Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (232 page)

AVOID

Saturated fats, fried foods, and red meat. These foods stay in the stomach too long and may also lead to the weakening of the sphincter valve.

Caffeine. It will only make it worse.

HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Drink aloe vera juice before meals.

My favorite remedy for heartburn is the herb slippery elm.

For stress-related heartburn, coptis herbal tincture can help, but it tastes awful, so you need to find a way to disguise the taste.

Goldenseal tincture is a nicer-tasting option to the coptis.

Sounds disgusting, but raw potato juice is an age-old remedy for heartburn.

Adding turmeric to meals can be beneficial.

EXTRA TIPS

Do not jump around or bend down after eating. This weakens the sphincter muscle, so acid residue comes back up into the esophagus. End result: heartburn.

Eat fruit by itself and never for dessert. Separate dense proteins from dense carbs. So, instead of chicken with potatoes, eat chicken with salad and vegetables.

Eat small meals instead of big ones.

Chew and chew and chew your food really well. Do not be a food inhaler.