We talk a lot about foods that cause acid reflux, now let’s talk about foods that help with acid reflux.
Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.
This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclaimer here.
Treating and managing acid reflux isn’t just about eliminating things from your diet but also incorporating low inflammatory and gut-healing foods.
It’s my belief that getting to the root cause of your acid reflux and healing your body from the inside out is the way to treat acid reflux for good. On this blog, I share lots of tips on how to heal your body and eliminate your acid reflux for good but let’s talk about foods to incorporate to help your acid reflux here.
Best Foods To Help With Acid Reflux
Everyone has their own acid reflux triggers and similarly every one’s body will respond differently to these foods. However, these are the most common foods that are not likely to trigger your acid reflux and can actually help heal your body.
- Brown Rice
- Quinoa
- Oatmeal
- Whole-grain bread
- Lean proteins
- Leafy green Vegetables (best if cooked)
- Potatoes
- Ginger
- Melons
- Bananas
- Herbal Tea
- Honey
- Licorice
- Aloe Vera
- Cauliflower
- Nuts
- Bone Broth (Here’s a link to bone broth packets you can just add to warm water and sip on)
- Egg Whites
- Avocados
- Flaxseed
- Olive oil
Foods To Focus On
This list of foods is not complete and there are plenty of other foods you may find that either doesn’t trigger your symptoms or help relieve them.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when selecting foods that will heal your body and prevent acid reflux in the long term.
- Eating Lots Of Fiber
Fiber will help your body digest better and prevent excess stomach acid from causing acid reflux. Focus on including plenty of vegetables and whole grains into your diet. Be sure to drink plenty of water too.
- Eating Real Whole Foods
By avoiding processed foods and focusing on real, whole foods you give your body more of the nutrients it needs to properly function and heal itself. Processed foods can often include additives that are irritating to our body causing problems such as acid reflux.
- Eating Low Inflammation Foods
The list above is an example of low inflammation foods but there are plenty more out there. If you don’t understand what inflammatory foods are or which ones cause inflammation to you I recommend you read or listen to The inflammation spectrum book. It discusses the most inflammatory foods, their effect on your body, and how to determine which ones you personally should avoid.
What if you’re already eating all these foods and still having acid reflux?
This is a common issue for me lately. I regularly avoid foods that cause acid reflux for me like tomatoes and added sugar, but I still deal with acid reflux more than usual. I can manage it and get it to go away in about a day but it’s still annoying.
Why do I think this is happening? Well, as I’m writing this it’s 2021 and I’m still recovering from 2020. These past two years have been really stressful for me in a variety of ways and stress is my main acid reflux trigger. It causes widespread inflammation in my body and so of course my acid reflux flares up when I eat my trigger foods.
If you’re avoiding all the common acid reflux trigger foods and your acid reflux doesn’t seem to worsen or improve based on what you eat it’s most likely a different underlying issue such as stress.
If this is the case for you I recommend trying to reduce stress (easier said than done I understand) by trying things such as meditation, talk therapy, massage, relaxation, etc.
Another aspect to focus on if you’re not already is gut health.
An imbalance in your gut can wreak havoc on your body and acid reflux is just another sign of a gut imbalance. Work on incorporating prebiotics and probiotics and eating gut-healing foods to help your body heal. Here’s a link to my go-to probiotic that works wonders for my gut.
How To Get Rid Of Acid Reflux For Good
Dealing with occasional acid reflux after a spicy meal or when you overeat is common, however chronic acid reflux can cause major issues in your life.
I relied on antacids for 5 years until I started to focus on healing my body and weaned myself off of my prescription so my body could better handle my day-to-day life. If you’re in a similar place, read how to get off your antacid in four weeks.