- 1). Mind your diet. This is the most important step and maybe the most difficult. But many cases of acid reflux are self-inflicted. Be careful of: fried foods, foods high in acid content (citrus fruit, soda), processed foods (hot dogs, canned meat) and caffeine. Keep in mind that many packaged foods contain an excessive amount of oil as oil is a good preservative, but oil is a very common cause of acid reflux.
- 2). Eat slowly and watch your portions. When you "assault" your stomach with food it responds by producing more stomach acid to digest all that food. More food equals more acid. If you eat slowly your body can digest better and be less overwhelmed with food.
- 3). Drink water with your meals. Water can help to dilute the stomach acids and also helps food to break down which in turn means your stomach won't need to produce so much acid in the first place.
- 4). Keep a food diary. Everyone has their own sensitivities so if you keep track of what you eat, you can note what causes your acid reflux to flare up. For example, those muffins you love every morning may contain more oil than you realize and they cause your acid reflux attacks during the mid-morning.
- 5). Mind your posture. When you're slouched over the stomach and esophagus are crunched together and that acid is more likely to spill over and out of the stomach. Sit up straight especially when eating and right afterwards as well.
- 6). Keep yourself propped up at night. When you're on your back that acid is more able to spill over into your esophagus. A thick book under the feet of your bed at the head can be enough, or use a couple of extra pillows.
- 7). Lose weight. When you're carrying excess body fat this puts pressure on the stomach and this squeezing action can actually force the stomach acids to spill into the esophagus.
- 8). Calm yourself. When you're stressed the stomach will produce more acid in order to break down food faster so that it's not full; the body cannot fight or flee on a full stomach so stress causes the stomach to work overtime to empty itself. Take up yoga, meditation, an exercise routine, or make changes in your life so that you have less stress.
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