Laura S. Conley

Nutrition

Foods to Avoid if You Have Acid Reflux or GERD

Many people are struggling these days with Heart Burn, acid reflux or GERD. If this is you, here are some common foods that can cause or exacerbate symptoms.  Try removing these foods and see if you feel better!

Foods you may want to avoid:

  1. Fatty and fried foods: These can be difficult to digest and can cause acid reflux symptoms to flare up.
  2. Spicy foods: Spices can irritate the stomach and esophagus, making acid reflux symptoms worse.
  3. Citrus fruits and juices: These are acidic and can also trigger acid reflux symptoms.
  4. Tomato-based products: Tomatoes are acidic, and products like tomato sauce, ketchup, and salsa can trigger acid reflux symptoms.
  5. Carbonated beverages: Carbonation can increase the pressure in the stomach, leading to acid reflux symptoms.
  6. Alcohol: Alcohol can irritate the esophagus and stomach, making acid reflux symptoms worse.
  7. Chocolate: Chocolate contains caffeine and can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, leading to acid reflux symptoms.
  8. Peppermint and spearmint: These can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, leading to acid reflux symptoms.
  9. Dairy products: These can be difficult to digest and can cause acid reflux symptoms to flare up.

It’s worth noting that everyone is different and what triggers acid reflux symptoms in one person may not affect another. It’s best to keep a food diary and note any symptoms that occur after eating certain foods to help identify trigger foods. It’s also important to work with a healthcare professional to develop an individualized plan to manage acid reflux and make sure there are no other underlying causes.

How I Recovered After My First Spartan Race

Well it’s official. I am a Spartan! Aroo Aroo! (I never thought I would EVER say that!) Anyway that short race definitely pushed my limits and my muscles to new levels. But what about afterwards? After all the fun and excitement is over all that is left is lingering soreness. Those aches and pains can leave you feeling down and out from training unless you take a proactive approach. Here are my top tips for speedy Spartan Recovery:

1. Get a proper warm-up PRIOR to race start! This means getting your muscles fully warm and mobile before you start sprinting to those obstacles in the race. Go for a medium jog/run until you are out of breath and sweating. YES, Sweating! If you aren’t fully breaking a sweat and out of breath, you are NOT warm yet! Then, go through some range of motion drills to get mobility in all the joints you will be working that day. When you start warm, you’ll be prepared to hit the obstacles better and have less soreness the next day.

2. Post race cool down and stretch: Once you’ve taken enough finisher photos, be sure to do a proper cool down and stretch. I recommend bringing a foam roller or trigger ball with you to roll out your muscles briefly. Also, if you are in wet/muddy clothes be sure to get into some clean, dry clothes as soon as possible! You want your muscles to stay warm and supple; not tense up with cold dampness.

3. Nutrition: Immediately after the race you need to rehydrate as much as possible! Many people make the mistake of eating too much and not drinking enough water following the race. Yes getting carbs and protein is important, but water is really the key here! As far as food goes; you’ll want to replenish muscle stores quickly so I recommend a recovery drink of some kind. Something with a mixture of 4:1 or 3:1 Carbs to Protein is best. There are many products available, I advise Hammer Nutrition Recoverite. Otherwise try making your own snack (i.e. banana with protein shake). Then later on have a balanced meal with lots of vegetables (you need these extra antioxidants and minerals), clean protein and a little healthy fat. Avoid the temptation to “reward” yourself with junk food. Even though you think you “earned it”, this will only cause more inflammation in your body and make you feel worse later on! Hold off on the cheat meal until your body has recovered more. **Use #5 below as reward instead!

4. Supplements: I always keep these on hand:

  • Turmeric/Cur-cumin (fights inflammation WAY better than Advil or Ibuprofen)
  • Electrolytes (to replace what was lost durning the event)
  • BCAA’s and Glutamine (help repair damaged tissue faster)
  • Magnesium (relaxes tense and sore muscles, aids in delayed soreness)
  • Omega-3, DHA’s (also help reduce inflammation and lubricate joints)

5. Lastly, I do something nice for my body such as an Epsom salt bath, jacuzzi or massage. No explanation needed here. It just feels good and we all know the benefits of a nice massage for our aching body! Do something to treat yourself and really luxuriate in it!

Remember: These are a few recovery aids, meaning your body will likely still feel sore and need rest. Don’t be surprised if you have to dial it down for a bit until you are back to 100%. Take the time you need before going back to hardcore workouts, you’ll come back even stronger and better for your next event!

Six Simple Summer Swaps for Healthier Eating

As the long hot days of summer can sometimes lead to backyard BBQ’s with undesirable food choices, it’s important to remember we have options. Here are my favorite 6 healthy swaps to keep you lean and mean this summer!

1) Coleslaw with vinegar instead of mayonnaise.

Simply switching up the creamy mayo-based dressing in coleslaw can turn an artery clogging dish into an artery cleaning salad. Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, helps protect against heart disease and certain types of cancer. Plus, vinegar helps boost satiety (a feeling of fullness) and clear out cholesterol.

Try it: Make an Asian inspired slaw with tai-colored cabbage and asian vinaigrette with ginger, rice vinegar a splash of orange juice.

2) Replace soda with sparkling water.

An ice-cold soda sounds nice on a hot summer day, but both regular and diet colas are linked to diabetes, heart disease and obesity. If it’s the carbonation you crave, we suggest you get your bubbles by sipping naturally flavored sparkling water or even a kombucha.

Try it: Mix plain sparkling water with a squirt of lemon or lime juice. You could also try a detoxifying water with cucumber, mint and citrus for an extra boost of energizing vitamins.

3) Grilled vegetables instead of hot dogs.

Hot dogs are one of the WORST foods for anyone trying to eat healthy. There is no way of knowing what kind of processed meat and chemicals are inside that casing. On the other hand vegetables are full of different vitamins and minerals like A, C, magnesium, potassium, etc. Plus they can be bursting with flavor!

Try slicing up some zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, asparagus (or experiment with any vegetable). Marinate sliced veggies with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper or fresh garlic and herbs then grill them until they are golden soft. Delish!

4) BUN-LESS BURGER!

To stay lean at BBQ’s you have to think outside the bun! There is nothing wrong with enjoying a medium rare, iron-rich burger—just wrap it with lettuce instead of bun. Enjoying a protein-packed patty without the refined, white-carbohydrate bun is also a smart strategy for blood sugar control. With 33 grams of protein and less than 4 grams of fat in a grilled chicken breast patty, it is a great source of lean protein to help you feel full for hours.

Try it: Just make your favorite burger with a lettuce bun instead of bread! You can enjoy all the same tomato slice, pickles and mustard on it too!

5) Quinoa salad instead of traditional pasta salad.

We all remember carbo-loading with good ol’ pasta salad from the deli, but unless you’re running a marathon tomorrow best to skip all those carbs! On the other hand, quinoa is a seed that boosts 8g of protein and fiber which is a lot more than a box of white bow-tie pasta can say!

Try making a healthy quinoa salad with roasted veggies instead of the traditional deli style bow-tie pasta salad.

6) Swap ice cream for frozen fruit or shave ice.

Summer days and ice cream go together like chocolate and peanut butter! But while that cold ice cream does taste delicious, it’s sure to leave you feeling sluggish and bloated. Instead of ordering a double scoop, throw some fresh fruit like strawberries, mangos and pineapple into the freezer for a sweet treat. Or, make your own fruity popsicles. My new favorite tradition is going the shave ice store and bringing my own vitamin stick pack. Instead of getting sugary syrup poured on, I just sprinkle my own vitamin powder on top for a healthy dose of electrolytes and flavor!

Try it: Freeze watermelon, blueberries, and cherries as a refreshing treat that’s both convenient and nutritious.