Acid Reflux

Free 30-minute First Step Conversation with Russell Mariani

The purpose of this First Step Conversation is to give you the opportunity to describe your current symptoms and condition and any relevant health/medical history to Russell. He will then explain his approach to addressing and resolving your health challenge(s). You will leave this session more hopeful and more confident about solutions!

JS's Story: Acid Reflux, GERD, Panic Attacks

  • I began working with Russell in February, 2007. I had just turned 50 and I was under a great deal of stress and in addition my hormones were changing. I began having panic attacks and GERD. However, I didn't really know what was wrong with me. I could barely get food down. It felt like

    there was a big block in my stomach and I had acid reflux. In addition my panic attacks were causing heart palpitations and difficulty breathing. Luckily my husband found Russell's name somewhere and I called him. Right from the beginning, Russell walked me through all the steps I needed to take, including suggesting I see a GI doctor to get an accurate diagnosis. The GI doctor did an endoscopy and confirmed that I had GERD. He told me that I should take some stomach medication. I asked him how long I would be on it and he said possibly the rest of my life. Also, he gave me a list of things I could eat such as dry cereal. I didn't like the idea of being on medication and I don't touch most of the foods that the GI doctor recommended. I was terrified and pretty desperate. I must have been one of the most difficult clients that Russell has ever had.

    Even though I'm a Psychotherapist, I had never experienced panic attacks myself. Russell had to deal with my fear which manifested as resistance to some of his suggestions. Russell was incredibly patient and caring as he walked me through this healing process. After several weeks I began to get some relief. I was able to get food down more easily and the reflux began to subside. After a month or two the symptoms were gone. A year later, I again had another bout

    of panic attacks and GERD, but this time not as bad. I contacted Russell and he patiently checked in on my diet and made suggestions. Again I got better. Recently I had a bout of constipation that Russell helped me get through.

    Russell's program is fantastic. He is very well informed about functional nutrition, and how lifestyle and emotions affect people. In addition, he is a wise, kind, and gentle person. Russell has educated me so well about a whole foods diet, that a friend of mine who is a holistic health counselor is impressed with how much I know. Thank you Russell. You saved my life.

    JS

    Psychotherapist in Vermont

What is Acid Reflux?

Acid Reflux is the modern medical term describing persistent heartburn with or without additional symptoms and/or additional complications. It is a disease by virtue of the fact that it is not a normal expression of a healthy digestive system.

Acid Reflux Disease is an abnormal expression of the digestive system.  It is a disease by virtue of the fact that it is very uncomfortable and describes a “lack of ease” in the esophagus and throat areas. Other names for Acid Reflux Disease include: Acid Reflux, heartburn, indigestion, regurgitation, and GERD (gastro-esophageal-reflux-disease) Acid Reflux Disease is simply persistent Acid Reflux. 

Acid Reflux describes the experience where food in the stomach (in the process of being digested), comes back up, pushes back up (sometimes explosively) in the opposite direction of normal. When food from the stomach comes back up through the esophageal valve, it burns the lining of the esophagus or throat. 

Acid Reflux used to be called heartburn. Acid Reflux Disease is nothing more or less than persistent heartburn. Like all other digestive disorders it can be mild, moderate, severe or extreme in its manifestation. Like all other digestive disorders it is completely correctable and easily prevented from future occurrences. If and only if you eliminate the root causes and if and only if you become more proactive (vigilant-mindful) in your own self-care. 

My book, Principle Eating: The No Diet Way to Complete Health and my Video Course, The Course in Functional Nutrition will teach you how to do all this. If you want specific step by step guidance and detailed personalized instructions please contact me directly through our website and sign up for a free 30 minute First Step Conversation and let’s discuss the possibility of working together one on one.

Acid Reflux Symptoms

The symptoms of Acid Reflux or Acid Reflux Disease are the same. The symptoms can be mild, moderate, severe or extreme. The most common symptom is burning. The burning sensation is in the throat area just above the esophageal valve. This area is in very close proximity to the heart which is why it was traditionally referred to as heartburn. 

In extreme cases the burning can lead to pain which feels like it is coming from the chest that sometimes is mistaken for heart pain or a heart attack. The burning from this Acid Reflux can last several minutes, several hours or several days. There is usually a very sour taste that accompanies the burning. Usually the amount of food that erupts or refluxes out of the stomach and into the lower throat area (lower esophagus) remains in that lower area and only causes adverse effects to the lower 1-3 inches of the esophagus above the esophageal valve.  And sometimes the Acid Reflux is strong enough to propel food (in liquid or semi-solid form) upwards to the upper throat or even into the mouth. In extreme cases the entire length of the esophagus can become adversely affected by persistent Acid Reflux and cause other adverse symptoms to emerge; like the inability to swallow correctly, or the tendency to choke on things. This extreme form of Acid Reflux Disease is called: Barrett’s Esophagus. 

Acid Reflux Causes

As with all other digestive disorders the root causes of Acid Reflux consist of one or more insulting habits and influences over time in the seven root cause areas:

  • Mindfulness

  • Proper Daily Hydration  (Unintentional Chronic Dehydration or UCD)

  • Micronutrient Deficiencies

  • Macronutrient Imbalances and Excess Consumption of Processed Foods

  • Intestinal Dysbiosis

  • Oxidative Stress

  • Redox Signaling Molecules Imbalances and Deficiencies

Of all the insulting habits that cause Acid Reflux, the biggest offenders are these: Not chewing your food thoroughly;  eating too fast; eating too much, eating when stressed-out, angry or worried; and eating late at night (or going to bed within three hours of eating). It takes at least 2-3 hours for the food you just ate to digest in your stomach and empty out of the stomach. Acid Reflux occurs when one or more insults happens while your food is still digesting in your stomach. So the most simple and most obvious causes of Acid Reflux are the insulting habits I just listed above. These are easily corrected if you pay attention to what and when and how you are eating. 

The other major cause of Acid Relux is unintentional chronic dehydration. This results in the production of weaker than normal stomach acid which makes it difficult or impossible for the stomach to do its job correctly.

Acid Reflux Remedies

The remedies for Acid Reflux begin with your willingness to pay attention to and become more mindful of the relationship between what, when, how and how much you eat and the normal functioning of your stomach. Sometimes, with mild cases, it can be as easy as correcting one (bad) insulting habit. Yes, sometimes it is one bad or insulting habit that can cause the symptoms of Acid Reflux or Acid Reflux Disease. Most likely you will need to pay attention to and make corrections in all seven root cause areas to be effective. You will need to get properly hydrated and stay properly hydrated. You will need to slow down at meal times and learn to chew your food completely before swallowing. You will need to learn to stop eating before your stomach is full, not when your stomach is full or after your stomach is full. You will need to learn the difference between acid and alkaline forming foods and which foods to eat on an empty stomach and which foods and food combinations to avoid or minimize. You will need to address micronutrient deficiencies. You will need to minimize and sometimes eliminate junk foods. You will need to minimize processed foods and learn to integrate more whole food recipes at meal times. You will need to address intestinal dysbiosis and most importantly to heal the symptoms of Acid Reflux or Acid Reflux Disease you will need to learn how to manage your emotions and all negative stress factors more effectively.  

Conclusion

Like all other digestive disorders, Acid Reflux is completely correctable and easily prevented from future occurrences. If and only if you eliminate the root causes and if and only if you become more proactive in your own self-care.
 

My book, Principle Eating: The No Diet Way to Complete Health and video course  The Course in Functional Nutrition will teach you how to do all this. If you want specific step by step guidance and detailed personalized instructions contact me directly through our website and sign up for a free 30 minute First Step Conversation and let’s explore the possibility of working together one on one.