Did you know that one of the top selling over the counter (OTC) drugs in the world today is heartburn medication? Acid reflux and heartburn are seemingly minor and annoying conditions, but they can have a long-term effect on your health. To be chronically over-acid means that your body is too acidic. ‘The volcano effect’ as I call it, or heartburn, is your body’s way of trying to expel the excess acid. Many people have such bad heartburn that they have to sleep sitting up.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

What most people don’t realize is that acidosis can be very much regulated and controlled by diet.

A typical breakfast for a chronic heartburn sufferer might be coffee with sugar and milk. Add a slice of toast and an egg or muffin and you have a 100% acid-forming meal. That means the stomach will have to produce a lot of acid in order to digest that meal. (The first rumblings of the volcano).

Later that morning, this person might start feeling tired so will reach for another coffee, or a bagel or maybe even a cigarette. At lunch, due to a busy schedule, the meal may be a burger, slice of pizza, sandwich or meat pie….and yes, all of those foods are acid-forming. Now the volcano is starting to spew some sparks of fire and by mid-afternoon this person may be reaching for an antacid tablet to get through the rest of the day.

Going home to a beer or glass of wine followed by a typical dinner of pasta and bread, and this person has just won the prize for a 100% acid-forming day. It’s no wonder that 5 or 6 more antacid pills are required after dinner. Start that whole cycle over again the next day and the next and you have an antacid customer for life.

The problem with being chronically acidic, though, is much more serious than just having a ‘symptom’ like acid reflux. Internally, an acidic terrain is a breeding ground for the first stage of every dis-ease, including cancer. I always say, ‘You don’t catch cancer on Wednesday and get diagnosed on Thursday.’ Something like cancer takes years to develop, and the first thing that starts the process is an over-acid environment.

Keeping the environment alkaline is one of the best forms of natural prevention. Acid-reflux should be looked at as a warning sign; the body is trying to tell you that it’s out of balance.

Taking antacid tablets on a daily basis may take away the symptom, but it doesn’t take away the problem: chronic acidosis.

This is where the Green Smoothie comes flying in wearing a green cape offering real relief to the poor victim of a Standard American Diet (SAD). Ok, it might not be as dramatic as that, but it may feel like a superhero rescued you when you finally stop suffering from acid reflux and start feeling good with your digestive health. Let’s go back to the old breakfast of the heartburn sufferer and let’s make the first food/drink/meal of the day a Green Smoothie instead. Now, you’ve got a 100% alkaline-forming food to gently wake up the stomach for work for the day and there is no volcano in sight. You feel good, satiated and ready to start the day. After the Green Smoothie, you can even add a coffee (preferably organic and with no milk or sugar) and you will not experience the same volcano effect as before.

So you can still have your coffee (hopefully organic), but only after the Green Smoothie.

At lunch, aim for a nice portion of salad or steamed vegetables, and even another Green Smoothie if desired. (The Green Smoothie can be made up to 2 days in advance). This give you another 100% alkaline-forming meal. At dinner, you can now enjoy a wine with pasta (preferably brown rice or quinoa with some fresh salad or vegetables) and you should be throwing out your antacid tablets for good. It can really be that simple. If you don’t give your body the right combinations of foods, you are not going to experience the right combination of results. Everything that goes into your body has an effect on your body. A daily Green Smoothie brings the chronic heartburn sufferer back into balance, naturally, with an alkaline diet.

Looking for Green Smoothie recipes to help with acid reflux?

Check out my NEW book Green Smoothies for Dummies – I’ve got a whole section on Cooling the Burn of Acid Reflux where I feature 5 amazing Green Smoothies for Heartburn. Find the book Green Smoothies for Dummies on iTunes or amazon.com!

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