Some people use running as an excuse to eat whatever they want, whenever they want. And while it's totally reasonable to indulge in your guilty pleasures every now and then, treating yourself to unhealthy foods too often could be sabotaging your running goals. If you want to perform at your best, you need to be mindful of what you're consuming—and when.
 
Foods to eat and foods to avoid
At least two weeks prior to race day, and in the days surrounding your long training runs, reduce your intake of inflammatory food and drinks. These include: alcohol, gluten, dairy, added sugars, caffeine, pop, and acidic foods like peppers and tomatoes. This will help with recovery, as well as performance outcome. Within the same time period, increase your intake of low-glycemic carbohydrates, such as: brown rice and quinoa; lean protein, such as chicken, fish and game meats; healthy fats, like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds and beans; dark, leafy greens; and carbohydrate-rich vegetables, like sweet potato and squash.
 
Carbs, carbs, carbs
Carb-loading should begin about three days prior to race day, to avoid fatigue and heavy legs from increasing glycogen stores too quickly.
 
Pre-race prep
The day before your race, your biggest meal should be eaten in the middle of the day to allow for adequate digestion and nutrient absorption. Dinner the night before a race should be on the lighter side, the majority comprised of protein and veggies. Breakfast on the morning of the race should include carbohydrates that are low in fibre and therefore easy to digest, and protein; for example, a piece of whole wheat or gluten-free toast with natural peanut butter and sliced banana. Consume foods on race day and the day before that you have enjoyed and tolerated well many times before.
 
Race fuelling 101
What is most important when it comes to half-marathon training is to practise fuelling before race day. The biggest mistake runners make is trying out new gels or pre-race meals for the first time on race weekend. Our gastrointestinal systems already tend to be hyperactive on race days due to nerves, so save the trial and error for a long training run.
 
In training and racing alike, you need to fuel your body with 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates no later than the 60-minute mark. If you choose to take a gel, be sure to drink about three ounces of water at the same time so the high-glycemic sugars do not upset your gut. Prior to that, you should not need anything other than water approximately every 20 minutes. If it's a hot day, take two waters at every station—one to pour on yourself and one to consume. It is also wise to sip on coconut water or an electrolyte drink just before getting to the start line to keep blood sugars up, as you should have consumed breakfast approximately 90 minutes prior to the gun going off.
 
Post-race replenishment
Following training and racing, you should consume a balanced snack comprised of carbohydrates and protein within approximately 15-30 minutes of completion to maximize the replenishment of the liver and muscles’ glycogen stores. Hydrate with water containing electrolytes.
 
Upping your distance?
Fuelling for a full marathon doesn't look drastically different from a half-marathon, except that you want to be carb-loading a few days prior to your long training runs in the months leading up to your race to maximize glycogen stores for race day. The tips above apply to all marathon training runs, as they will all be over an hour in duration.

Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is an allergic inflammation of the nasal passages, occurring when you breathe in something you are allergic to such as dust, pollen, or animal dander – i.e. antigen exposure. Many suffer through symptoms for their duration, which for some is all year long for antigens like dust or pet dander. Others take anti-histamines to suppress the symptoms for temporary relief.

AR can cause daytime sleepiness, reduced work productivity, impaired sleep, and reduced quality of life. What if there was a way to not only find relief, but to get rid of the symptoms entirely?

This can be done in 3 simple steps:

1)   Book an appointment at Bayview Chiropractic Health Centre

2)   Have a Skin Prick Allergy Test performed by Dr. Liz Mingay, Naturopathic Doctor

3)   Take 2-3 drops (Sublingual Immunotherapy - SLIT) compounded specifically for your sensitivities under your tongue for ~2 years

Two years may sound like a long time, but the relief substantially outweighs the unwanted allergies. SLIT is based on a similar theory to that of allergy shots, however it saves you the scheduled appointments and the discomfort of the injection.

Email drmingay@gmail.com with questions regarding Skin Prick Allergy Testing and/or SLIT or to book your appointment today.


References:


1. Mitsch A, Drachenberg KJ. Positive results in a primary multicentric study, specific immunotherapy administered sublingually.  TW Padiatrie 1996; 9: 628-631

2. Rolinck- Werninghaus C, Wolf H, Liebke C, et al. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study on the efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in children  with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to grass pollen. Allergy 2004; 59: 1285-1294

3. Lima  M, Wilson D,  Pitkin L, et al. Grass pollen sublingual immunotherapy for seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis: a randomized controlled trial. CLIN Exp Allergy 2002; 32: 507- 514

  Numerous discussions surrounding the consumption of excess fat have been circulating for years. However until recently, there has been less of an emphasis on sugar. The amount of sugar that we ingest daily – the majority unconsciously – is shocking and terrifying. From 1977 to 2000 we doubled our sugar intake (3). This over consumption is, to a large extent, a product of labelling by food companies who make it seem as though their food items contain a reasonable amount of sugar. For example, the nutrition label on Vitamin Water reads 13g of sugar per serving, yet there are 2.5 servings in each bottle. This works out to be 13g of sugar x 2.5 = 32.5g (6.5 teaspoons) of sugar in one bottle. When was the last time you drank less than half a bottle of Vitamin Water? Laurie David, author of climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth, questions why sugar is not measured in teaspoons - a measurement much better understood by the general population. 

  When the low fat craze began in the 1980s, food companies began to strip their products of fat, which can also strip the product of taste. So how did they keep their products tasting good? You guessed it - sugar! Incidentally, there was also a rise of obesity that began around the same time. There has been a drastic increase in Type II Diabetes in young people, stemming from soda and fast food companies infiltrating cash-poor lunch programs (4). Despite the high importance of regular exercise, the food we put into our bodies has an enormous impact on weight, as well as on the amount of adipose tissue (fat) surrounding our organs. The film Fed Up (trailer below), screened in early May at Hot Docs in Toronto, gives us a front row seat to the unveiling of the serious implications of our present sugar consumption. Featured in the film is a twelve year old girl named Maggie who swims 4x per week, yet she weighs 212 lbs. Her school offers a choice between pizza or a hamburger and french fries for lunch. Maggie's story clearly demonstrates that we cannot exercise ourselves out of obesity. However, this does not mean that those with a poor diet that are not overweight are escaping obesity on the inside. An MRI can give you an internal picture of just how thick a fat jacket your organs are wearing. 

  The next time you are enjoying a salad and burger this summer, think about making your own salad dressing and using fresh vegetables as condiments before you spoil your nutritious meal with hidden sugars. To find out more ways to cut back on your sugar intake, manage your weight and/or how to eat a more balanced diet, visit Dr. Liz Mingay at Bayview Chiropractic Health Centre.

References:

1. Swinburn, BA, Caterson I, Seidell JC, and James WPT. "Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity." Cambridge Journals - Public Health Nutrition 7. 1a (February 2004): 123-146.

2. Lustig, Robert H. Fat Chance: Beating the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity, and disease. New York: Fourth Estate/Hudson Street Press, 2012. Print.

3. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/uncovering-the-dirty-secret-about-sugar/article18334597/

4. http://www.minbcnews.com/news/ndnvideo?id=25894506

5. http://www.sugarstacks.com

Don't let the end of summer get you down. Visit this link for some delicious all natural, whole food juice recipes to ensure you get those bursts of vitamins and minerals as we near the upcoming cold and flu season:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323608504579023104034251722.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5

More great recipes coming soon!

Check out this delicious salad recipe for a fresh new taste as we head into the warmer months, borrowed from my friend Joy McCarthy, Holistic Nutritionist and corporate wellness speaker http://www.joyoushealth.ca. 

"What does kale + orange + omega3 equal? A beautifying, satisfying, detoxifying and brain-boosting lunch. This recipe was all that and more! Forget the old notion that healthy food is tasteless, bland and boring because this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you are stuck in sandwich-lunch-land then you must join me on my healthy island of delicious lunch bowls.
Ingredients:

• 6-8 handfuls of kale
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 2 small oranges sliced

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup sesame or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp orange (naturally) flavoured Omega 3 fish oil. (Note: This does NOT have a fishy taste. I used the Genuine Health brand and I bought it from Whole Foods). If you don’t have this or you are vegan, then use hemp or flax oil.
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• Fresh juice from 1 orange
• 2 tbsp orange rind

Method: Place all your dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend till the mint is completely chopped up, about 30 seconds. Place your leafy greens into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with walnuts and orange slices.

Makes 4 generous servings.

This salad is great for a cloudy or damp day because it will brighten your spirit, not only because the omega 3s are so brain-loving, but it has such a fresh and uplifting taste."

PASCOE is dedicated to the advancement of natural medicine and to the production of clinically proven therapeutics. A large number of the PASCOE products have extensive observation or clinical studies done to validate their efficacy and safety.

A product by PASCOE known as PASCOFLAIR has been shown to decrease anxiety with an effectiveness similar to pharmaceutical medications, like Diazepam, through its action on GABA1,2. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a role in neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. The longer GABA suppresses these nerve impulses, the more it can control mild to moderate anxiety. 
Each tablet of PASCOFLAIR contains 425mg dry extract of Passiflora incarnata L. (aerial parts) equivalent to nearly 3g of passionflower. Passiflora incarnata has been traditionally used in herbal medicine as a sleep aid, particularly due to mental stress, and for treating anxiety. There have been several studies on its anxiolytic effect. In a double-blind, randomized controlled study, although the patient size was only 32, an anxiolytic effect was found with the use of passionflower extract which was not significantly different from the anxiolytic effect of Oxazepam, a metabolite of Diazepam. Anxiety was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)3. Not only did the group that was treated with passionflower see a quicker reduction in their symptoms of anxiety (a significant decrease was seen after only 4 days), but they also experienced fewer and milder adverse effects. There was also a significant impairment in job performance seen in the group treated with Oxazepam.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 60 patients about to undergo surgery, patients were either given placebo or one dose of 500mg passionflower ~90 minutes before surgery. Without a significant difference in psychomotor function, sedation, or time until discharge from the hospital, a significant decrease in anxiety was seen in the group receiving passionflower4. 
PASCOFLAIR works synergistically with other anxiolytic herbs as well as with acupuncture, so book your free 15-minute consult with Dr. Mingay today to find out more and if PASCOFLAIR is right for you!

There are also some simple changes we can make in our daily lives to help control feelings of anxiety.

Reactive Hypoglycemia - essentially, don't let yourself go too long without eating. When we let our blood sugar dip too low, our sympathetic nervous system tries to compensate by releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine. Although this does help restore blood glucose levels back to normal, the release of these hormones induces a "fight or flight" response, putting us at risk for symptoms such as irritability, sweating, palpitations and anxiety. Consistently allowing your body to slip into this state of reactive hypoglycemia can put you at risk for chronic anxiety. 
It is common to crave refined sugar and/or caffeine to satisfy these dips in blood sugar; however, it is no surprise that after short-term relief, the anxiety is exacerbated by the stimulating properties of these substances. Caffeine heightens both the biochemical response to hypoglycemia (i.e. higher concentration in the blood of epinephrine and norepinephrine) and some of the clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia (sweating, trembling, and possibly anxiety). So keep some healthy, non-stimulating snacks nearby!

Caffeine - excessive caffeine intake can cause symptoms that are indistinguishable from those of an anxiety disorder, such as nervousness, tremulousness, palpitations, irritability, and insomnia. Patients with a propensity for anxiety tend to be more susceptible to the anxiety-inducing effects of caffeine when compared to those without.

Other stimulants such as cayenne pepper, green tea, and chocolate may heighten anxiety in those that are very sensitive and/or susceptible.

1. Grundmann, O., Wahling, C., Staiger, C., Butterweck, V. (2009) Anxiolytic effects of a passion flower (Passiflora incarnata L.) extract in the elevated plus maze in mice. Pharmazie 64: 63-64.
2. Grundmann, O., Wahling, C., Staiger, C., Butterweck, V. (2008) Anxiolytic activity of a phytochemically characterized Passiflora incarnata extract is mediated via the GABAergic system. Planta Med 74: 1769-1773.
3. Hamilton M.The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 1959; 32:50–55.
4. Dhawan, K., Kumar, S., Sharma, A. (2001) Anti-anxiety studies on extracts of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus. J Ethnopharmacol 78: 165-170.

With the use of a steady stream of warm salt water, the Neti pot flushes out your nasal passages by thinning the mucus that lines your mucus membranes. This saline solution also improves the coordination and speed of the cilia, small hair-like structures in the sinus and nasal cavities, so that they more effectively clear irritants and allergies. The Neti pot can be very effective for those who suffer from allergies and/or are regularly exposed to environmental pollutants and irritants to alleviate congestion and facial pressure and pain. For some, regular nasal irrigation can help prevent the need for sinus medications. Ear, nose, and throat surgeons have also been recommending nasal irrigation with a Neti pot for their patients who have undergone sinus surgery, to clear away crusting in the nasal passages.

To use the Neti pot, mix about 2 cups of lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon of salt. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda can be added to buffer the solution and make it gentler on the nose, but it has yet to be proven that this improves the experience. Use any of distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution. 
Once you've filled the Neti pot, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45-degree angle. Place the spout into your top nostril, and gently pour the saline solution into that nostril. The fluid will flow through your nasal cavity and out the other nostril. Many people expect it to be a strong stream of water coming out of the bottom nostril based on previous experience with nasal sprays. In fact, it is a slow trickle and may get a little messy so be sure to stand over a sink or bathtub. It is also much easier in front of a mirror. Using the Neti pot after a hot shower can be a great way to loosen the nasal passages beforehand, making the it that much more effective for thinning and flushing excess mucus.
You should not taste salt water in your throat. If you do, experiment with the angle at which you are holding your head until the salty taste is gone.
Once you have used the entire pot on one nostril, blow your nose, refill the Neti pot and repeat the process for the other nostril. Again, blow your nose when you are finished draining the pot.
Ensure that you thoroughly clean the Neti pot after each use and dry thoroughly to prevent bacteria growth.

The Neti pot is most effective when used daily as long as symptoms are present. Once symptoms have subsided, 2-4x/week is sufficient depending on the chronicity and severity of your sinus congestion and/or allergies.

Neti pots can be found at Peaches & Green, 1561 Bayview Avenue: 
http://www.peachesandgreen.com/Peaches_and_Green/Store_Locator.html
Just 2 doors north of Bayview Chiropractic Health Centre!

Still not convinced? Come in for a consult with Dr. Mingay today and find out if a Neti pot is right for your congestion concerns!

1) Achieve a healthy weight. Being overweight puts you more at risk for health complications during pregnancy such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also prolong labour. However, being underweight can also make it very difficult to become pregnant and/or sustain pregnancy to full-term. Engaging in moderate, regular exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-7 days/week can help you attain your goal weight. The advantage to beginning exercise prior to getting pregnant is that it well then be safe for you to continue while pregnant. If you are already an avid exerciser then keep it up! Staying in shape can also help ease your delivery process. Prenatal exercise classes are also a great way to ensure safety while working out.

2) Tone down the caffeine. Prior to and during pregnancy, you should keep your consumption equal to or below 200mg per day. This is equivalent to about two 8-ounce cups of brewed tea or one 12-ounce cup of (ideally organic) coffee. Caffeine's diuretic properties make it more difficult for you to stay hydrated, and it can be stimulating both for you and your baby. Herbal teas are generally considered safe in pregnancy, are soothing and warm like that cup of coffee you might be craving, and as a bonus they help keep you hydrated as a tasty alternative to water. Two to three cups daily of any of the following herbal teas are desirable in pregnancy: citrus peel, ginger, lemon balm, orange peel, and rose hip. Health Canada recommends staying away from teas with Aloe, Coltsfoot, Juniper Berries, Pennyroyal, Buckthorn Bark, Comfrey, Labrador Tea, Sassafras, Duck Roots, Lobelia and Senna Leaves. (Roman) Chamomile tea is also cautioned against in pregnancy as it may cause uterine contractions, increasing the risk of miscarriage and/or preterm labour.

3) At least one month before you try to get pregnant, begin taking 400mcg of folic acid. This is the amount found in most daily multi-vitamins anyway, or even better start taking a prenatal vitamin. Come see Dr. Mingay today to find out more. Citrus, beans, and leafy greens provide folic acid, however women generally need to supplement to absorb adequate amounts for pregnancy. Folic acid significantly lowers your risk for serious birth defects.

4) Along with folic acid, adequate amounts of protein, calcium, and iron are critical to helping your body become optimal for pregnancy. Protein sources that are low in saturated fat and rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids are key, such as salmon, chicken, turkey, quinoa, beans, nuts and seeds. Eat organic or hormone-free, grass fed meats and eggs whenever possible. Many pesticides, chemicals and hormones used to treat produce and animal products contain synthetic estrogen receptor sites that have negative effects on organ and endocrine systems.
Avoid foods with empty calories such as chips, soda pop, and baked goods, as well as refined sugar and carbohydrates, as those will quickly contribute to unhealthy and unnecessary weight gain, and irregular blood sugar control.

5) Eat alkaline rather than acidic foods. Alkaline foods like non-citrus fruits (with the exception of lemon - it is in fact alkaline to your body), vegetables, and sprouts help provide the reproductive system with the ideal pH for conception and implantation. Acidic foods to be avoided include: condiments, canned foods, red meat, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and coffee. For more information on acidic vs. alkaline foods, read my GERD post below.

6) As you prepare for pregnancy with folic acid and a prenatal vitamin, an omega-3 essential fatty acid is also a good idea as adequate amounts are difficult to obtain through food alone. Any unprocessed plant source such as raw nuts or flaxseed oil, or a deep-sea fish oil, are all great options.

7) Brush and floss your teeth regularly, and ensure you are paying a visit to the dentist at least every 6 months. Pregnancy increases your risk for gum disease, and the increased production of prostaglandins produced by gum disease can heighten the likelihood of preterm labour.

8) Avoid alcohol and nicotine. This is a no-brainer, but sometimes we find ourselves in environments where we don't realize how much secondhand smoke we are being exposed to. For example, restaurant and bar patios in the summer. Nicotine exposure throughout pregnancy not only puts you at increased risk for miscarriage, preterm labour and low birth rate, but even after you've given birth it can still impact your baby's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

9) Stress management - if you don't create a happy and healthy environment for your fetus to grow in, who will? Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night, giving yourself "you time," the list goes on. These are just some of the many ways you can lower stress in your life to provide your future child with optimal conditions in which to thrive.

10) Acupuncture to promote fertility. Acupuncture treatments 1-2 times per week for at least 5 weeks prior to IUI/IVF, or pre- and post- IUI/IVF acupuncture treatments (ideally within 24 hours of procedure). Allow Dr. Mingay to help you get pregnant today - phone 416-481-7901 to book a consult.

 Reposted from a blog written by Dr. Justin Gallant, N.D. http://www.drjustingallantnd.com/

"I would just like to declare that this is my educated speculation, please feel free to ask me any questions or debate with me. 

There have been several reports in the news lately of healthy athletes dropping dead due to a sudden heart attack. A couple of these reports, including the most recent Boston Marathon death, have shown athletes with caffeine in their systems. Some have claimed the athletes are taking a supplement which contains caffeine and the amino acid L-arginine. Caffeine alone should be used with caution in endurance training. Since caffeine is a diuretic, it can make you more susceptible to dehydration or in some cases, hyponatremic encephalopathy: a swelling of the brain due to a sodium deficiency. Most cases of hyponatremic encephalopathy are attributed to drinking too much water with the intention of rehydrating, but the diuretic effects of caffeine will lower that threshold of what is considered drinking “too much water”. 

If you are already dehydrated, your blood pressure will drop quite low and if you add arginine into the mix your blood pressure will drop even lower. When your blood pressure drops too low and the hypotensive triggers are gone, eventually you will get rebound hypertension. This effect is seen in surgery when a patient is purposely put into hypotension with medications that dilate the blood vessels (the same effect arginine has). Once this drug wears off, with the body’s intention of bringing the blood pressure back to homeostasis, the blood pressure elevates higher than normal (rebound hypertension).  I suspect that this effect is why these athletes usually die once they are resting or right after the event. 

Think about how hard your heart will have to work if you dilate all of your blood vessels and take caffeine. To start, you take arginine which will lower your peripheral resistance and help blood flow easier through the body. Now your blood pressure is lower because it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump to the rest of the body since there is less resistance. Now you start physically exerting yourself, increasing the demand for oxygen and nutrients to your tissues (muscles, skin, etc.). Your heart works harder to pump blood to these tissues but because the path is wider, it takes more blood to transport the oxygen and nutrients. Now your heart is trying to pump more blood than usual to these tissues. This scenario is dangerous enough and now we’ll factor caffeine into it. Caffeine simulates stress, so it puts us into the stimulated fight or flight mode. This increases the heart rate even more, first elevates and then eventually decreases blood pressure even more via the diuretic effect depleting sodium. This increases the demand of the tissues that the heart needs to pump oxygen and nutrients to. On top of all of this, our lungs have to compensate and oxygenate this increase in demand. These are sure determinants to lead to heart failure. 
There are several other factors that can make this situation even worse:

• Temperature
• Caffeine factors (how each individual metabolizes caffeine, route of caffeine administration, other ingredients, etc.)
• Underlying heart conditions (most go undiagnosed until a cardiac mishap takes place)
• How hard the athlete pushes themselves
• Duration of the athletic event
• Hydration status
• The physical condition the athlete is in
• Dose and administration of arginine
• How well the liver and kidneys are functioning
• Several other factors that need to be considered
  

Highway analogy:

Regularly your blood vessels are like a one-lane highway. Traffic will congest the one-lane highway and the main street that cars are entering it from. You take arginine to vasodilate your blood vessels into a three-lane highway. Now the cars have a calm steady flow and the pressure is taken off of the main street. Now picture all of these cars as ambulances trying to get to accidents at all the different highway exits. It’s a blizzard out there and as time goes by there’s more and more demand for these ambulances.  The hospitals are sending out as many ambulances as they can but they can’t keep up with the demand because the accidents are so far apart. Eventually the hospitals run out of ambulances and now that the arginine has worn off the highway is back down to one-lane highway and all of the ambulances start crashing into each other. 

Advice:

• Rely more on proper hydration rather than on “performance-enhanging supplements". You can drink all the coconut water or sports drinks you want but if you take a diuretic you could be negating their effects.  
• See a licensed health professional about proper training. 

To make a long story short:  

• Dehydration, diuretics (caffeine) and arginine all reduce your blood pressure. When all three of these are combined, it can be fatal, especially once the body tries to maintain homeostasis and rebounds into hypertension."

Eat frequent small meals throughout the day, roughly every 3 hours. However, be sure to stop eating at least 1 hour before bed and eat upon waking.

Sleep slightly propped up to reduce acid reflux at night, particularly if you have eaten close to bedtime.

Never eat to a full stomach.

Chew your food thoroughly.

Drink water half an hour before a meal or one hour after a meal, NOT during.

Hot drinks should always be allowed to cool a little. Extremes in temperature, both in food and drink, should be avoided. Drinks should not be taken hurriedly but sipped slowly.

Keep a food diary of foods that cause aggravation.

Avoid over-processed foods, white bread, sugar, white flour and products made from white flour and sugar such as cakes, biscuits, and rice puddings, over-cooked vegetables, condiments, pickles, peppermint, spearmint, fatty foods, tomato-based foods, onions, carbonated beverages, strong tea and coffee, alcohol, flesh foods, fried foods, spices, refined cereals, and tinned and canned foods. You're probably thinking...what's left to eat? Do your best, and as I mentioned above, keeping a food diary can help you rule out non-aggravating foods that can then be added back into your diet!

Gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD) sufferers should avoid all sweets containing chocolate. Chocolate contains a substance called methylxanthine, which lowers Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) pressure, allowing stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus.

Consume three different juices diluted with water, half an hour before each meal (or as often as possible). Carrot juice is especially beneficial as it has a very restorative effect. It is an alkaline food, which soothes the stomach.

Fruits and vegetables like bananas, avocados, papaya, pineapple, apples, melons, pears, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots and leafy greens are also alkaline (soothing) to the stomach. Eat your vegetables without any added fats or sauces to improve digestion and eliminate risk of GERD symptoms.