Acidic Foods - Why To Stay Away From Most Acidic Foods

In this present time the workload of people has increased and so have the stress levels. Therefore, it has become mandatory to eat the right kind of food, which provides high energy and reduces stress. It is always said that the right food always keeps a person stay fit and healthy.
The food that we eat is digested and broken down into either acid or an alkaline end-product in our tissues. This end-product is named as ash and this is what remains in the body after the food has been broken down.
Our body needs both types of food. However, alkaline forming food should be predominantly used instead of acid forming food. Acidic food items are those that contain little or no oxygen.
Acidic food items that are just naturally high-acid food include:

• sweets
• beverages like tea and coffee
• jams, jellies, and marmalades
• fruits
• butters
• most tomatoes

Other foods that are also considered high-acid food because their ingredients have vinegar or critic acid include:

• salsas
• pickles
• saurkrauts
• relishes
• chutney

An acidic pH can occur from an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload or any process which deprives the cells of oxygen. The body will try to compensate by using alkaline minerals.
A high amount of acidic food can decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients. It also decreases its ability to repair damaged cells, makes it more fatigued and illness prone. If a person has a blood pH of 6.9, it can be termed as acidic and can induce coma and cause death.
Therefore alkalizing the body fluid is one of the indispensable health regeneration benefits available because disease causing microforms such as fungi, bacteria, virus, cancer, etc. cannot survive in an alkaline oxygenated body. Thus, one of the best things we can do to correct an overly acidic body is to change our diet and switch to alkaline forming foods.
It has been observed that to maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% of acid forming foods. In case a person is suffering from illness or diseases, he must consume 80% of alkaline forming foods and 20% of acid forming foods.
Alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green veggies, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings. It contains high amounts of vitamins and nutrients which helps body to fight with diseases and illness. Thus, a person should always eat right to stay healthy, protected and active.

By Brad P Yantzi

Home Remedies For Acid Reflux and Heartburn

Home Remedies for acid reflux and heartburn is best option to control acid reflux and heartburn symptoms, since these items are easily available at home and give immediate relief.
Baking soda, water and lemon juice
This home remedy for acid reflux and heartburn is probably the most used with the greatest success for the temporary relief of heartburn. In a tall glass put two tablespoons of baking soda. Fill the glass half full with cold water. Pour the juice of one fresh squeezed lemon in to the baking soda solution. You will be amazed at what happens. I would suggest that you perform this procedure over the kitchen sink, as the fizzing of this solution will flood over the glass. Try to drink this as quickly as possible, as it is the fizz and water that will relieve your heartburn. Be warned that this remedy produces sodium in the system. If you suffer from hypertension, it is not advisable to over use this remedy. A few Tums would be a safer choice.
Raw Potato Juice
Wash a potato well (preferably organic). Do not peel the potato. Juice the potato and mix the juice with an equal amount of water. Drink immediately. Do this three, or four times a day as needed. Potato juice has been used for centuries to make the stomach more alkaline. Before the advent of juicers, the potato was simply allowed to stand in water for several hours before drinking. The juicer method is much more potent. Try it. You will definitely benefit from this home remedy for acid reflux and heartburn.
Celery and cabbage Juice
Celery and cabbage are both very alkaline in nature. The more alkaline you can become, the less you will be prone to acid indigestion. Of course a juicer is required to make this drink as well as potato juice. I juice celery and cabbage together every day. Be sure to drink it freshly made. You be amazed at how good this makes you feel.
Papaya & papaya juice
Eat a fresh papaya with your meals. Papaya contains papain, which has a soothing effect on the stomach and aids in the digestion of protein. Papaya is also loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals. I sometimes juice several papayas and drink it as an afternoon treat. Papaya is very alkaline, as well.You can also take papaya enzyme in a chewable tablet form.
Bitters
In Europe it is customary to drink bitters after a big meal. Bitters contain herbals that aid in digestion. They also contain a little alcohol. Bitters can be taken in 11 tablet form as well. Taking bitters has been known to help some people avoid the start of heartburn. Bitters are usually beneficial to those who have lower stomach acid (hypochlorhydria). It is believed that Bitters stimulate digestive function by increasing saliva, stomach acid and digestive enzyme production. If you suffer from too much acid (hyperchlorhydria), bitters could exacerbate the problem.
Gingerroot
Fresh ginger, which is sold in every grocery store, has been used for centuries to aid in indigestion. It seems that ginger has the ability to absorb acid. It has a side benefit of calming the nerves, as well. Ginger may be eaten raw or taken in capsule form just after a meal. Start with one capsule and work up to more, as needed.

Try these home remedies for acid reflux and heartburn and you will benefit a lot, as the excessive secretion of acid in the stomach will be reduced and moreover these natural home remedies for acid reflux and heartburn have no side effects.

By Daisy Samuel

Pain Management - Hiatal Hernia or Acid Reflux? - How to Cure Both

Acid Reflux - Hiatal Hernia

The Hiatal Hernia - Acid Reflux has been called the "great mimic", because it mimics many disorders. A person with this condition can get such severe pains in their chest that they think they are having a heart attack. They may think they have an over acid stomach because they will regurgitate stomach acid after they eat, or their stomach may hurt so badly they will think they have an ulcer. This is just a sampling of the symptoms that may occur from this disorder.

We always recommend that you see a medical professional to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong.

What is a Hiatal Hernia?

When you swallow, your food passes down a long tube known as the esophagus into the stomach. This tube must pass through a muscle known as the diaphragm, which is located near the bottom of your rib cage.

This opening in the diaphragm, which permits the esophagus to pass through, is regulated by a sphincter muscle (or "valve"), which relaxes and opens, when we swallow, to permit the food to pass through the diaphragm and into the stomach. This sphincter or valve closes to prevent stomach acid from coming back up into the throat.

A hiatal hernia-acid reflux occurs when the top of the stomach rolls or slides up into this opening and becomes stuck there.

Naturally, when part of the stomach is forced up into the

diaphragm the sphincter muscle cannot close properly.

Thus, stomach acid may travel back up into the esophagus causing burning sensations (heartburn), esophageal spasms, inflammations and ulcers. (known as the Acid Reflux)

Your diaphragm is a muscle. The diaphragm has three large openings for passage of the aorta, esophagus, and vena cana. When you don't use your diaphragm to breathe, it weakens, and becomes flaccid.

This allows your stomach to be pushed through your diaphragm by gas pressure in your digestive tract in what is known as a hiatal hernia. The resulting pain is often confused for the onset of a heart attack.

A flaccid diaphragm most often results from chest breathing or shallow breathing.

The digestive tract has a series of one way valves to keep food material moving in the correct direction: the esophageal valve in the esophagus, a sphincter muscle valve between the esophagus and the stomach. The pyloric valve between the stomach and the small intestine, the ileocecal valve between the small intestine and the large intestine, and the Houston valve in the descending colon.

When one or more of these valves malfunctions, pressure from gas in the intestines may force food material to back up, pushing stomach acid into the esophagus.

The interesting discovery that we made with our studies in kinesiology was the relationship between these valves and the diaphragm muscle.

The valves generally do not malfunction as long as the diaphragm muscle remains strong and in balance. Once the diaphragm muscle weakens one or more of these valves may malfunction leading to a hiatal hernia and/or acid reflux.

Once the causes of mock heart attack (hiatal hernia) and acid reflux are properly identified, the preferred treatment becomes apparent. Both conditions can be corrected by doing diaphragmatic breathing exercises that both strengthen the diaphragm muscle and force the stomach down and out of the diaphragm.

Technique in Practicing Using The Diaphragm

1. Place your hand on your stomach
When you take an in-breath your stomach goes out.
2. When you release your breath your stomach goes in.

This may be difficult to do at the beginning.

To practice, you can lie on your back and put a book on your stomach. Concentrate with your in-breath pushing the book up and letting it fall when you release your breath.

This exercise can be done on the spot in whatever position you happen to be, standing, sitting, or lying down.

What I have discovered is that when I went to bed at night and did not feel very well, I would put my hand on my stomach and concentrate when taking an in breath to push my stomach out and feel it relax when I let my breath out. I would do this slowly.

The ultimate answer is learning to breathe with your diaphragm all the time. This involves regular practice of diaphragmatic breathing, and a continuing consciousness of how you are breathing.

As you continue this over a period of time, diaphragmatic breathing will become automatic.

A further benefit of diaphragmatic breathing is improved airflow into the lower parts of the lungs and better oxygenation

Once again we have found that helping your body to heal itself through muscle and energy balancing often provides satisfactory results in the long run.

Proper diaphragmatic breathing is important for our overall well-being. Proper diaphragmatic breathing assists us to properly oxygenate our body, particularly during physical exercise, reducing chronic fatigue due to shallow breathing.

It also helps us to maintain proper muscle tone in our diaphragm. This in turn helps us to hold our abdominal organs in the proper position and to reduce abdominal and chest pains. This is often helpful after eating to reduce gastronomic distress.

Another important feature of the Barhydt basic balances is that they always drive the body-mind toward equilibrium (or balance).

A person cannot harm himself or herself by doing these balancing exercises. Just do the exercise if you feel it may be helpful; it generally takes just a few seconds in any case. This makes basic balancing exercises appropriate for self-help.

Another benefit I have discovered when I learned to breathe using my diaphragm is that I can eat most anything like tomato-based foods (ketchup, spaghetti sauce), citrus fruits, mint, and even chocolate within moderation.

By Elizabeth Barhydt 

Hyperacidity Cure - Effective and Permanent Natural Treatment

Acid dyspepsia or hyperacidity is presence of excess acid in the stomach, it needs to be cured effectively and permanently because if it stays for longer period can cause serious damage to the health. According to medical experts acid and alkali are present in the human body and are part of the body, however healthy body is an alkaline body, which means that alkali shall be present in the larger part than the acid. The most serious unhealthy conditions are acidic conditions. All the foods which a human being eats either leaves an acidic ash or alkaline ash which forms the nature of the body.
Acid is important for digesting the food effectively, sometimes due to different reasons gastric glands situated in the stomach secrete more than required acid which creates condition of hyperacidity in the body. There are many factors which work as triggers for gastric glands to secrete more than required acid in the stomach. Lifestyle related issues, eating habits, foods, sleeping pattern and environment, all play an important role in affecting the secretion of acid in the stomach. Certain types of food are known to promote excess acid secretion and some drinks like tea, coffee, habit of smoking and alcohol also promote excessive acid secretion.
To get an effective and permanent treatment of the problem one must consider all the possibilities which can initiate the problem to identify the root cause. There are many remedies which can provide immediate relief from the problem but without treating the root cause of the problem the treatment will not be permanent in nature. Some commonly associated problems which may initiate hyperacidity are constipation, flatulence, indigestion, malfunctioning of liver and stress. Hyperacidity in a person having any of these problems subsides with the treatment of the problem itself.
Consuming buttermilk after meals is an excellent remedy for hyperacidity and if taken regularly can provide effective and permanent treatment. Eating jaggery or a piece of clove after meal also helps in treating the problem. Lemon may be acidic in nature but contains digestive enzymes and good acid, consuming sweet lemon juice before meals helps in digesting the food and nullifying the acid in the stomach.
Increased intake of fruits like banana, melon, pineapple, apple and guava are very useful in treating the problem of hyperacidity. Consumption of water shall be paid importance not only to avoid the excess secretion of acid but also for good overall health, an adult shall consume 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Avoiding spicy food and fried food is a good practice to prevent hyperacidity.
Ginger is an excellent remedy for all sorts of stomach related issues; it has medicinal properties as well as acts as a good digestive aid. Preparing traditional tea mixed with ginger can also work as a good remedy for hyperacidity. Consuming ginger juice with honey after meals is a sure remedy for curing excess acid secretion and good digestion. Apart from remedies healthy habits are equally important for treating the problem effectively and permanently. Do not lie down immediately after the meals, take a mild walk after meals, most of the time people eat contradictory foods like milk after meat or lemon in the diet and milk later, such habits surely promote excessive acid during digestion to cause hyperacidity.

By Dr Andrew Napier