How to Heal Gastritis, Acid Reflux, and Ulcers

First of all, you need to understand your body. Where does your acid reflux come from? Acid reflux can come from three factors: low stomach acid, stuffed stomach, and stomach irritants. (I’ll discuss these more in depth in another post.) Knowing the root cause of your issue is vital in proceeding with a holistic wellness plan with a nutritionist.

Healing your gastric issues comes down to THREE essential foundations: diet, lifestyle, and herbs.

Diet- it’s always a factor, isn’t it? Seems like it. Some key things to remember are to take away what the body does not need and giving it what it does need. A diet high in whole, plant based foods with ample fiber, greens, and water is known to help gastric issues. Eliminating or at least limiting acidic & deteriorating foods such as coffee, alcohol, spices, and heavy protein & fatty foods (i.e. steak) can help give the stomach lining a break while it tries to heal. It is also critical to understand your “trigger” foods, whether that be tomatoes, tea, carrots, slices, or other things. Knowing your body and how it reacts to certain foods is vital in your healing process.

Lifestyle- it does matter. Have you ever went to bed right after a meal and woke up still full from the previous night? Yeah, I’ve been there. It doesn’t feel too great. Your body uses gravity to its advantage for digestion. Let gravity do the work for you- it knows. In other words, do not lie down, sleep, or engage in bouncy exercises directly after eating. This can slow down your digestion and slosh around those acidic food particles - EEK!

Your pain killers & acid reducers may also be causing your stomach harm. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil, ibuprofen, Motrin, and aspirin have all been linked to digestive lining damage because of their blocking actions against natural inflammatory responses, which in turn actually increase inflammation. Acid reducers may end up making your problem worse if it’s due to low stomach acid in the first place, so again, understand the root cause of your acid reflux. Lowering already low stomach acid doesn’t sound like a smart plan, does it?

Finally, we can come to stress. Yes, stress causes everything it seems. High stress levels can actually promote increased sensitivity to normal stomach acid amounts. Stress may amplify pain receptors in your brain, which causes an increase in discomfort from stomach acid. Stress management techniques are vital for acid reflux as well as many other issues.

Herbs- I’m not talking about the herb you may be thinking of, although that does have its benefits too! Seriously though, herbs can have a calming, soothing effect for many digestive issues. Certain herbs that are classified as sours & bitters as well as vinegar & spices can help issues due to LOW stomach acid, but worsen those with already high stomach acid. (For the third & final time, it is vital to know the root cause of your digestive complaints.) Choose soothing herbs such as marshmallow root, gotu kola, & licorice for fast relief of that burning sensation due to wounded, inflamed gastric lining. Ulcers due to h.pylori bacteria do need to be treated with antibiotics or the issue will continue to come back. Tightening, astringent herbs such as rose petal, calendula, & cinnamon may help in repairing the damaged gastrointestinal lining. All in all, there are various natural remedies and ample herbs for your digestive discomfort.

There you have it. Hopefully I didn’t overwhelm you with information, but I do recommend that you educate yourself on your own health as it is vital to every day life. Grab some licorice or marshmallow root if you’re feeling stressed about all of this information!

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