Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure: Foods to eat & avoid
Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure (2010): What to eat and foods to avoid by Penny Hammond on April 1, 2013 · 14 comments in Diets Dropping Acid (2010) by Jamie Koufman MD, Jordan Stern MD, and Marc Bauer is a book that describes a diet to cure acid reflux: Low fat Low acid Avoiding other foods that that may trigger reflux Foods are listed listed in the book ± good foods in green, bad foods in red This diet avoids discussion of sugar, refined foods, and processed foods and makes no recommendations one way or the other on them, except for suggesting people should eat whole grains. Get a copy of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure for the full details ± this is an outline of the food recommendations in the book. Also see their blog at www.refluxcookbookblog.com. The reasoning behind Dropping Acid The authors estimate that 100 million Americans have reflux, many of them unaware of it, and many of them incorrectly diagnosed. The incidence is on the rise, and they believe it has largely to do with excessive acid in our diets as prepared foods have been increasingly acidified to prevent bacterial growth and add shelf life. The real villain is the digestive enzyme pepsin, not acid, so an antacid won't help many reflux symptoms. Pepsin breaks down proteins, and can only do its job when acid is around to activate it. Once a pepsin molecule is bound to, say, your throat, any dietary source of acid can reactivate it ± and eat at your digestive linings. Dropping Acid ± acid reflux diet ± food list Eat smaller meals more frequently, instead instead of large meals. Avoid overeating overeating and especially overdrinking Do not eat anything 3 hours before bedtime, have a light dinner, and avoid avoid alcohol before bedtime Generally, organic is preferable Average at around 10% fat content Foods to eat in Dropping Acid ± induction Begin Diet. heal Eat All
with 2-4 weeks on a very strict, acid-free diet ± The Induction Reflex This gives the membranes lining your throat, esophagus, etc. a chance to only foods with a pH of 5.0 or more the foods below except: agave nectar, bell peppers, yogurt yogurt
Foods to eat in Dropping Acid ± maintenance In the third week, go to the ªmaintenanceº phase of the diet by choosing your foods from ªgoodº and ªbadº food lists
Proteins Eat only organic poultry and fish Chicken ± grilled/broiled/baked/steamed, no skin Egg whites (for some people, eggs may trigger reflux) Fish (including shellfish) ± grilled/broiled/baked/steamed/sushi Tofu Turkey breast ± organic, no skin Carbs Bagels Beans ± black, red, lima, lentils, etc. Bread ± whole grain, rye, unprocessed wheat Graham crackers Muffins ± non-fruit, low-fat Oatmeal and all whole-grain cereals Pancake batter Pasta ± with non-acidic sauce Popcorn ± plain or salted, no butter Rice Whole-grain breads, crackers, and breakfast cereals Low-acid fruits Bananas (a small number of people with reflux need to avoid them) Melons ± cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon (a small number of people with reflux need to avoid them) Pears (max. 4 per week, only if ripe) Raspberries
Low-acid vegetables Beets Bell peppers (some people may react to green bell peppers) Broccoli Cabbage ± green, red, savoy Carrots Celery Corn Cucumber Eggplant Endive Fennel Green beans Mushrooms Olives Parsley Parsnips Peas Potatoes ± and all of the root vegetables except onions Radish Squash ± acorn, spaghetti Turnips Yams Zucchini Condiments and dressings Italian dressing Vinaigrette ± 1 tablespoon per day Other Agave nectar Aloe vera Artificial sweetener (max 2 teaspoons per day) Caramel (less than 4 tablespoons per week) Chamomile tea Chicken stock or bouillon Ginger ± ginger root, powdered or preserved ± one of the best foods for
reflux Herbs ± excluding all peppers, citrus, and mustard Honey Milk and yogurt ± 2% or fat-free Olive oil ± 1-2 tablespoons per day Soups ± homemade with noodles and low-acid veggies Water ± non-carbonated Fatty foods that may be used in small amounts Butter, olive oil, whole egg, toasted nuts, salad dressings, toasted sesame seeds, citrus oils from zest (orange, lemon, lime), Italian Parmesan or Romano cheese, cheddar cheese extra sharp
Note this is not a salt-restricted diet Foods to avoid or limit with Dropping Acid Notoriously bad reflux foods Fatty foods Deep-fried foods Fatty meats ± bacon, sausage, ribs, high-fat hamburgers Cream sauce e.g. Alfredo Butter, margarine, lard, shortening High-fat nuts, including peanut butter Avocados Acidic foods Carbonated beverages including all sodas Citrus fruits/juices ± lime, lemon, nectarine, grapefruit, orange Alcohol ± beer, liquor, and wine Vinegar Chocolate, especially high-fat milk chocolate Caffeinated beverages ± coffee, tea ± limit to one cup a day, best with milk Mint, especially peppermint and spearmint Hot sauces and pepper (cracked black, white, or red peppers) Idiosyncratic, usually bad foods for reflux Acidic foods Tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice Onions Apples and applesauce Garlic Nuts Cucumber Green peppers Spicy food Some herbal teas (chamomile is the best tea for refluxers) Other acidic foods that may be bad for reflux Condiments and sauces Barbecue sauce Caesar dressing Hot sauce Ketchup Mustard Pickles Ranch dressing Russian dressing Salsa Thousand island dressing Worcestershire sauce
Fruits Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Cranberries, cranberry juice Grapes Kiwi Mango Peaches Pineapple Pomegranate Strawberries Iced tea Milk, full-fat Yogurt, full-fat V8 vegetable juice
Reflux-related symptoms and conditions (LPR and GERD): Symptoms: heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, shortness of breath, choking episodes, hoarseness, vocal fatigue, voice breaks, chronic throat clearing, excessive throat mucus, post-nasal drip, chronic cough, dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, choking episodes, globus, food getting stuck, a sensation of a lump in the throat, intermittent airway obstruction, wheezing Conditions include esophagitis, dental caries and erosions, esophageal spasm, esophageal stricture, esophageal cancer, reflux laryngitis, larynx (laryngeal) cancer, endotracheal intubation injury, contact ulcers and granulomas, posterior glottis stenosis, arytenoid fixation, paroxysmal laryngospasm, globus pharyngeus, throat cancer, vocal cord dysfuntion, paradoxical vocal fold movement, vocal nodules and polyps, pachydermia laryngitis, recurrent leukoplakia, polypoid degeneration, laryngomalacia, sudden infant death syndrome SIDS, sinusitis and allergic symptoms, sleep apnea, asthma Health benefits claimed in Dropping Acid The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: acid reflux/GERD, atypical reflux disease, extraesophageal reflux disease, gastric reflux, heartburn, indigestion, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), reflux laryngitis, silent reflux, supraesophageal reflux disease, other reflux-related symptoms and conditions (see bottom of page) As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend ± Chewfo is describing the diet only, and does not endorse it. Get a copy of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure for more information on medical issues of reflux and for recipes The book's website is http://www.refluxcookbook.com, and Dr. Koufman is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RefluxDoctor. How has this diet helped you with acid reflux? Please add a comment below. var dd_offset_from_content = 40;var dd_top_offset_from_content = 0;var dd_override_start_anchor_id = "";var dd_override_top_offset = "";
{ 14 comments¼ read them below or add one } Warren May 7, 2013 at 9:51 pm There are a few things I still find confusing after reading this book. What dried fruits if any are allowed and could you tell me the PH value of these. In Australia we can buy low fat ricotta and cottage cheese are these allowed. They are well less than the 10% mentioned. In the book it mentions parmesan and blue vein cheese. I would have thought they were too high in fat. Also a couple of the recipes use citrus, orange and pineapple juice. They are very acidic and this surprises me. I await your answer to my questions. Reply Penny Hammond May 8, 2013 at 1:08 pm Hi Warren, There isn't any clear guidance on what dried fruits are allowed. If a fresh fruit is allowed, a dried version should probably also be okay ± although note that everything is more concentrated in dried fruits than fresh ones. Some fruits trigger reflux in certain individuals and not in others, so when you've cleared up your symptoms you should check to see what your triggers are. Fruits are more acidic than vegetables, so it may be better to limit them. There are lots of tables and charts online giving the pH of different foods ± eg http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/business_food/files/Approximate_pH.pdf. Low-fat and no-fat ricotta and cottage cheese should be fine for most people. Certain foods are triggers in large amounts but may be okay in small amounts, ªdilutedº as it were with other lower-fat or lower-acid foods. These foods are: Butter, olive oil, whole egg, toasted nuts, salad dressings, toasted sesame seeds, citrus oils from zest (orange, lemon, lime), Italian Parmesan or Romano cheese, cheddar cheese extra sharp.
Reply Renee Little July 22, 2013 at 3:46 pm Been diagnosed with LPR. Hoarseness and chronic cough. Ordered the book¼can't wait for it to get here. I am taking Zantac twice a day, but I want to CURE this¼.not just cover it up!! I am planning a complete lifestyle change.
Reply Penny Hammond July 22, 2013 at 7:03 pm Great ± good luck! I used to have chronic acid reflux / GERD. First I worked out what were my trigger foods and avoided them (as well as sleeping with the head of the bed raised etc.). After a few months I was off the acid reducers (and happy because that acid is there for a reason ± to kill bad stuff). Then when I felt fully healed I slowly started reintroducing my trigger foods ± and because my esophagus had healed I could cope with them a lot better. After a while, there was only one food that regularly acted as a trigger ± onions ± and only in spring and fall (weird, huh?). Now it's pretty rare for me to have issues ± sometimes there are foods that I look at and realize that this isn't the day to eat them, but I haven't popped a pill for the issue in
years. Can't promise that exactly the same will happen to you, but it's definitely worth avoiding what's causing the irritation and letting yourself heal. I hope it works for you.
Reply Thomas September 9, 2013 at 10:56 am Hello: For years I had IBS and, briefly, colitis, but 15 yrs ago I went on the Specific Carbohydrte Diet (ªBreaking the Vicious Cycleº, by Elaine Gottschall), and the problems were corrected. This diet allows very little in the way of grains. Thus my breads and muffins have been made with various nut flours. Stomach problems preceded this dietary change. Recently I read ªDropping Acidº, and am in my second week of the Induction diet. My main questions/concerns pertain to nuts, grains and canned foods. 1) MANY cannot tolerate grains, particularly wheat, and certainly not the gluten; yet this is not addressed in the book. After reading ªDropping Acidº, I wasn't sure if I should change that, so I just made a bread out of several flours (coconut, brown rice, soy, potato, flax), reducing the almond flour from 3 cups to 1. It is delicious, but I'm wondering if any of these are not on the `good' list. Also, I recently began eating wild Alaskan salmon and wild tuna. Both are organic, but are packed in a can. Would that be on the `bad' list because it is canned? Thank you for your help.
Reply Penny Hammond September 9, 2013 at 11:26 am If you can't tolerate grains, then you should continue to avoid them ± no need to create symptoms when trying to avoid other symptoms. Nuts and seeds tend to be fatty, some more than others ± the authors say that because fatty foods can trigger reflux, nuts are only supposed to be eaten in small amounts on this diet. So if you're baking bread with coconut flour, almond flour, and flax meal, you should only have a small amount. If you want to eat more, you could try other alternate flours ± chestnut flour is probably the lowest-fat nut flour, or you could try a bean flour such as garbanzo flour / fava bean flour. You could try a gluten-free flour such as Bob's Red Mill ± the only grain that contains is sorghum. According to an FDA document http://www.foodscience.caes.uga.edu/extension/documents/fdaapproximatephoffo odslacf-phs.pdf, canned salmon and canned tuna have pHs above 5, so they meet the low-acid requirements of this diet. There are canned foods in many of the recipes in this book, including canned tuna. Hope that helps.
Reply Penny Hammond September 9, 2013 at 1:36 pm Just realized that on the specific carbohydrate diet you can't have chestnut flour, garbanzo flour or fava bean flour, or the gluten-free flour. So that means that in your case you could only have a very small amount
of the bread you made; no alternatives come to mind. You could try eating low-nut and the rest of the recommendations in this book to give your reflux a chance to heal, then testing a higher amount of nuts to see if they're a trigger for you.
Reply Roah September 11, 2013 at 11:19 pm Hi Penny, So, when you say an average of 10 % content, is that per meal or overall diet for the day? Also, how long did it take you to heal everything? How can you know if something is your trigger because my symptoms are nothing but constant changing to my epiglottis or mucus in the throat. I think I am night time refluxer.
Reply Penny Hammond September 12, 2013 at 7:59 am Hi Roah, You should probably have around 10% fat content per meal, rather than per day ± a concentrated amount of fat can be the trigger. It's many years since I went through an elimination program to overcome reflux, but I remember it taking months to heal. I had a burning sensation, so it was easier for me to tell the trigger. Try getting to a baseline diet where you're not getting any symptoms (elimination diet), then trying a food you might think is a trigger several times a day for 3 days to see whether you start getting the symptoms again (reintroduction).
Reply Sara September 17, 2013 at 6:41 am HI, I've been diagnosed with silent reflux 3 months ago. I was prescribed Omezaporole, which has only dampened symptoms not taken them away, which I am still on. I wasn't given any information from the hospital about how I might have got it or how diet might help so I looked on the interenet and found `Dropping Acid'. I have followed the induction diet for a week and a half. The first week I really noticed a difference and even had a couple of days without any symptoms then I ate something that was too fatty and since then (4 days later) everything I seem to eat sets my symptoms off. I have really reduced the foods that are on the reduction list as they seem to set off my symptoms (feeling of something stuck in my throat, clearing of throat, croaky voice) like wheat and coffee. I am nearly at the end of my 2 week induction and am just wondering if I need to do the induction for another week or so?
Reply Penny Hammond September 17, 2013 at 8:31 am Hi Sara, The authors suggest doing the induction for 2-4 weeks to allow healing. It sounds like you could benefit from it for a little longer.
Reply Ro October 21, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Hi It has been suggested to me to drink apple cider vinegar to help with silent reflux. I have read the book Dropping Acid and I thought vinegar was to be avoided. Can you clarify this? Reply Penny Hammond October 22, 2013 at 7:18 am As with any medical condition, there are a number which foods are beneficial and which are harmless The authors of this book say that although there cider vinegar / ACV is good for reflux because it esophageal sphincter to tighten up, this does not (p.38)
of different opinions on for this condition. is a claim that apple causes the lower appear to be the case
See for yourself how it affects you personally ± do you notice an increase or a decrease in symptoms when you drink it regularly?
Reply Ro October 22, 2013 at 8:12 pm Thank you for your response. I have not trialed the ACV until I heard back from you. I have read the book Dropping Acid several times but did not recall that section on page 38 -until you pointed it out- because until my well meaning friend suggested ACV I had no intention of ingesting any vinegars. Thank you again!
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