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Of all the supposed cures for heartburn out there, a lifestyle change could very well be the best natural remedy for heartburn you will ever be able to find. Sounds simple, yes. But it's easier said than done.
Take a moment to think and evaluate yourself. When was the last time you thought of what you were going to eat ahead of time, as opposed to just stuffing your gut with whatever you found in the fridge? Do you remember when you last followed the adage “early to bed, early to rise”? Is a good dose of nicotine your only means of relaxation? And have you ever opted to pick up a barbell instead of a bottle of booze?
You know as well as I do what the ideal answers to these questions are. And you know better than I do what you, personally, have to work on to get healthier and prevent heartburn from taking over your life.
Only you can decide that you need a change of pace. The only part I play here is that of the advisor; whether or not you take my advice is your decision to make.
That said, there are several steps you can take to make your lifestyle a natural remedy for heartburn.
First of all, you need to be more active. Exercise. Lethargy does nothing to keep heartburn at bay. This is especially true if you are obese.
Heartburn occurs when the contents of your stomach (including stomach acid) somehow make their way back to your esophagus in a process called reflux. Obesity can cause this reflux as a result of increased abdominal pressure, significantly increasing the odds of heartburn.
Secondly, you have to learn to kick back and relax without relying on cigarettes and beer. Smoking only serves to weaken your body and the lower esophagus sphincter (LES), the band of muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus, giving you more reason to stress. And drinking alcohol is a really, really bad move if you frequently suffer from heartburn, since it triggers an increased production of stomach acid and relaxes the LES – a particularly volatile and incredibly painful combination.
But giving up smoke and booze doesn't mean that you have to give up on relaxation altogether. Though heartburn's link to stress is more psychosomatic (more mental than physical) than anything, stress has proved to slow digestion in the stomach, contributing to – if not directly causing – a higher risk of heartburn. So find a way to unwind, without choking on smoke or drowning in alcohol.
Last, but definitely not least, involves your diet. Since upwards of 90% of victims suffer from heartburn as a direct result of specific foods that they eat, knowing which heartburn foods to avoid and staying clear of them allows heartburn frequency to take a nosedive.
Though by no means a fool-proof plan (some people may have no problem eating food that are supposed to trigger heartburn, while others get heartburn from food that is supposedly safe), sticking to a diet without any of the heartburn foods to avoid is a big reason why changing your lifestyle is such an effective natural remedy for heartburn.
Now that you know what it takes to prevent heartburn, I've done my part. It's your turn, and your decision to make. Are you satisfied with your life as is, or are you prepared to commit to this natural remedy for heartburn and be better off for it?