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Beauty and Anti-Aging

Managing your GERD around Thanksgiving

15 de noviembre de 2022

4 min de lectura

Thanksgiving always falls around GERD Awareness Week, and there’s a good reason. The typical Thanksgiving dinner has the potential to trigger acid reflux and heartburn, or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Roughly 20 percent of adult Americans suffer from GERD, and

GERD occurs when the stomach’s acid contents flow back into the mouth via the esophagus. Symptoms include heartburn and acid indigestion, as well as difficulty swallowing, and the feeling of food trapped in the throat.

The Turkey

If cooking your own turkey, avoid deep-frying. Fried foods are harder to digest. Instead, roast the bird.

Try to make two different types of stuffing. The one cooked outside the turkey should have less fat.

What to Wear

You want to look your best at Thanksgiving, but pay attention to clothing functionality. Wear loose clothing that does not constrict your stomach. When your clothes or belt are too tight, that can force food back into the esophagus.

What to Eat at Thanksgiving

Sample the white meat rather than the dark meat of the turkey. The white meat contains less fat, which contributes to acid reflux.

Look for steamed vegetables rather than veggies in sauces or butter. Salads are another good Thanksgiving meal choice.

What Not to Eat at Thanksgiving

Stay away from any fried foods at the Thanksgiving table. The same holds true for mashed potatoes, which often have a high amount of fat in the form of butter and heavy cream. Baked potatoes are a better option. Casseroles also tend towards large amounts of fat.

Spicy foods are another no-no. They are quite likely to trigger GERD. In addition to spices within the food, don’t put spicy condiments on blander foods to make them tastier. You could end up regretting it that night.

Pass on the gravy. Generally, it is extremely fatty and greasy.

Chocolate is another GERD issue. Keep away from the chocolate desserts, and anything with whipped cream.

Of course, if there are foods you know aggravate your GERD, don’t make an exception on Thanksgiving.

Meal Scheduling

Eat earlier. Later dining aggravates GERD. The best time to eat your Thanksgiving meal is between noon and 3 p.m. That way, unless you tend to go to bed later than most people, your stomach has several hours to empty before you go to sleep.

Make sure to eat breakfast before your Thanksgiving meal. You don’t want to “save room” for a big dinner later on. That can lead to excess acid in the stomach, which in turn leads to GERD. If you are very hungry when you sit down for Thanksgiving, it is more likely that some precautions to avoid GERD get overlooked.

After Thanksgiving dinner, either pass on dessert or try to take a considerable break before consuming it. That might mean taking a short walk after dinner, helping with clean-up, or just passing the time with family and friends. Ideally, have dessert a few hours after the main meal.

If you have dessert, make it the final food of the day. Don’t snack on leftovers afterward. Limit any post-dessert consumption to water.

Small Portions, Small Plates

Choose smaller portions of food and eat them slowly to reduce the risk of GERD. If possible, use smaller plates. That gives the illusion of eating a normal amount of food when the portions are actually much less.

Enjoy your meal but don’t stuff yourself.

Beverages

Stay away from beverages of the alcoholic variety. Beer, wine, and spirits can all worsen GERD. If you do drink, limit yourself to one drink before the meal. Alcohol increases acid production. It also relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter. That’s the barrier between the esophagus and the stomach that opens and closes to allow food to pass. When it is relaxed, acid can head upward.

Alcoholic beverages are not the only culprits. Avoid any sort of citrus juices, such as tomato or orange juice. The acid in these juices can exacerbate GERD.

Sodas are another GERD trigger, as is anything with caffeine. For best results, stick to water to quench your thirst.

Time to Digest

Give yourself time to digest your meal. Vigorous exercise after a meal can trigger GERD. That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in short walks or similar low-key activities, but don’t overdo it.

No Napping

After eating, you might feel like taking a nap or lying down to watch TV. Resist that impulse. Laying down makes it easier for acid to head up through your esophagus. If you do want to watch TV or chat with friends and family, make sure to sit in an upright chair.

Help keep GERD at bay by not going to bed for several hours after your last bite of food.

Keep Medications on Hand

No matter how hard you try, a Thanksgiving meal can result in heartburn and acid reflux. Prepare for that possibility by having antacids or other over-the-counter acid reflux medications on hand.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources

How to Avoid Acid Reflux on Thanksgiving | Eat + Run | US News

UT Health Austin

Thanksgiving Week Is GERD Awareness Week— Time to Eat and Drink Wisely | Stony Brook Medicine

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