Bloodwork, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Supplements

Conquering GERD: How an Elimination Diet Can Help Identify Your Triggers

Are you struggling with persistent heartburn, acid reflux, or other uncomfortable GERD symptoms? An elimination diet can be a powerful tool for identifying the specific foods and drinks that are triggering your symptoms, allowing you to take control of your digestive health. As your Blood Buddy, we’re here to guide you through the process of a GERD elimination diet, offering a clear plan and actionable tips for success.

What is a GERD Elimination Diet?

A GERD elimination diet is a process used to learn whether or not certain foods may be causing your symptoms or making them worse. If they are, the diet also can become a way to treat these symptoms. It’s a structured approach to temporarily removing common GERD triggers from your diet and then reintroducing them one at a time to observe your body’s response.

Common GERD Triggers to Consider Eliminating:

There are many foods, drinks, and other substances that may increase your GERD symptoms. The following table lists some of the common offenders:

FACTOR EXAMPLES
Dietary Supplements arginine, herbs used for gas in the stomach (e.g., peppermint, spearmint), essential oils (high doses)
Foods/Drinks alcohol, chocolate, coffee (especially with caffeine), cow’s milk, fat (especially saturated), orange juice, spicy foods, tea, tomato juice

Blood Buddy’s nutrition logging features help users track these foods and others.

Step-by-Step Guide to a GERD Elimination Diet

Follow this plan carefully to maximize your chances of success:

  1. Seek Professional Guidance: The information in this handout is for general education. It is not meant to be used by a patient alone. Please work with your health care practitioner to use this information in the best way possible to promote your health. The first step is to consult with your doctor.

  2. Keep a 7-Day Diet Diary: List all the foods you eat and drink and their amounts. Especially note any foods, drinks, and dietary supplements in the above table.

  3. Make a Plan for How to Avoid: Create a plan and avoid as much as possible, any items on this list for at least 2 weeks.

  4. Keep a GERD Symptom Diary: List the length of time (in minutes) that your symptoms last and how bad they are on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst.

  5. Reassess How You Feel After Two Weeks:

    • No change in symptoms: Consider continuing the elimination diet for another two weeks, if it is not causing you undue hardship.

    • Some improvement: Consider continuing the elimination diet for another two weeks, hoping for more improvement.

    • No longer have symptoms: You can either continue to avoid the offending foods, or try to eat the offending foods again. See #7 for how to do this.

  6. Continue to Reassess: Do so every two weeks until your symptoms are gone.

  7. Consider Trying the Foods Again: Try just one of the troublesome foods each week. Carefully keep track of the foods you eat and any symptoms you feel in the diet diary.

    • If your symptoms get worse, you will learn what foods to avoid.

    • If your symptoms are no worse, you may be able to continue to eat the food.

Key Takeaways:

  • A GERD elimination diet is a structured approach to identifying food triggers.

  • The diet involves temporarily removing common GERD triggers from your diet and then reintroducing them one at a time.

  • It’s essential to work with your healthcare provider.

  • Food diaries are vital to identify foods that are bad for your digestive system.

  • Symptom tracking should be included.
    Blood Buddy can help track this tracking through our nutrition tracking system, alongside being able to record weight, exercise and many other items.

By understanding the GERD elimination diet and following a structured approach, you can identify your triggers and take control of your digestive health.