The Truth About Acid Reflux; How to Live With GERD

     A lot of us suffer from Indigestion or Acid Reflux. As a fellow sufferer I can tell you from first hand experience how debilitating this condition really is. There is a lot of myth out there regarding Acid Reflux, or GERD, or Indigestion, as it is sometimes called. A lot of it has to do primarily with what causes it and the so-called medications, remedies,and cures that are out there. What is Acid Reflux? You can do your own research in the internet on what the condition is and you will usually fall in either one of two camps of thought.   One explanation tells us that the valve on the gastro-esophageal junction is weakened, causing reflux of acid and food contents upwards toward the esophagus. Another explanation circumvents around the biochemical problem dealing with the body's alkalinity. It basically means you produce more acid than is necessary hence causing the reflux. Which is true? How effective are the over the counter medications we frequently buy to relieve our indigestion? Do they really work? Well, before we talk about which is which let's digress further on the risk factors involved for acquiring GERD.

The first risk factor is old age. As we get older the valve at the junction between our stomach and esophagus weakens and this is a natural event. This explains that our elderly tend to get more heartburn than the younger generations. Another risk factor is increased abdominal girth, as in the form of obesity and pregnancy. The mechanism behind these two is that our stomach has limits in terms of expansion as we eat and when we really engorge ourselves, acid and food contents gets pushed upwards by way of compression. That is why we doctors always advise a patient to try losing weight and see how his or her condition changes or improves. Another risk factor is smoking. Cigarette smoking weakens the valve hence causing acid reflux. Other often overlooked risk factors are stress, lack of sleep, and eating spicy foods. As you go by this list you can easily see how these risk factors, once compounded, increases the risk of having Acid Reflux quite greatly.

How is it that a lot of patients being brought in to the Emergency Room, who thought they were having a heart attack, are actually suffering from heartburn? Well, one of the symptoms of Acid Reflux is chest pain, often described as sudden and intense, causing sufferers to believe they were indeed having a heart attack. The other signs and symptoms of Acid Reflux are shortness of breath (laryngospasm), hoarseness, cough, regurgitation, nausea, laryngitis, and a sensation or feeling of something 'lumpy' in your throat. Acid reflux can take on thse myriad of symptoms and knowing what to expect from GERD helps you better deal with it.

There is no clear cut reason why we are predisposed to getting acid reflux. A lot of it has to do with our propensity towards this condition as a result of our lifestyle habits, our health conditions, our age, and many other things. What is important to understand however,  is that long-standing GERD can lead to more serious conditions such as Barrett's Esophagus and Cancer. Instead of looking at heartburn in this light let us approach the condition from a more hollistic understanding, which, in the end, will also dictate how we manage and deal with the condition in a day to day basis. I believe that hearburn is a natural event. It is a way by which our bodies react to what we take in and is a good indicator of our general health and well being. Our body's cellular processes are dictated by many biochemical and physiologic events which work optimally at a set range in pH. If our body has a problem with alkalinity ( meaning we produce more acid), our stomach overproduces acid in return. a balance must be set in order to control this stomach acid production and many cells and hormones are at play here.

Here are some home remedies which can help alleviate symptoms of heartburn:

1. Apple cider vinegar; take 1 tablespoon in a glass of water twich a day to slowly return the body to
    its normal alkalinity.
2. Ginger; boiled and allowed to cool then drink with honey. Works much like apple cider vinegar.
3. Papaya; this is a little known secret to return the body to its optimal function and clean our
    digestive system. The mechanism by which it cures GERD is still unclear but it does help.
4. Drinking Alkaline water.
5. Lemon, lemon, and lemon. It is actually alkaline and helps reduce acidity.


Here are some things to avoid:

1. Caffeine.
2. Overeating.
3. Going to bed on a full stomach.
4. Carbonated drinks like sodas.
5. Foods like onions, chocolates, high fat foods, processed foods, and others. It's always helpful to
    remember or keep a list of foods which trigger heartburn for you.
6. Smoking.
7. Alcohol.

Here are some things which help:

1. Eat in moderation and slowly chew your food. Eat in small, frequent quantities rather than big
    meals.
2. Get enough sleep. One of the risk factors discussed above is lack of sleep.
3. Wear loose clothing.
4. Lose the weight. You'll see how your heartburn improves drastically if you lose those extra   
    pounds.
5. Carry a roll of antacids with you wherever you go.
6. Eat organically grown foods only and increase your vegetable and fruit intake by at least 60%.

Well, I hope these help. Always be well, think only of pure thoughts of positivity and happiness, never be down for long, and strive to be more and you will be much much more. JowelMD signing off but never signing out. Until our next post, folks. Sorry for the long absence.

The Best Chicken Adobo Ever and Ever and Ever

     Ask any filipino what their favorite native cuisine is and chances are Chicken Adobo is right up there in their list. This comfort food is perhaps the best known recipe among filipino dishes in that it tastes just simply awesome. There are many variants to the dish depending which part of the archipelago you ended up asking, but the key ingredients remain the same for generations. These regional variations only adds more flavor and flair to the country's national dish. The proportion of the key ingredients themselves can vary ( soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic, black pepper) and depending on what your taste buds feel like you can add more spices, in the form of siling labuyo, jalopeno pepper, and bell pepper. Onions, pineapple chunks, and onions can be added as well.

     Chicken adobo is a dish inherited from the Spanish during colonial times. Although pre-spanish filipinos marinate meats in salt and vinegar to extend it, it was ultimately during the Spanish Period that the dish we know as Adobo was brought into fruition. Although many variants such as pork adobo, and beef adobo came soon thereafter, it is Chicken Adobo which gained worldly fame.

So, enough talk. Let's get cooking. You'll need the following:

• Chicken legs, wings, and thighs, about 5 lbs in all. 
• half a cup of soy sauce
• half a cup of white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons black pepper corns
• 6 bay leaves
• 7 cloves of garlic
• 1 whole onion diced
• 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
• a can of pineapple chunks
• half a cup of olive oil
• two and a half cups water

As in all filipino dishes, the secret to taste is in the preparation. Dice garlic and brown them in the olive oil. Add onions soon after until onions are tender. Let cool. In a large pot combine chicken soy sauce and your sauteed garlic and onions and let stand to marinade for about 3 hours or so. I usually marinade for a total of 5 hours to really let the flavors sink in.

Once marinated, brown the chicken pieces a bit in olive oil just enough but not too much. Then add in the remaining marinade as well as water and bring the mixture to a boil for about 30 minutes or so or until chicken is tender. Add in the black pepper corns, bay leaves, and if you decide to make this one spicy, add in the siling labuyo ( bird's eye chili).

when the chicken is tender, open the pan to allow the sauce to reduce. bring it down to a simmer then add in the bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Stir once. Then add the vinegar. Stir again and let cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Chicken adobo gives off that aroma you just can't resist once cooked. I serve mine hot over white rice topped off with chopped chives. If I want to get real fancy I would sprinkle some crushed pork chicharrones (think of it as filipino bacon bits) or browned sesame seeds. Dig in and enjoy!! 

Bon Appetit!!!