How to manage GERD naturally

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease and feels like a burning hot lava attack on your throat. But is it actually a disease? Big pharmaceutical companies have given it a disease nomenclature so that they can treat it with drugs. These drugs do help buffer the acidity so your throat feels relief in the moment, but the end result of a stomach without proper acidity leads to far worse problems.

Let's talk about a sure-fire way to end the burning attack in the esophagus with a demulcent and how to manage GERD naturally.

Your Stomach Acid

Your stomach acid is the most important tool of proper digestion, the best defense to protect you from pathogens, and mucking with it does not end well. The stomach is most efficient when it has a very acidic medium of 1.5-3 on the pH scale where 7 is neutral and 1 is very acidic. In fact each number on the pH scale is a power of 10 greater, so a stomach acid of 3 is 10,000 times more acidic than the neutral environment of the esophagus. A strong acidic wash in the stomach is absolutely critical to:

1. Breakdown proteins into amino acids the body can use
2. Cleave vitamins and minerals from the proteins
3. Kill bacteria, viruses, and unwanted microorganisms in the food
4. Signal the pancreas to send in digestive enzymes
5. Signal the gallbladder to send bile for fat breakdown

If those five priorities of digestion don't occur, these problems may occur...

1. Large particles make it to the intestine undigested and cause allergic reactions
2. The body lacks energy, deficient of essential vitamins and minerals
3. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites pass through the stomach unharmed
4. Pancreatic distress slows down digestion and causes bloating
5. A gallbladder attack due to congestion of bile that isn't released

I’ll Just Take An Antacid!

It seems logical to take an antacid when the burning sensation occurs. The burning pain is obviously acidic so we reach for something to neutralize the acid. The neutral esophagus then feels relief with a neutral reflux, however the reflux is a symptom of a root problem. Why is the stomach tossing the contents back up in the first place? The answer is in our bodies innate intelligence.

Body Knows Best‍

Our digestive system knows when the food is not broken down completely and thus may contain viruses, overly large particles, or an insufficient acidity to signal the pancreas and gallbladder to further break down fats in the food. The stomach, in an effort to protect the lower digestive tract, tries to vomit the slurry back up the esophagus. Not a fun reaction, but the bodies innate intelligence is acting to protect itself. 

Add this to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) failing to completely close from stress, and voila, the food has a straight path back up into your mouth. 🤢

For proper digestion, we need to promote a healthy stomach environment so we can avoid the GERD and the stomach viruses. We need the acid to complete digestion so we don't want to stop the natural process with meds. Don't worry there is immediate help with a demulcent explained below, while you work on the natural ways to keep your food moving in the right direction.

Digestion Starts in the Brain

When you smell the food you're about to eat, see the beautiful colors and begin to imagine eating it. You should feel your stomach begin to "growl", that's the sign that your stomach is making the appropriate acid that is necessary for proper digestion to occur. The digestive juices form when we're relaxed and not under stress. It's about sitting down and enjoying your meal, and not about shoving a protein bar in your mouth on the way to work.

Chew Your Food

Saliva has enzymes in it that begin to break down the carbs in your food. For some of us, who live on refined carbs, and eat them by the bag while watching a highly stimulating show, you can imagine how little is properly digested. We chew twice, swallow the food whole, and never give the stomach a chance to break down the food properly.

Relax and Enjoy Your Food

When your body experiences stress, it produces cortisol, a hormone that kicks in your fight or flight response and brings digestion to a halt. When people say they can't eat under emotional stress, they're using their intuitive intelligence. Nobody can digest under stress, the body simply doesn't work that way. In order to digest properly you must RELAX, eat slow, and enjoy your food.

Note: refined sugars and artificial sweeteners create the same stress in the body, raising cortisol as though you are under fight or flight.

Stay Hydrated

Processed foods are often dehydrated and have little to no water content. We need substantial water to flush the food through to the large intestines where it facilitates elimination and the rest is reabsorbed for use in the body. Try to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces every day of pure clean filtered water and make sure you are having a blowel movement every day.

Digestive Aids

If you're doing everything above and still feel like you suffer from digestive fire, try these aids.

• A bitters tonic can be purchased at most health food stores which is exactly what it says: a bitter elixir made from herbs that stimulate gastric juices. These tonics can be pricey, but are helpful right before your meal. You may have seen Angostura bitters in the bar and this is a similar product.
• Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to a small glass of water and drink that right before your meal. Fresh lemon juice could be added to your water with the same effect to lower the acidity of the stomach.

In the event of an acid reflux attack, you may be shying away from adding acidity to the stomach. The quickest way to eliminate the fire is to use a demulcent. Demulcent herbs coat the esophagus and stomach with a slippery, mucous like film that can quench the fire in a matter of minutes. The most effective and healing is licorice root. There is a compound in licorice root that is not considered safe for pregnancy or people with high blood pressure, so they make a chewable lozenge with this compound removed. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice or a DGL chewable can be found at most health food stores and is an amazing dampener of the fire.

*Be sure to ask your doctor if DGL or any of the alternatives below are safe to soothe your acid reflux.

Demulcents for GERD relief

• Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (I know really?, just call it DGL) - yes it tastes like black licorice, but this is the alternative medicine world's favorite, and it works great!
• Marshmallow -  With it's pretty pink flowers, this herb has an amazing soothing effect on acid burning. Check out my marshmallow and slippery elm tea video for a winning combination.
• Slippery elm - comes in a tea, a throat lozenge, and an herbal capsule that can be opened and poured into a bit of water too. Great for general sore throats and even pets with reflux. Check out my video for marshmallow and slippery elm.
• Licorice root tea - this is the most amazing elixir. Watch my Youtube video that has over 92,000 views. If you are pregnant or suffer from high blood pressure, try Chamomile tea or meadow sweet tea, but do not drink peppermint tea, as it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter which should be actively closing the food out of the esophagus.

You Are What You Eat

The quality of the food you put in your body really does matter. Since proper digestion begins with the brain and the sight of food, you should be delighted by the beautiful colors of your food. My favorite is to shop leisurely while wandering around a farmers market on the weekend.

As for the GERD,  let's try a demulcent and a few natural remedies first to see if we can't get that stomach growling and flushing south only please. For starters close your eyes and imagine your favorite holiday meal, smell it cooking in the kitchen, and when you feel hungry, go eat something delicious.

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No More Acid Reflux

When the fear of eating has consumed your day-to-day, you know that acid reflux has taken control of your life. Uncomfortable symptoms ranging from sleeping problems to that familiar burning feeling that just won’t go away can lead to more severe issues down the road if left untreated. Maybe you’ve tried everything from doctors to prescriptions, yet you have found ZERO relief. That's when you know its time to try my No More Acid Reflux Program!

This program is for you if:

• Acid reflux, GERD, and/or Heartburn are impacting your quality of life
• You are tired of doctors visits, multiple tests, and prescriptions only leaving you feeling hopeless
• You are looking for MORE than just temporary relief from antacids and drugs with nasty side effects
• You want a 100% natural way to heal the root cause and GET RELIEF NOW

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