How To Stop The Holiday Heartburn: 8 Foods to Avoid

Here at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center, many of our clients find it difficult to stick to their heartburn avoidance strategies during the holiday season. In fact, you may be wondering: “why do I get heartburn at Christmas”, even if you don’t partake in common trigger foods. Let’s take a look at some general tips on how to prevent heartburn; we will also list some of the worst Christmas foods for acid reflux so that you can do your best to avoid them.

How To Prevent Heartburn: Some General Tips

Eat Smaller Portions & Don’t Overeat

Honestly, it may not matter whether you consume trigger foods if you overeat this holiday season. If your stomach is too full, your weakened lower esophageal sphincter (LES) will simply be unable to hold back the pressure that builds up in your stomach. In order to avoid this simple physics problem, eat in smaller portions and don’t overeat - even if you’re enjoying yourself.

Don’t Eat Right Before Bed

This may be a bit more difficult if you go to bed early or if you attend a late-night party, but do your best to allow two or three hours of upright time to digest your meal before you lie down for a restful night’s sleep. Even if you don’t overeat before bed, gravity can work against you while you try to rest, placing pressure up against the LES - especially for stomach sleepers.

Wear Loose Clothing to Get-Togethers

Tight clothing can restrict your stomach’s ability to expand, even for small amounts of food. You’ll find that you can eat normal amounts if you wear loose clothing that doesn’t constrict your waist. These are three easy lifestyle changes that you can implement into your daily life - not just during the holidays - to reduce the incidence of acid reflux on a daily basis.

Avoid These Eight Foods & Drinks This Holiday Season:

Mudslides

Though they might be delicious and remind you of the holiday season, mudslides tend to contain three different heartburn triggers: fatty dairy, chocolate, and alcohol. While there are ways to make alcoholic beverages more “heartburn-friendly,” the mudslide really isn’t a mudslide without these ingredients.

Wine

Wines are a hit or miss for most people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), so it’s best to avoid them unless you bring a bottle you know won’t aggravate your symptoms. Alcohol, in general, loosens the LES, making it easier for stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus. Avoiding alcohol is the safest bet.

Fatty Roasts

The holidays aren’t usually complete without a giant roast as a centerpiece; however, you’ll need to be careful what entrees you consume this season. Avoid beef roasts and ham - they are high in fat and not lean meats. Turkey is a safe bet, but be careful not to smother it in the next food item to avoid.

Gravy

Oh, the beloved gravy; it moistens even the driest of meats. Even if the turkey is a bit dry, try not to douse it in gravy. Gravy tends to contain a lot of fat, especially if it was made from the drippings of the roast. Additionally, some gravies have added cream to them. You can always ask what the gravy is made of - if it’s made from regular stock and flour, you’ll probably be fine.

Cranberry Sauce With Citrus

We hate to tell you to skip out on cranberry sauce, but the majority of homemade sauces use lemon or orange juice and zest - both of which may cause your heartburn to flare up pretty badly. Inquire about the contents, and make a judgment call for yourself.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Two no-nos make their way into this pie: full-fat dairy and chocolate. If you tempt fate with a tiny slice, be prepared for a night of breathing fire. It’s best to opt for a different dessert entirely.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This is another dessert that you’ll want to avoid this holiday season; though it’s not as popular as the aforementioned pie, it sneaks its way onto dessert tables often enough for a mention. Lemon, a citrus fruit, is an incredibly potent heartburn trigger, so stay away.

Spicy Dips

Spicy salsa, guacamole with hot peppers, hot pepper jelly, jalapeno poppers, and many more spicy foods and appetizers will make you regret each delicious bite. If you want to avoid heartburn, try not to partake in these spicy, albeit delicious, foods.

How To Kick the Heartburn For Good

Avoidance strategies, although helpful, aren’t a foolproof way to eliminate your GERD symptoms. The only true way to put an end to the manifestations of a loose LES is to have it surgically corrected. Here at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center, we offer three distinct surgical procedures to help you beat your GERD forever. Contact us today for more information.