It is relatively simple for many people to be free of heartburn and acid reflux by changing the diet and re-establishing healthy flora in the digestive system. When I see a client complaining of acid reflux or related issues, I evaluate their diet, health history, and personal chemistry (using the Flow System) and develop a program with the following components:
1) Dietary change. People get relief by doing a digestive cleanse or a dietary upgrade. This allows the body a break from foods that are harder to digest and promotes healthy bacteria in the gut. It is important to follow the diet strictly to get results. A person will typically follow the diet or digestive cleanse for 2 weeks, get relief, and then add foods in by trial. A personalized cleanse typically includes low-starch vegetables, fats, and animal proteins. I will adjust the types of foods depending on a person's chemistry and lifestyle.
2) Probiotics and Gut rebuilding supplements. Most people need help with re-establishing healthy flora in the stomach. Sometimes a parasite cleanse is helpful. In most cases, avoiding high-carbohydrate foods and taking the appropriate probiotics yields great results. Supplements like licorice, aloe, zinc and L-Glutamine can help with overcoming food sensitivities.
3) Restoring stomach lining and proper acid secretions. Betaine HCl supplement can work wonders if apple cider vinegar is not strong enough, to help with restoring proper digestion. In sensitive cases, I suggest a blend of mucilagenous herbs to soothe the stomach lining as a first step.
You can get to the bottom of digestive issues by addressing the underlying cause which includes restoring the gut microbiota, strengthening the gut lining, reducing stress, and eat the right foods for you. Check out our Cleansing Lecture below for more details about the food-based cleansing which is one route to go about such a change. Contact us so we can help you develop the right program for you.