medications and struggling with the symptoms.

Firstly, let’s review the importance of the small muscular sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach. This sphincter is referred to as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES stops food from coming back out of the stomach.

The vast majority of patients I’ve seen get reflux disease for specific reasons.

The stomach is similar to a cement mixer. You’re putting carbs, proteins, fat, and water into your stomach. The stomach has to churn up this food, break it down, and produce sufficient digestive enzymes.

Further readings:

Many people eat too quickly and don’t chew their food sufficiently. That’s not good for the stomach.

Your stomach produces a fluid called chyme. Chyme results from the chemical breakdown of food and consists of partially digested foods, water, hydrochloric acid, and several enzymes.

If you eat small meals and take the time eating and chew properly, your digestion will be much more efficient because you break down the food into very small particles. You’ll get fuller quicker.

I believe major triggers for GERD are eating too much food, the wrong kind of food, and eating too quickly.

Other triggers for GERD are lying down after a meal and being significantly overweight. Eating too much dietary fat and eating acidic foods can also contribute to GERD. Snacking close to bedtime can result in gastric reflux as you are trying to fall asleep.

GERD is annoying, and if it goes on for years, it can increase the risk of esophageal and stomach cancers. I had GERD when I was in my mid-twenties. Once I improved my lifestyle and eating habits, the GERD went 100% away.

Some of the foods that can be a particular trigger for GERD include garlic, onions, tomatoes, spicy foods, fatty foods, and alcohol. Smoking also increases the rate of GERD.

Pregnant women can get HERD as the fetus puts pressure on the stomach.

Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can contribute to GERD. In my opinion, most cases of GERD can be cured by changing the habits that underpin the problem.

If you have GERD, ask yourself if you are eating the wrong foods at the wrong time. Are you eating in bed? Are you eating overly large portions? If you have GERD for a long time, it will start to impact your small and large bowel as well. You’ll notice that you’ll get more tired, more grumpy. You won’t sleep properly, and your appetite will act up.

Whatever you do, don’t jump onto using reflux medications for the rest of your life. These types of drugs can make things worse in the end. Instead, go the route of eating smaller portions of healthy foods. Work more on exercise and walking, eating correctly, and chewing properly.

Stop drinking alcohol and minimize the number of pharmaceutical medications you take. If you start making healthy changes, you’ll almost certainly notice an improvement in your GERD.

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