Do you often feel bloated or suffer from gastric problems? Have you been feeling a burning sensation in your chest lately? If yes, then we have the answers that you are searching for.
You might be suffering from gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux. GERD is a health condition in which the food from the stomach comes back up into the oesophagus, resulting in heartburn, bad breath, chest pain, vomiting, breathing problems, or acid taste in the back of the mouth. It is an extremely uncomfortable long-term health condition which, unfortunately, has become very common among Indians. Over 10 million Indians suffer from acid reflux every year.
Now, let’s come to the main question that landed you here. How can you treat acid reflux? Do you need to take any medicines? While medicines are available for GERD, the best tool is still food and diet. An appropriate diet and lifestyle can restore your gut health and prevent acidity once and for all. Let’s see what you should eat in GERD.
A General Diet Chart For Acid Reflux:
| When To Eat? | What To Eat? |
| Early Morning (after waking up) |
Take 1 glass of lukewarm water with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of sendha namak |
| Pre-Breakfast (after 25-30 minutes of having lemon water) | Eat 4 almonds (soaked overnight & then peeled) + 3 halves of walnuts (soaked overnight) + 1 fig (soaked overnight) + 2 inches of coconut |
| Breakfast | Fruits, sprinkled with 2 teaspoons of chia seeds |
| Pre-Lunch | Drink coconut water / sattu drink / thin buttermilk |
| Lunch | Start with a small bowl of seasonal salads. Then, eat seasonal vegetables with: 2-3 chapatis, made with millets (ragi / jowar / jau) and spread with ghee, or 2 bowls of rice / kodo / samak You may also add seasonal pickles or chutney to your lunch. |
| Post- Lunch | Mix saunf and dhage wali mishri, and eat 1 teaspoon of this mixture |
| Pre- Dinner | Take 1 bowl of thin veg soup |
| Dinner | Keep your dinner light. Eat 1-2 bowls of moong dal with ghee / any non-veg dish with seasonal vegetables, or Moong dal chilla/ paneer/ tofu with seasonal vegetables Khichdi mixed with vegetables + chutney, or 1 bowl of daal with 1 bowl of rice, or 1 bowl of daal with 1 bowl of daliya |
** Note: This is a general diet chart. For GERD treatment, it is recommended to consult a dietitian in India to get a customised diet chart, based on the needs of your body. Everyone has a different body type, and therefore, one diet chart cannot sustain everyone.
Some Lifestyle Tips To Control Acid Reflux:
- Always eat food while sitting cross-legged or in Althi-Palthi posture.
- Eat seasonal, local and regional foods.
- Avoid overeating. Try to keep ¼th space in your stomach.
- Do not drink cold water in any season.
- Never gulp water while walking, standing, talking, exercising and eating food.
- Always drink water sip by sip to allow your body to absorb it better.
- Take an adequate amount and quality of restful sleep.
- Avoid mindless eating.
- Eat melons at noontime, without mixing them with any other fruit.
Never eat raw foods during dinner.