Top Ten Dietary Tips For GERD

• Avoid foods that may irritate your esophagus like citrus fruits, tomato, and coffee.  Other irritants include onion, chocolate, peppermint or any other food that has a high fat content.
• Stay away from high fat foods like red meat and fatty meats like bacon or cold cuts
• Eat small and frequent meals.
• Avoid eating food just before bedtime
• Smoking tends to weaken the esophageal muscles and as a result can aggravate gastro esophageal reflux disease. So avoid smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight is a good idea to deal with this problem. Shed that extra weight to curb the symptoms of GERD.
• Include grains like bread, cereals and rice as they help in neutralizing the enzymes in the stomach.
• Include vegetables like carrots, peas, beans and broccoli as they bring down the amount of juices in the stomach. If it is not very severe, then you can also include garlic and onions in your diet. But stay away from fried food like potato salad, mashed potatoes, and deep fried foods as they tend to contribute to the problem.
• Fruits like papaya and pineapple are considered to be particularly safe as they help in neutralizing the contents of the stomach. Apples and bananas are also regarded as safe. Various berries, like cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are also fine. However, they need to be eaten in moderation. Avoid citrus fruits like oranges, sweet limes, and lemon as they can aggravate the problem.
• When it comes to meat, make sure that the dishes are cooked well. Fresh fish and chicken breast without fat are a safe bet. You can also eat eggs, scrambled or fried, tuna salad, and fried fish in moderation.
• Lastly, make mineral water your best companion and stay away from carbonated drinks and beverages.