Managing GERD While Sick, Part 2

My homemade vegetable soup -- first of the season!

GERD ON A COLD

I stayed home Thursday and made a simple vegetable soup: carrots, leeks, onion, garlic, parsley, turnip, parsnip, potato, rosemary sprig, some water and sprinkles of olive oil.  This is probably too overpowering in onion and garlic flavors for normal palates, but for my mucous-filled head and stuffy nose, it tasted perfect -- a road-to-health hot elixir!  My GERD tolerated this well.

Later, I made an almond milk hot chocolate with Blue Diamond vanilla unsweetened almond milk and dark chocolate mix (no dairy) I had in the house -- but it did not give me the same well-being sensation as that homemade almond milk from the Green Bean Cafe.   By dinner, I felt queasy and had experienced belching and heartburn more than usual.  I had wanted a potato ball from my local pizzeria (no energy to cook) but they were all out, so I resorted to pizza.   No concerns following the pizza, to my surprise.

It is now Friday morning and I am feeling "on the mend" cold-wise, though I woke up with gnawing stomach, slight heartburn, and more belching.   I decided to stay home from work again -- I am not entirely comfortable with this because if I'm well enough to blog, aren't I well enough to hit my work desk?   (But at the office, I can't just fall onto the bed at will and take three daytime naps, right?)   I have some "homework" I can tackle, and there's more soup, fruits, fresh blankets to keep me nourished.

Reminder to myself: eat slowly!  I have not been following my own chewing advice lately.

Smaller Portions, Less GERD

Rainy days coinciding with a busy week ahead.  In the next seven days I will:

• attend Fashion's Night Out
• see Moby at a Barnes & Noble appearance
• coordinate a booth at a street fair
• coordinate a booth at a Mets game health fair
• volunteer at the animal shelter
• run "on all four cylinders" at work to meet deadlines and prep for the aforementioned fairs

I'm already pacing myself, getting nutritious foods ready, and planning for extra sleep.   (How is it that we don't take sleep seriously?  That it's the first thing to go when we're super-busy?  How did sleep deprivation become so glamorous and a mark of success?   I wonder if I got more sleep than my usual 6-7 hours if my GERD symptoms would decrease.)

SMALL PORTIONS -- ONE STEP TO HEALING

Progress!  I can definitely see a difference in my day when I have a "half breakfast" followed by a second half breakfast a few hours later.  

This usually involves a half portion of cereal (though I have a full serving of almond milk, since I like it for my calcium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients) around 5:30 AM - 6:00 AM and a homemade oat-flax-raisin-apple muffin (these are tiny, made in a vintage tin!  not your usual bowling ball sized muffins!) around 9:30 AM.   Or I'll have a hard boiled egg (from my pastured eggs at home), or a quarter sesame bagel, plain.   I have been experimenting with nut butters for a second breakfast, as well.   I usually have some fruit as well -- berries, applesauce, or a stone fruit.  

For lunch, I have a regular portion, which is already reasonable, and for dinner, I've reduced my intake altogether by about one-fourth of my usual portion.   I allow a couple of snacks throughout the day as well (granola bars, fruit, nut butters on crackers or half slice bread).  

Immediately, I feel better, and really feel the positive effect during the morning into the afternoon.  No bloating.  There may be some "food in throat" feeling after breakfast, but I suspect this may coincide with my caffeine intake, if I'm drinking black or green tea that day.  I will have to log this!   I'm still playing around with alternating days of tea in finding a way to still consume it, even if it is a trigger.   

A PUZZLE...

One thing puzzling me -- why do I have GERD symptoms (slight heartburn, FIT) after a few moments of waking up in the morning?  I don't wake up from symptoms, and don't have them right upon waking -- they kick in 5-10 minutes afterward.  Hmmm.  

BONUS LINK: To help pace myself and generally de-stress, I'm trying to incorporate more mindfulness in my days.  Here is a useful piece on mindful breathing.

Detective Work -- Did the Red Grapes Do It?

Am I trying to prove to myself that it is stress and not food that is my GERD trigger?  Well, maybe.  That would be a lot less complicated, right? 

In this spirit, I was pleased to find a link to a 2006 study linking GERD symptoms to stress.   The study's caveat is that stress does not predict GERD's impact on the esophagus.  (The study is flawed in a few ways, but I was interested to see the distinction made between GERD symptoms and endoscopic results.)
 
While I'm getting back to my regular diet, I am experiencing a lot of GERD symptoms today.   Here's my intake so far:


First Breakfast - 6:30 AM:
1 Wheetabix square
1/4 C. raisins
1 prune
1 C. almond milk

Second Breakfast - 10:00 AM:
1 package Irish instant oatmeal with my own cinnamon
1/2 C. orange juice
I managed to have an expanded brisk walk this morning, as well.

Snack - 10:30 AM:
5 red grapes
2-3 cherries

This is where the problem exacerbated.  I have been belchy (and gassy) for the past days, and experienced definite heartburn pain yesterday and the day before, to the point of reaching for Tums.  (Which did not help.)
I was feeling a little better this morning with less symptoms overall. 

Around 10:30 AM I decided to have some fruit, but after a few grapes, I immediately felt that "food in throat feeling" more severely than in recent weeks.  It was as through the grape skins were stuck to my esophagus.  The skins were especially thick and bitter -- does this mean anything?   Usually, I don't have problems with grapes.

Lunch - 12:45 PM:
1 serving chickpea-eggplant-tomato dish (homemade by me)
My accompanying rye bread was moldy.    Darn!

Snack - 2:45 PM:
1 white roll from Le Pain Quotidien
1 packet maple almond nut butter (3/4 finished; interrupted by meeting)

At 4:21 PM, I feel ok.  FIT but heartburn.  Some belching, more gassy.   This, despite a super busy day.  I don't feel "stressed" but rather excited and even a little manic, with all the projects swirling around me. 

Dinner - 6:30 PM
Bean curd with basil and brown rice at local Thai restaurant.  I had an unpleasant sensation while eating the green peppers and eggplant that were part of this vegetable-loaded dish.  I felt unsettled in my stomach afterwards, and took a Tums to see if this would help (it did).   In this case, the veggies may have been bad; I don't think this was GERD-related.  I felt very full after this modestly sized dinner despite having been "starving" at the start.

During dinner, I learned that J. also had trouble with the red grapes.  Earlier, he had a few and said he did not feel right afterwards -- they made him feel "funny" in the stomach and head.

Dessert - 8:00 PM
1 C. Breyer's ice cream (Vanilla Fudge)
By this time, I felt fine.

I am looking forward to the greenmarket on Saturday, and resuming my normal diet full of fresh produce, grains and beans!

Hurricane Gone, Gerd Returns!

Hurricane Irene's aftermath left some water damage in my bedroom (wall and floor) but this structural damage is not as bad as the GERD that has returned following this weekend.   We're talking pronounced lump in throat feeling, bonafide heartburn, and belching.

I have been eating outside of my usual "whole foods" approach, going through my refrigerator's holdings since I have not been able to hit the greenmarket or do much kitchen prep over the past six days.    Much of what I have in there now is food leftover from my family's visit -- things that are treats or foods I don't eat on a daily basis (some cheese-based dishes, chocolate cake).   With no chance for shopping, I've been shopping out of my larder.   I've eaten out more over the past days, and more processed foods (canned soups, packaged breads).  Some constipation has returned, which is definitely a GERD trigger for me.   I am also not exercising (for 2 weeks now) due to a minor surgical procedure.   So, I'm all out of sorts!

Slowly, I am pulling together my usual diet:  I sorted dry beans this morning so I can make a batch later today.   I'll make my "horse food muffins" tonight or tomorrow.   I've defrosted a batch of tomato-chickpea-eggplant casserole for lunch.  I've resumed my long morning walks.    (And this blog!)

Regarding hurricane (emergency) preparedness and food:  I was amused to see my supermarket shelves emptied of bread and milk -- perishables!    I picked up a few extra things "for the storm," mostly because it was fun to participate in the madness.  My rations consist of:

• non-perishables that do not require refrigeration (even upon opening)
• foods that do not require cooking, i.e. nuts, dried/canned fruit, cereal
• foods that can be prepared with a minimal of cooking, i.e. heating over a sterno stove, heating by boiling water such as instant oatmeal
• nutrition-dense foods such as whole grains, nut butters

Finally, another blog recommendation!  While searching online for "vegan emergency rations" for ideas, I came across this post about emergency vegan rations in Karol Gajda's blog, Ridiculously Xtraordinary, which is worth many recurring looks.  I am almost late to work this morning because I could not stop fawning over the well-ordered and photographed entry, how to pack ultra-light.  Fantastic, Karol!

GERD Update: Earthquake Arrives, Symptoms Return

On Monday and Tuesday, I noticed an upswing in my GERD symptoms: belching, food in throat (FIT) feeling, some acid feeling (not heartburn but I noticed "something" was brewing in my gut).  And, yesterday, on my afternoon walk to the subway, I had sudden nausea, something I haven't experienced in a few months.

DIET?

My diet was excellent yesterday in terms of the so-called trigger foods and portion size, though on Monday, my work colleagues held two birthday cake parties.  I got by with very small slices (one of which I did not entirely eat).  (I am ready to feign a "dairy allergy" to avoid eating cake and other dairy infused products at work.  People seem to respect "allergies" more than "I choose to not eat dairy.")  In any case, I had a few bites and felt immediately ill -- stuffed and refluxy -- that I think was more about the "richness" of the food.

On Tuesday, I ate an eggplant-chickpea-tomato dish I had cooked.  Too many classic GERD trigger ingredients?  (Do I even believe I am sensitive to them?)  I also had green tea in the morning and a black tea from the new Starbucks after lunch.

STRESS?

As for yesterday's nausea attack, and even Monday's FIT, there definitely seems to be a stress trigger going on.  I'm catching myself grinding my teeth.  I've been very anxious at work about the massive number of projects that I am responsible for getting done NOW.  There are other stressful office issues underway as well.  Coinciding with this is my excitement over possibly adopting a new cat or cats -- or the more likely possibility and agony that this is not a good time to do so and I'll delay adopting.  (Either way, I'm an emotional wreck about this.)   And, I'm healing from a minimally invasive procedure that has me in stitches and on antibiotics.   

EARTHQUAKE?

On top of that -- NYC experienced an earthquake Tuesday afternoon.   My desk, computer screen, chair all rattled!  I thought I was losing my mind until all my coworkers streamed in to the hall corroborating they had felt this, too.   A few people mentioned their bodies felt "scrambled up" and "hung over" afterwards, and maybe I know what they mean.

BANANA!

I bought a banana on my walk home yesterday, in the middle of the nausea, and immediately felt better after eating it.  It's possible I was lacking nutrients or didn't eat enough that day.

Looking forward to my morning walk (if I can squeeze it in -- I am running late)!

Secret Weapon: Mindfulness and Movement

I am feeling good!  Despite having a minor procedure today (removal of that sebaceous cyst), I am thrilled to be focused and completing projects and feeling, overall, pretty normal GI-wise.    It is interesting to note I also have not been grinding my teeth the past few days.  Less stress equals a happy gut?!

After reincorporating caffeine (tea and chocolate) and other GERD diet triggers, I feel okay, with one exception:  an increase in belching.   This occurs during or after eating, so I suspect I may be eating too fast, or eating too much.

I greatly enjoyed my morning cups of green tea the past days but have to admit now, after my GERD diet detox:

My body feels different.

Good.

Energized.

Strong.

Looks good.

Since recent tea and chocolate did not "trigger" symptoms, I think the healthfulness I am feeling is related to a mindfulness and level of movement I embraced this past week.

I avoided gratuitous chocolate snacks, I drank a lot more water, and I really thought about my body and how it was feeling.  Focused on it.   And I cleared my head of tiresome nagging chores during my days off -- it was liberating to haul those sacks of books to the Salvation Army, clean the stove down to the knobs, and scour the shower.

I greatly increased my movement:  first with an extreme 14 mile bike ride, but then I walked extra blocks, took the stairs after lunch, added a new set of morning exercises and stretches to my routine.  This level of mindfulness and movement is something I would like to continue.

 P.S.  Blog finds:   Check out this gem of a well-written blog.    And then check this stunning berry layer cake -- breathtaking photo, cake, concept.  (I'll bet someone I know could veganize that…)

Color Me De-Stressed

Three days into the elimination diet and I don't feel any difference.  I am still waking up with that "food stuck in throat feeling" and all belchy, symptoms which continue throughout the day.    

Could my triggers be non-food related?  I am feeling especially overwhelmed this week:

• too many coinciding work project deadlines
• too many personal errands going undone (new eyeglasses, haircut, sorting the recyclables) 
• too many depressing news stories (debt ceilings, rioting youth, abused animals)
• too many postponed vacations 

After measuring my GI tract's response to food triggers, I would like to make a calculated effort to reduce non-food "stressors" to see if this makes a difference.   If I can't "eliminate" them, maybe I can increase my de-stressing tactics.

For instance:  Look at charming blogs!  

Like Color Me Katie, a wonderful blog of art, performance and observation by Brooklyn artist Katie Sokoler:

Lost Weekend (and Nights of Gerd)

Despite eating out, eating too much, and eating too much of the "wrong" foods (chocolate, tea, fatty things), my GERD seemed no worse than average.   The weekend was a whirlwind, and my stomach followed.

I am starting my GERD Elimination Diet today for seven days.  No chocolate sounds extreme to me and continuing with no tea is uncivilized.  I have been falling asleep at my desk at work in fits of narcolepsy.  But, it's only seven days and I will probably learn something.

Another thing I would like to try this week is not reclining until after three hours from my last meal in the evening.   Over the past months, I'm increasingly prone (no pun intended) to GERD-y symptoms in the middle of the night and in the morning:  belching, regurgitation, slight heartburn.   This is new for me, and irritating.  

GERD is stressful!  Which only produces more GERD!