Do you experience a burning sensation in the middle of your chest, an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth accompanied with pain in your upper abdomen, bad breath or burping after having meals? If you do then these are some of the classic symptoms of you battling with Acid Reflux.

Acid Reflux is a condition where the acid produced by your stomach as a by-product of the digestion process travels up your oesophagus, causing you discomfort and bloating.

There could be several contributors to acidity, some of the major ones being lying down right after a heavy meal, snacking on food articles that are high on sodium, consuming carbonated drinks, lack of exercise and overeating.

We all derive some momentary happiness by gorging on our favourite food items while forgetting the repercussions, most commonly the acid reflux. In this article, I will share some easy to follow antidotes to keep acidity at a bay.

1. Say NO to tea/ coffee on an empty stomach – Consuming tea/coffee on an empty damages the stomach lining, thus producing more acid.
2. Start your day with a glass of Black Raisins water – Soak 10-12 black raisings overnight in a glass of water and consume the water first thing in the morning. Practice this for 10 days regularly and feel the difference.
3. Roast Fennel seeds, Cumin seeds and Carrom seeds in the ratio of 2 : 2: 1. Store it in a box and consume a tablespoon of the mixture 30 minutes post a heavy meal.
4. Mix 1 Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of lukewarm water and consume it 30 minutes before lunch. Remember to drink it with a steel straw as sipping right from the glass will stain your teeth.
5. Cool your stomach with Kokum Sharbat – As acidity tends to heat up our stomach, a very effective remedy to beat the heat is consuming a glass of Kokum Sharbat post breakfast.

Recipe:

Soak 7 – 8 kokum overnight in a glass of water.

Soak 3/4^th teaspoon of chia seeds in water.

Take a mixer and pour the kokum water in it along with only 1 kokum, add the soaked chia seeds to it along with 1 tsp of Cumin power.

Blend the mixture and add a pinch of rock salt to it.

Consume it.

6. Soaked Chia Seeds – Chia seeds are an amazing source of fibre, and they prevent the stomach acid from leaking into the oesophagus. Soak 1 teaspoon of Chia seeds in a glass of water for 20 minutes and consume it to beat the acidity.
7. Regular exercise helps with digestion and prevents exercise.
8. Eat small meals throughout the day to prevent the stomach from producing acid on an empty stomach.
9. Avoid wearing tight clothes and belts as it causes the stomach acid to rub against the stomach lining.
10. Quit Smoking.

Instead of using antacids to neutralise the acidity, you can follow these simple hacks to treat yourself while being mindful of your food habits. Remember, your gut is your second brain. Therefore, taking care of your gastrointestinal health is very important as it impacts your cognitive health.