How to Beat GERD and Heal Your Gut

If you’ve been suffering from acid reflux for a while, then it’s likely evolved into a full-blown GERD. GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle stops doing its job and opens up to allow stomach acid back into your esophagus. This is what happens when you have acid reflux, but when you get to the point of GERD, it means it’s become a chronic condition that may be causing extensive damage to your gastrointestinal tract.

There are a few approaches to treating GERD and the outcome of each approach varies according to each individual. There are pharmaceutical options such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which can be helpful if your GERD is being caused by overproduction of acid in the gut. However, in many cases of GERD, the problem is actually insufficient levels of stomach acid. PPIs can control excessive acid if that is indeed the problem, but they don’t eradicate it for good. And with the possible side effects of heart attacks and osteoporosis, this really isn’t a medication you want to be taken long term unless you have no other option. And guess what – you have other options.

So how do you beat GERD once and for all so that your gut can start to heal? A diet and lifestyle overhaul is usually what’s needed to truly overcome GERD and there are steps in this process that cannot be skipped if you want to heal your gut for good.

Move More

Exercise is super important if you suffer from GERD as it helps you in maintaining a healthy weight which reduces abdominal pressure and subsequently alleviates symptoms such as heartburn and bloating. A 2016 study showed that obese patients who had suffered from GERD for many years found significant improvement in their symptoms by reducing their BMI by 2kg and reducing their waist circumference by 5cm or more.

On the other hand, exercise can also trigger acid reflux and this can put people off from continuing with their regime. Any rigorous exercise that increases pressure on the abdomen such as sit-ups, high impact workouts, or heavy weight lifting, can push stomach acid up into the esophagus causing reflux symptoms. Luckily, there are some precautions you can take before, during, and after exercise to prevent this from happening:

Try not to eat within 2 hours before exercise so that any food you’ve eaten has time to digest.
Avoid eating foods that trigger your reflux before exercise. Complex carbs should be your main go-to pre-exercise food as these are metabolized quickly.
Make sure you don’t eat too fast (or too much). If you’ve ever gone for a run after dinner and felt that nagging feeling of indigestion, this is why.
Customize your workout accordingly to avoid high impact and high-intensity workouts. Basically you don’t want to find yourself doing anything that could cause too much movement in your stomach or make you maneuver into strange gravity-defying positions – i.e. you might want to skip the handstands!
Wear loose and breathable exercise clothing. It doesn’t matter how good you look in your workout gear, you’re not going to feel good unless you stay away from tight waistbands that put even more pressure on your gut. Think of it like squeezing a plastic water bottle with a loose cap; if you squeeze too hard, it’s going to overflow. If your gut starts to overflow, it’s only headed in one direction, right up into your throat.

Stress Less

Research into the gut-brain connection is extensive and there is no doubt that your mood can directly affect the health of your gut. Keeping your stress under control will help you keep your reflux under control. Tactics like participating in mindfulness, meditation, or therapy, if needed, can all help you to manage your stress better so that your gut has a better opportunity to heal. In addition, natural supplements such as CBD oil offer relaxation effects that will help you to keep your stress under control day-to-day with zero side effects.

Think Before You Eat

You probably already know that your diet is the key to managing your GERD, but knowing this and doing something about it are completely different things. It is definitely difficult to cut out the foods you love even if they have a negative effect on your gut health, but try to remember that this isn’t a “forever” phase. In many instances, people can get their diet back to normal once their gut has healed and the GERD has resolved or at least lessened in severity.

Some of the key foods you’ll need to cut out from the outset include tomatoes, onions, chocolate, citrus fruits, caffeine, alcohol, soda drinks, mint, spicy foods, fatty foods, and dairy. I know, you’re wondering what’s left, right? Well, the good news is that you can reintroduce these foods to your diet once you get your GERD under control, and you may be able to keep them back for good depending on how your gut reacts. Also, while these are “the usual suspects” everybody is different, so a certain food that might cause reflux issues for someone else may not be a problem for you. After a while, you’ll figure out what you can and can’t tolerate and life will be much easier. To start with, these are the foods that commonly cause GERD to come knocking.

It’s also important to ensure you’re eating enough of the right foods that your gut needs in order to repair and restore. Studies in this area have shown that a Mediterranean style diet is just as effective at keeping acid reflux under control as prescription medication, so the best options to go for are whole grains, fish, and vegetables. Some key gut-friendly foods for GERD sufferers include ginger, fennel, oatmeal, lean meat, probiotic yogurts, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut.

Don’t forget to slow down when you’re eating too; chewing your food properly before swallowing makes it easy for your digestive enzymes to do their job and break down foods when they hit your gut. Aim to chew around 30 times per mouthful of food to make sure it’s as liquified as possible before it enters your stomach. Oh, and stop talking with your mouth full! Many people tend to swallow air when they talk and this can actually increase the pressure on the food moving down your esophagus which makes it even harder for your stomach to get to work quickly.

Improve Your Gut Microbiome

Your gut microbiome is made up of tons of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes which help your body to control digestion and optimize your immune system for your general health. When the microbiome in your gut is unbalanced, it can lead to a number of health issues such as diabetes, brain fog, weight gain, and even cancer. This imbalance is referred to as dysbiosis and it’s very common these days as a result of our modern high-processed diets, chronic stress, antacid medications, and overuse of antiochus.

One of the best ways to get your microbiome back to full health is to take a high quality probiotic. Probiotics put good bacteria back into your body which helps to rebalance your microbiome and fuel your gut with healthy bacteria. This will not only help to treat your GERD but also boost your immune system and overall health so you feel less sluggish and more energized overall.