Why Some People Overeat With Gerd


by Linda Stamberger - Date: 2006-12-03 - Word Count: 530 Share This!

Gerd, or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, is not so much a disease but a chronic condition that strikes millions of people. Sufferers experience bloating, heartburn, regurgitation of stomach contents into the esophagus that can cause a vast array of uncomfortable symptoms, from coughing, belching, constant heartburn, and esophagitis, which is damage to the lining of the esophagus, which in itself causes constant burning. This is a horrible condition, for it usually only get's worse. Most doctors put their patients on powerful acid blocking drugs, that turn off the production of acid almost completely. So why do so many people with this problem continue to over eat or eat the wrong foods? For two reasons. One: they are frustrated, due to lack of viable options, and two: because their stomach's are fooling them.

Many people that have Gerd also suffer from gastritis. Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining caused by food allergies, excessive acid, bacteria, and other conditions. When a person with Gerd develops gastritis, they sometimes tend to overeat, simply because their stomach has lost its ability to send a signal to the brain saying "I'm full." People that have this condition often feel guilty, like they are harming themselves further, when really it is their body mechanisms in some that have gone haywire! The term "conscious eating" couldn't be more accurate in these cases, but a few simple solutions can help a sufferer from falling into the eating trap.

Number one: start yourself off with a small plate, period. Use a salad plate for your main meal, load it up, and that's it. When you are done, walk away, if you are still hungry, drink a glass of water. You can always go back in two hours and have another small plate. Overeating is not helpful, unless you are going for a long slow-paced walk to help digest your food.

Number Two: Try to figure out if acid is really the culprit. A lot of people actually have food allergies. Do you get itchy or a rash when you eat certain foods that give you indigestion? If so, try your best to eliminate these culprit foods.

Number Three: Chocolate really isn't that good. It makes you feel good for a second, but then it loosens the sphincter muscle, and that only worsens everything. Its not worth the "high" one gets from eating it. Try exercise instead, like walking or dancing, minding your hernia, if you have one.

Number Four: If you are a person that doesn't want to give up mom's spaghetti sauce, then here is a trick Italian cooks sometimes use: add sugar to your sauce. That's right...pure sugar (unless you are diabetic). A few big tablespoons into your pot of sauce cuts the acid of the tomatoes, making them less irritant. Why give up a healthy, cancer fighting food if you can moderate the ill effects!

Number Five: If you can, cook all your food, and never eat processed foods. They are bad for you and loaded with allergic substances, like soy and wheat.

People with this disorder tend to get panicky around the holidays, but with a few simple tricks and a positive attitude, you can enjoy yourself without suffering constantly!


Related Tags: heartburn, gerd, hiatal hernia

The author is a freelance writer of numerous articles. She moved to Florida in 1999 and discovered it to be a most precious resource for antique collectors, artists and historians, and decided to write a guidebook based on her travels. When researching Antiquing In Florida, she traveled the entire state by car to visit first hand the small towns, hidden districts, big cities, and antique shops for the book, and discovered all the beauty and great antiquing districts Florida has to offer.

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: