Throughout history, our ancestors never had to question how to get rid of heartburn. In modern times however, digestion problems such as gas, bloating and acid reflux are advertised as normal problems most people have to deal with. Everywhere you look, you can find advertisements on tv, online and in magazines promoting products to help fight acid discomfort. In addition, people have access to antacids and even prescription strength acid blockers on grocery store shelves. Our society isn’t healthy where digestion is concerned. Unfortunately, instead of finding the problem and learning how to stop heartburn once and for all, they are merely suppressing its symptoms. In doing so, they are committing themselves to a lifetime of digestion problems and a dependence on over the counter medications.
Here are tips on how to get heartburn relief long term, so you can lead a happier and healthier life:
Avoid Overeating
Learning how to get rid of heartburn involves identifying problems, reversing them and then letting your body heal. One problem many people have is that they overeat. Your stomach is not a garbage disposal and it can only handle so much at one time. It takes time for your digestive system to break down and digest each meal. When you give your body more than it can handle, it has no other choice but to reject it. Just like if you overfill your gas tank, you can overfill your stomach, too. Eating small portions throughout the day instead of large meals will give your stomach the opportunity to properly digest each meal, decreasing your discomfort.
Test For Food Allergies And Sensitivities
Modern research is showing that many people have food sensitivities and allergies. Our ancestors did not have access to grocery stores – they ate what was native to their area and it was enough to sustain life. Once people became mobile with the advent of transportation, they were able to begin consuming foods their bodies did not recognize. Of course, humans evolve and adapt over time, but many people are surprised to find that they are sensitive to common irritants such as eggs, wheat, dairy, citrus fruits, etc. One important step in finding out how to get heartburn to stop is to make sure you aren’t giving your body an irritant each day, which can be directly causing your discomfort and inability to digest food properly.
Eat Real Foods
One reason why digestive problems are prominent in modern times is because our bodies don’t know what to do with all of the non-food it is given each day. Junk foods, fast foods and sodas aren’t really food, but people put them in their bodies everyday. Getting rid of heartburn involves taking steps to improve your diet so your digestive system can do its job. Instead of instant potato flakes, make real potatoes. Instead of sugary juices from concentrate, eat a piece of fruit. If you take time to stop and think about how often you are grabbing for convenience food instead of natural foods, you might be surprised how rarely your body is getting the nutritional, natural products it needs.
Begin Healing On The Inside
Once you’ve identified what is triggering your heartburn (eating too much, food allergies, poor diet or a combination of these triggers), the next step involves healing on the inside. It will take time for your digestive process to get back on track. It is important that you stay away from over the counter products because they reduce stomach acid, when what you truly need is acid for digestion. Your body makes enough acid to do its job and it is actually a rare ailment if a stomach produced too much. Stomach acid testing is proving this point in those suffering from reflux and other problems, yet people continue to deplete their stomachs of the necessary acid required to break down food and absorb nutrition. In fact, many medical experts believe that the rise of autoimmune diseases that didn’t exist years ago is directly correlated with not absorbing nutrition from foods, because natural digestion is being disrupted.
Instead of taking away necessary acid, take digestive enzymes such as papaya to help your body digest properly. To heal the damaged lining of your esophagus and intestines, take liquid aloe and DGL to soothe the burn. Practice good eating habits such as eating small amounts of healthy, natural foods throughout the day. Don’t lie down after meals and go for a walk or move around after eating. It will take time for your body to heal, so be patient as your body responds to the healthy changes you are making. Remember that your goal is finding out how to get rid of heartburn permanently, so stop suppressing its symptoms and listen to your body, making changes where necessary so you are free of the discomfort for life.