GERD and the Lifestyle Change

I've always been a healthy person. I've never been hospitalized and never been sick for more than two days. I don't smoke and I seldom drink alcoholic beverages. I sleep on time and don't skip my three meals.

I was in shock to discover that now I'm struck with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or Acid Reflux because it's a chronic disorder (please see post below or click this link ).

Being sick with GERD brought about a lot of lifestyle change. First, is in my diet - I have to avoid acidic food. This means I have to say goodbye to : fried foods, fatty foods, spicy foods, pasta with tomato based sauces, tomatoes and other sour fruits like grapes and kiwis, whole milk dairy products like cheeses which I super love, mayonnaise and CHOCOLATES! This is the major sacrifice I have to go through because the above mentioned foods are what I liked the most. :( But, knowing how much hard it was to breathe and to sleep the past few days, I can proudly say I don't crave for them at all. I just need to find other alkaline foods that I'll enjoy eating.

Second is my sleeping habits - I can sleep only after two to three hours of eating so that means no more late night snacking for me.And I just love to take an afternoon nap so that means I have to do it on a chair if I'm too sleepy to wait for two hours. I always lie flat on my back when I sleep which is something I have to avoid to prevent the stomach liquid from regurgitating to my esophagus. I now sleep with the head part of my bed eight inches elevated. It's not the most comfortable sleeping position but I know I'll get used to it.

Third is I have to avoid stress to prevent hyperacidity which will trigger my GERD.

Fourth is my eating habit - no more hurried meals for me. I have to chew my food slowly and thoroughly. I have to say goodbye to fastfood too because what they offer are fried and greasy food which is a big no no for someone with GERD like me.

But when you think about it, these changes are beneficial for my health. Most of the food I have to avoid are unhealthy in the first place. And stress is not good for the body whether we have GERD or not. Adapting these lifestyle changes is not that bad at all.