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Top ten tips to being heartburn free forever

Feeling the burn? You're not alone. In fact, over 6 million people in the UK experience heartburn every week but there is plenty you can do to avoid it. Here's our top ten tips to becoming heart burn free.

1. Try a probiotic drink. These help to promote the good bacteria in the gut that keeps or digestives systems functioning as they should.

2. Improve your posture. Poor posture can exacerbate symptoms so sit up straight at your desk, walk tall with your shoulders back and abdominals pulled in or join a regular pilates or yoga class.

3. Eat small but regular meals. The discomfort of heartburn can make it tempting to skip meals but don't. Long periods of time without eating can make symptoms worse, particularly if followed by over-sized meals or fatty, sugary snacks.

4. Watch your waistline. Carrying too much weight can increase abdominal pressure and make symptoms of heart burn worse.

5. Reduce the amount of high fat meals and foods you consume. Keep your intake of creamy sauces, fried foods, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, cheeses and rich desserts to a minimum and cut back on spicy foods too.

[See also: Probiotics myth or miracle?]

6. Give up smoking. Smoking reduces the amount of saliva produced. Saliva is one of your body's defenses against damage to the esophagus and contains acid-neutralizing chemicals. Smoking can also stimulate the production of stomach acid and can relax the esophageal sphincter making it more likely to let acid back up from the stomach. Finally smoking can injure the oesophagus and inhibit digestion.

7. Eat plenty of fibre rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains to keep the digestive system healthy.

8. Exercise can improve digestion and even help to keep you regular so aim to do at least 30 minutes of gentle, aerobic activity every day such as walking, cycling, swimming or dancing a day. If thirty minutes of continuous exercise is a little daunting break it down in to three ten minute bouts or two fifteen minute sessions instead

9. Keep a food diary. Every time you experience symptoms of heartburn make a note. Do this for at 2 — 4 weeks until you are able to identify which foods are your particular heartburn triggers and which foods can be eaten safely.

10. Avoid excessive consumption of tea and coffee. Limit your intake to three cups a day and add in green, herbal or fruit teas instead. Swap fizzy, carbonated drinks for soft drinks such as well diluted fruit juices or cordials or water and have at least three alcohol free days a week.

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