Opinion: Health and wellness
Gastritis, heartburn and reflux
Leticia Trejo is a yoga teacher and personal trainer. Photo: file.
Leticia Trejo
As a teenager, I had some pretty severe attacks of gastritis and heartburn, sometimes reflux, and I clearly remember the fear that certain foods caused me to eat. For several years I did not drink coffee, added sauces (which I love so much) to food, ate bread, flatbread, cheeses and cream … In short, the list was long, because in those days even a salad made me uncomfortable. . Fortunately, I don’t like to depend on drugs, so I didn’t even finish the antacids that the doctors prescribed; In recent years, I have learned how dangerous it is to take these medications that “relieve” the pain caused by these gastrointestinal conditions.
pH is an indicator that indicates the acidity or alkalinity of water, it is defined as the concentration of hydrogen ions in water, and we are 75% liquid substrates. This means that acid should not be considered “bad” and alkaline as “good”, proper nutrition is vital for you to achieve optimal balance. The scale for measuring it is from zero to 14, so seven is considered a neutral pH value.
The ideal blood pH should be between 7.35 and 7.45, but air pollution, bad eating habits, or excessive stress acidify and alter this pH, causing serious imbalances such as gut microbiota getting out of control, or whatever. we can’t absorb the B vitamins, nor the minerals, nor the calcium, so osteoporosis can be caused by a person taking antacids for years, upsetting their pH balance. Other symptoms of pH with high acidity are a decrease in the activity of the immune system, loss of bone and muscle mass, chronic fatigue, cramps and muscle pain, hair loss, skin irritation.
A good balance depends on the right combination of alkaline foods and acidic foods. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium form alkaline reactions and are found in fruits and vegetables. Foods containing iron, sulfur, and phosphorus, such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and nuts, are acid stimulants.
According to some studies, it is recommended that the diet consists of 20-25% acidic foods and 75-80% alkaline foods. So follow the advice of nutritionists to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, or paint your plate with all the colors, or, according to Harvard University, distribute food on our plate:
Green color that matches vegetables.
Pink color that matches the fruit.
Brown or brown in color, which corresponds to whole grains.
Yellow color, which are healthy proteins.
Let’s get creative by eating all three meals a day, I know it’s not always easy or affordable, but we can make it our goal to eat healthy five days a week until it becomes a permanent habit except in those few cases. when it’s unavoidable. outside of a healthy diet, such as at Christmas parties or on vacation.