Nutrition Tips

Take Care of your Tummy

The food we eat can affect us in more ways than we know. Yes, we should eat foods to help nourish our bodies and keep us strong and healthy, but we also choose foods based on convenience and what tastes good. This is fine, as long as we still factor in our health (and remember food that's good for us can also taste good)! As a registered dietitian, I am seeing more and more clients with stomach problems - irritable bowel, food intolerance, and very commonly, acid reflux. There is actually a week in November (the 21st-27th) devoted to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Awareness Week. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, but keep in mind less common symptoms can include: belching, pain or difficulty swallowing, dysphagia (the sensation of food sticking in the esophagus), chronic sore/irritated throat, hoarse voice in the morning, bad breath, a sour mouth taste, erosion of teeth enamel and inflammation of the gums. Contact your doctor if you notice these persistent symptoms. Here are some basic nutrition tips for helping to managing GERD:

• Try not to eat late at night and wait 2-3 hours after eating a meal/snack before lying down
• Eat small/moderate portioned meals instead of large meals
• Limit your intake of acidic foods (ie. citrus, tomatoes, etc.) and limit spicy/peppery foods
  
• Limit caffeinated beverages (ie. switch to decaf drinks, limit carbonation) and limit chocolate which also contains small amounts of caffeine
• Limit foods high in fat (ie. rich/cream sauces, fried foods, etc.)
  
• Limit alcohol intake
• Do not exercise (and limit exertion) immediately after eating
• Manage your stress - our emotional health can affect our physical health, so focus on relaxation whenever possible
• If you smoke, try to quit - the American Cancer Society is marking the 35th Annual Great American Smokeout on November 18th. For tips to help you quit smoking, visit their website and use this date to form a plan to kick the habit.

Finally, November 2010 is the first annual Stomach Cancer Awareness Month. For more information and resources, as well as tips for helping to raise awareness, click here. Stomach cancers are the 4th most common cancer types worldwide. Some risk factors include: age over 55, male gender, smoking, family history of stomach cancer, eating smoked/salted/pickled foods regularly, and the bacterial infection H. Pylori (H. Pylori is a treatable infection which leads to stomach inflammation and may increase the risk of developing gastric cancer). If you are at risk, do the best you can to take care of your health and follow-up with your doctor routinely for screenings.

This post was written by Kristine Van Workum, Registered Dietitian and owner of Brevard Nutrition, Inc. Kristine provides outpatient nutrition counseling for groups and individuals to help manage a wide variety of medical conditions. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, weight management and sports nutrition. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 321-327-7948, or visit her website.

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