Cranky Gerd: Bad Week (Reflux! Belching!): What's Next

What I need to be eating more of...

Disappointing update! My belching, fullness, tight throat, reflux, and churning stomach -- even some nausea -- returned this week. For whatever reason, I have been eating fast, gulping my liquids, and taking in too much food in one sitting -- a recipe for GERD. I catch myself during or after meals, vow to eat mindfully next time, and then I do not take my advice, and experience more discomfort.

Other changes in my diet over the past two weeks include:

More caffeinated teas: I have not been curbing my tea intake, and have been drinking 2-3 cups daily, sometimes two of those are black or green teas.
More dairy and fats: Recent trips out of town and family visits in town resulted in my eating much more cheese and other dairy than usual. (I've reduced my cheese intake to one weekly pizza meal and occasional grated cheese on pasta.) At a pasta dinner out, I smeared "real" butter on the bread. Last week's meals included cheese-filled pasta dishes, creamy desserts, non-vegan cakes and doughnuts. I've also had many pieces of milk chocolate.
Lack of whole foods/vegetables/fruits: I have not been able to cook many "whole foods meals" for weeks due to either lack of time/opportunity to buy ingredients, lack of time to cook, or both. For some reason, my fruit/vegetable intake has been less than usual -- I pack an apple and then don't eat it, for instance.

I don't know if any of these are in fact my triggers. This is just a record of what has been different, diet-wise.

GOING FORWARD: RE-SET

I need to "re-set" my diet, return to mindful eating and more "cooking from scratch." More trips out of town and very busy weekends ahead will make this challenging. BUT it is not unachievable with a few guidelines for myself:

Mindful eating can be (should be) done anywhere, so I will focus on eating slowly -- and stopping when full
Mind my teas: Chamomile tea in the morning, one black/green tea later if I wish, Pu-ehr tea daily if I want for the probiotic effects
I'm not Martha Stewart: I do not need to feel guilty if I don't cook everything from scratch, or eat a few meals comprised of prepared/frozen foods (canned soup, canned baked beans, frozen vegetables, Whole Foods hot/cold bar)
On the other hand, I prefer to run my kitchen like a farm-to-table restaurant: If I can't get to the farmer's market because I'm out of town, I need to remind myself that I can get to the produce section of my supermarket or the "local/organic" section of some neighborhood gourmet shops. If I don't have my dried beans, I do have canned beans or a box of tofu. If I am too tired to cook, just breathe and ignore fatigue for one evening and make food to last a few days. (Know my limits but know when to push myself, too. Because when I achieve a good meal, I feel relaxed. And cooking for a few days provides some "down time.")
Better cooking organization/time management: So I CAN maintain my farm-to-table meals. Apparently, there is a whole "Once A Month Cooking" movement online, with its own OAMC acronym!
Taking time for myself: (In other words, reduce stress -- the big GERD trigger.) I've recommitted myself to my stationary bike, Tai Chi, and quiet reading time. Weekly "creative nights" are a new activity J. and I decided would be good for us and our projects -- the first one this week was a success, and I'm already looking forward to next Wednesday. It's a chance to "get things done" but also shut out some of the "noise" of life -- a weekly mental "re-charge." Simple rules: no cooking (heating up is fine), no household chores, just enjoy and focus on our various "creative" projects for 2-3 hours. I'll be making collages, digitizing a 1940s scrapbook and a paper on 18th Century merchants, reading, and working on this blog!