Kiran Dalal Chief Clinical Nutritionist Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad
Acidity/ Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease ( GERD)
GERD is a digestive disorder where stomach acid can enter the esophagus and may cause inflammation of the stomach n esophageal lining. the signs n symptoms are manifested as heartburn, regurgitation, bloating, burping, gas, flatulence, vomiting.
It may also cause a feeling of a lump in the throat, dry cough, sore throat and difficulty in swallowing food.
It impairs the lifestyle. The main reasons are – faulty food habits, sedentary and stressful lifestyle:
Treatment Lifestyle modification
1. Healthy balanced and diverse diet
2. Inclusion of probiotics
3. Regular exercise
4. Adequate sleep to rejuvenate and repair the gut
5. Meditation or mental relaxation exercise
6. Avoidance of triggers such as – alcohol, smoking
Certain foods -Coffee, Tea chocolate, High-fat foods, fried and fast foods
Raw onions, garlic, pepper ( during bout period)
Few Quick fixes to relieve acidity and GERD
1. Drink Aloe Vera juice 20 ml in a glass of water
2. Asafoetida/ Hing 3-4 pinches in a glass of warm water
- Jeera water – 1 tsp jeera to be boiled in a glass of water and had the same with the seeds
4. Chewing teaspoon of fennel seeds /saunf
5. Chew a piece of dry ginger or take ginger tea without milk
6. Baking soda 1 tsp in a glass of cold water
High Blood pressure
A lifestyle disorder could be avoided by healthy food habits, including healthy fats and oils high fiber and regular exercise and by maintaining ideal body weight
The bioactive compounds in the following foods would help regulate the B.P:
- Garlic
- Banana
- Berries
- Green leafy vegetables
- Oats
- Pomegranate
- Beetroot
- Along with whole grains, cereals and pulses which are packed with nutrients and fiber would help control the B.P
- Avoid table salt and use minimal salt in cooking
- Avoid savoury items – chips, papaya, pickles, sauce, non-vegetarian foods fried and fast foods
- Saturated fats, trans fats, deep-fried Bakery items, refined flour foods
Headache/ migraine
Ginger green tea could relieve tension headaches. Proper hydration- a lot of plain water a head massage could also relieve a stress headache
Cold cough
1. Combination of dry ginger, black pepper, tulsi leaves – boil in water add honey or jaggery to fix cold and cough
- Ginger juice honey and Haldi PD 2-3 times
3. Steam inhalation
4. Saline gargle 4/5 times
Chewing ginger with honey.
