Nutrition
Conquering heartburn with our diet
A balanced diet
In this chapter, we will be discussing how we can conquer heartburn with our diet.
Heartburn is a painful burning sensation in the chest and/or throat, which occurs when stomach acid and other digestive juices back up into the eosophagus (the tube that carries food to the stomach).
Almost everyone gets heartburn sometimes, but if you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have gastroeosophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here is what you need to know.
A one-way valve sits just above the stomach, which opens to allow food from the eosophagus to enter the stomach, and closes tightly to prevent vice versa.
In GERD, this valve does not close tightly enough to prevent the digestive juices in the stomach from climbing up into the eosophagus, which irritates the eosophagus, leading to the characteristic chest and/or throat pain and discomfort.
Certain medications, foods and alcohol can bring on heartburn, and management of this condition may be medical or dietary;
Foods to include
• High fiber diet such as whole grains, fruits (with the exception of citrus fruits) and vegetables
• Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts
• Water; it flushes out the eosophagus
Foods to avoid
• Fatty foods such as fried foods
• Coffee
• Tea
• Whole milk
• Spicy food
• Citrus fruits
Lifestyle changes
• Weight loss through exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles
• Avoiding alcohol intake
To conclude, heartburn can be very uncomfortable and disabling, but it’s also very well controlled and prevented with the above measures incorporated into our diet and lifestyle, which are sure to keep us far away from the clutches of heartburn.
The writer is a nutritionist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Holistic Health Centre.
By Dr Bernice Korkor Asare
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 350 grammes plain flour
- 2 tablespoonfuls baking powder
- 2 tablespoonfuls ground ginger
- 1 tablespoonful ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoonful ground cloves (optional)
- ½ tablespoonful nutmeg
- 2 tablespoonfuls salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 1 tablespoonful vanilla extract
- Sprinkles, edible glitter or small sweets for decoration
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir well and set aside.
- In another bowl, use an electric whisk or wooden spoon to cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This helps incorporate air into the dough, giving the gingerbread a lovely texture.
- Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the golden syrup and vanilla extract, stirring until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until a dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling makes the dough easier to roll out and helps the shapes hold their form during baking.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5 mm (¼ inch). Cut into your preferred shapes and place them on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges begin to darken slightly. Keep a close eye on them to avoid over-baking.
- Allow the gingerbread to cool before decorating with sprinkles, edible glitter or small sweets.
Benefits of Ginger
- May help relieve symptoms of colds and nausea.
- Has anti-inflammatory properties.
- May help support digestion.
- May provide some pain-relieving benefits.
- May support heart health and healthy blood sugar levels.
- May help reduce menstrual pain.
Source: Health.com
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dried soya beans
- 4–5 cups clean water for blending
- Extra water for soaking
- Sugar, honey or dates (optional)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation
- Pick through the beans to remove stones or damaged seeds, then rinse thoroughly.
- Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, rub the beans between your hands to loosen the skins. Rinse and drain.
- Removing the skins helps reduce the “beany” taste and improves the texture, but you may skip this step if short on time.
- Add the soaked beans to a blender with 4–5 cups of clean water.
- Blend until smooth and milky.
- Strain the mixture through a clean muslin cloth or fine sieve into a pot, squeezing well to extract as much liquid as possible.
- The leftover pulp, known as okara, can be used in baking, porridge or stews.
- Place the strained milk over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring continuously to prevent burning or overflowing.
- Allow it to boil for about 25 minutes to remove the raw taste and neutralise naturally occurring compounds that may upset the stomach.
- Once boiled, allow the soya milk to cool slightly. Add sugar, honey, dates or vanilla extract to taste, if desired.
- Allow the milk to cool completely, then serve warm or chilled. Store any leftovers in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator.
Tip: Shake well before serving, as homemade soya milk may naturally separate during storage.
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