Preventing Heartburn, Gas, and Indigestion from Ruining Thanksgiving Dinner.
Thanksgiving is definitely up there when Americans thumb through their list of favorite holidays. Why do we all love Thanksgiving so much? The food! We're usually trying to eat healthy, lose weight, exercise, and eat small portions, but on Thanksgiving we are all given the opportunity to really "hang loose" and enjoy every single savory bite of as much food as we can stomach.
Now,
Why is Heartburn Such a Problem on Thanksgiving?
Well, it is actually the same reason everybody loves Thanksgiving so much: the food! While all families do their Thanksgiving dinners in their own ways, most of the traditional Thanksgiving foods aren't particularly noted for causing acid reflux and/or heartburn. Still, the sheer volume of food that is available will often times lead to overeating, and when your body receives more food than it can handle, acid reflux becomes quite a possibility.
An obvious answer would be to control your eating, but I've got to admit that this is much easier said than done, as I have yet to accomplish this feat. Instead, I do a couple of little things to get myself through the meal, through the dishes, and off to bed peacefully when the holiday is finally over. You've probably got some food to attend to, or family to spend time with, so I'll try my best to make this list quick.
- The first thing you simply HAVE to do, especially if you are a heavy eater at times, is to drink at least a couple of glasses of water throughout your meal. If you are someone who tends to eat quickly and devour all the food you can handle before you head to the couch, then you should force yourself to stop and drink down a glass of water at regular intervals throughout the meal. If you are one of those eaters who always finds themselves returning to the food hours after everyone has finished, you should try including one glass of water with every small portion you eat. You'll eat less like this, and it'll help your body to digest as you go.
- Salt, pepper, and spicy foods can often times trigger heartburn. Greasy meats, pastas, and vegetable stir-fry dishes can also do this, so you might want to go easy on the oils and choose leaner meats and meal dishes if you are the cook for the day. Also limit the amount of salt and pepper you include into your dishes, let guests add their own if need be.
- Gravity does a lot of good for digestion, and if you eat too much and have to lay down or even recline too far back on the couch after the meal, it may lead to heartburn for you a little later on in the evening. Try to remain sitting or standing upwards for at least an hour and a half after eating, preferable more like 3 hours.
My Secret Weapon
My one true fail-safe when it comes to the heartburn that always seems to plague me after a heavy meal is a product named "Stops Acid Reflux". It contains only natural ingredients, and it is made using an old Amish recipe. You simply take a capful or sip straight from the bottle as soon as you start to feel any heartburn, reflux, or indigestion, and it disappears entirely in literally just a minute. I take a sip and feel comfortable again and it has worked for me for the past two Thanksgivings in a row.
With all of the family around, I even got to share the remedy with quite a few of my relatives who have since picked up their own habits with the bottle. Some use it after a little too much wine, some keep it in their handbag to take after a delicious Mexican meal. Whatever your vice is when it comes to delicious foods, if heartburn is a problem you sometimes deal with, the Stops Acid Reflux remedy is the perfect thing to keep around. The success I had recommending this product to my relatives is actually what led me to write this article in the first place!
Some people use Tums, which seems to work in some cases. For me, the chalky antacids never did much for me, and it always seemed like they were just masking my symptoms and not doing anything about the initial problem. What I now know is that acid reflux is actually caused because your body can't digest the things you eat and it is forced to regurgitate it back upwards towards your esophagus. It is a lack of acid that causes most common reflux, not an excess. An antacid will make it even harder for your body to digest, while the Stops Acid Reflux remedy actually HELPS your body to digest and return your stomach acid levels to a healthy point.
My favorite part is that its all natural, no chemicals and it doesn't make you feel funny at all. It just gets rid of the discomfort, and nothing else.
Share Your Supper!
Please leave a comment below and let us know what YOU are planning to eat for Thanksgiving, and if you or your family has ever had any problems with heartburn or reflux on Thanksgiving. I'm sure I can't be the only one!