The holidays bring happiness and joy, but they also can bring heartburn. Not only is overeating a problem, but there are all kinds of heartburn triggers.
Here are some foods that you should avoid this holiday season, and some that can help with prevention or relief.
Some heartburn triggers are especially prevalent during the holidays, like alcohol (especially red wine), peppermint and chocolate. What triggers heartburn is different for everyone, but other foods that may cause symptoms are garlic or spicy foods, citrus and tomatoes.
It’s recommended to keep a food diary and see how these foods affect you. Only put something on the “avoid list” if it’s something that you’ve found as a potential trigger.
In addition to avoiding triggers, there are some foods that have been shown to help with heartburn symptoms.
Obviously, veggies are good for you, but they are particularly useful for heartburn as they help to reduce stomach acid. Leafy greens and broccoli are great choices if you have GERD or are prone to develop heartburn.
Other great foods to prevent heartburn include ginger, lean meats and things containing healthy fats. Adding ginger to a smoothie or brewing ginger tea can even be used ease already occurring symptoms. Good sources of healthy fats include avocados, walnuts and olive oil.
Oftentimes, though, it’s not what you eat, but how much that ends up causing symptoms. Be careful during your holiday dinner to not overindulge and cause a “stuffed” feeling.
This can put pressure on the muscle that keeps acid out of your esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. And, unfortunately, can happen regardless of what food you ate.
One other thing to note is that if you already have a stressed LES, lying down can also trigger symptoms. Therefore, it’s important to eat several hours before you go to bed to allow the food to pass out of your stomach.
