It seems this last week I have had a few people come to me asking me for advice on something they can take for an acid stomach or acid reflux issues or just plain old stomach issues after eating a certain meal.
It got me thinking about what 2 or 3 things I could offer them fast that could make a huge difference and as soon as I uttered out my 2 favorite remedies I realized I had to write this for my blog this week. So here it is.
Millions of people in the world suffer from gut issues. Acid reflux is so common that taking what Americans call “the purple pill” has become as common as taking an Advil. These anti-acid drugs whether over the counter or by prescription are really dangerous business, although most people think of them as “no big deal!” I am here to tell you they are a “big deal” because suppressing your stomach acid is dangerous. It can lead to stomach cancers and so many health issues. One thing I have learned after being interesting and researching health truth for most of my life & after treating patients in my clinical practice for over 25 years is that health is directly related to your gut & without good gut health we can’t have real health mentally and physically. Yes, even mental health is dependent on our gut. That is a subject for another blog but today I will focus on helping those find a natural remedy for their acid reflux so I can help all I can to NOT take the suppressive anti-acid drugs, which also include the over-the-counter drugs like Tums or Pepto Bismal.
It is always best to treat the cause, which in the case of acid reflux, we first have to look at our diet. Animal products in our diet make our digestion overwork. Not only are those foods the most acidic ones that exist but did you know that it takes up to 72 hours to digest a piece of meat? That means we are putting an undue amount of strain on our digestion process, which consists of the initial digestive process that takes place in the stomach, but also involves the process of assimilation & utilization of the nutrients & finally the elimination of the wastes. Almost everyone has gut issues these days and the older you get the more digestion gets messed up it seems.
Ok so here is my home remedy for you. And although it is not a cure it will help so much over the long haul that it may rid your symptoms. But even if it only is a replacement remedy for those suppressive treatments you have done a great job to find a natural treatment rather than the dangerous suppressive treatments.
Here are my 3 recommendations:
- I learned a Flax Tea remedy from my friend Ellen that I have used so much over the years so I want to share this as my #1 remedy. Drink this tea as soon as you have any burning or pains in your stomach or gut. Take one tablespoon of whole flaxseed and boil it in about 2 cups of water. Let boil till it gets slightly thicker, which may be about 5 min. Then strain, add a little stevia or sweetener of your choice and drink. It should take your pain away very soon after you drink. I would say you should be better in 30 min. This tea or home remedy is a favorite of many and quite a few of my patients swear by it.
- Take the Schussler Salt, also known as homeopathic cell salts, Natrum Phosphoricum 6x. Put 5 pills on your tongue 15 min before dinner and once again 15 min after dinner. This should ease any acid issues and may help rid the issue over time. You can continue to take a cell salt for 6 months to a year or more if it is helping. Once you stop if the symptoms return then continue until they don’t return.
- Lastly, I would recommend taking probiotics. I always like to choose a good fermented probiotic/prebiotic drink or capsule. I found an amazing company that offers a great drink that is concentrated with superfoods probiotics, probiotics, and post-bionics & I hope to be able to tell you guys about it as soon as I try it. I can’t wait. Meanwhile, just find a great all-around probiotic drink or capsule and take it away from meals and allow this to build up a healthy microbiome to heal your gut.
If issues continue then it is time to make an appointment with your homeopath to treat the cause in a deeper way.
I hope you don’t need this home remedy yourself but I also bet you know someone you can share this post with that does. So please do. My goal is to help anyone I can!
With gratitude,
Vidal