Book Review: The Acid Reflux Solution.

I stopped being personal on my blog long ago, but I think it's time I returned. My name is Aisha and I have acid reflux and gastritis.  As I have searched for sources of information on acid reflux and gastritis, my friend the Internet has really let me down. There are a lot of reputable sources such as WebMD and the Mayo Clinic but they don't explain how to live everyday with these conditions. Then there are also blogs and patients forums but I found these to be overwhelming and not very practical. So I went back to the basics, I went to the library and got a book, The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally .
Written by a Gastroenterologist and Registered Dietitian this book covers the science of acid reflux and translates that information into recipes. Dr. Rodriquez shares his own journey with the disease including the reasons why we should all be wary of taking the prescription solutions for a long time. This book posits eating a low fat diet, eating small portions, and staying away from the trigger foods as a solution for acid reflux. It also states that the resulting weight loss from the diet changes will also help to relieve symptoms.

As I mentioned earlier I had already read about what not to eat, the so called trigger foods. That lead me to believe that I had to eat nothing but bland plain foods. The trigger food list in this book is quite a shorter than others. He distinguishes between:

1. Trigger foods:  Foods you should avoid because they cause your lower esophageal sphincter to relax and acid to escape from the stomach.

2. Acidic foods: Foods that are highly acidic that may irritate your esophagus and stomach. This includes things like onions, garlic, citrus, and tomato. Everyone reacts differently to this set of foods. 

The recipes in this book are just what the foodie in me needed. While some may find the recipes in this book complicated, I wanted to be able to enjoy food again. I was looking for more complex flavors that would also not cause flare ups for me. Recipes such as:

• Butternut Squash and Pear Bisque,
• Asian Barbeque Chicken, and
• Mushroom Risotto 

are neither bland or plain but they steer clear of the foods on the trigger list. The recipes also help give me a bit of a clue as to what I should eat when I go to restaurants. 

That said, many of the recipes do contain small amounts of acidic foods. For instance garlic and tomatoes are in some of the recipes.  If you are "in the middle of an acute inflammatory stage" the author recommends avoiding acids and spices. Meaning if you are already having symptoms then stay away from these foods. I have enough cooking knowledge to make modifications where necessary. 

If you are looking for ways to add additional flavors and vary your meals while deal with your acid reflux and gastritis this is the book for you. As always I recommend checking this out from your local library before purchasing the book. 

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