I've recently started consulting with Alan Saxon, a classical homeopath/nutritionist/osteopath, and he gave me some great tips for heartburn that I wanted to share.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than large meals
- Avoid carbonated drinks, as the fizz can move your stomach contents up to where they should not be (awww, no more guava kombucha for me!)
- Practice deep breathing (like the breathing practiced during yoga), which will strengthen the esophageal sphincter
- Take extract of orange peel 3 times a day for a month (this is supposed to be a very effective treatment)
- First thing in the morning, drink two glasses of liquid (any liquid will work); wait a couple minutes, and then stretch onto your tippy-toes. Then come crashing down onto your heals as hard you you can without hurting your back. Do this on a soft surface, such as carpet. Repeat this for 3-4 mornings. This helps because the liquid acts as a weight in your stomach and can help pull the stomach downwards where it should be. I'm guessing this will help me since my stomach may still be shifted up a bit from my two pregnancies. (Now if only I can remember to do this first thing in the morning!)
- Using a tennis ball or your fist, push in right below your breastbone (between your ribs). Push deep into the solar plexus and twist the ball, then push it down to your navel and hold it for about a minute. This is another trick that helps to ensure your stomach is down where it should be. This one can be done a few times a day, and in my case, especially before bedtime since that is when I tend to have the most heartburn.
