Vegetarian Recipes

All these recipes are meatless, but still contain a lot of flavor, and are heartburn-friendly.

Artichoke and Olive Quiche
Instead of a meat and tomato quiche, this recipe a vegetarian version that is also heartburn-friendly.

Baked Broccoli and Rice Casserole
This is an easy recipe that promises good taste but is still heartburn-friendly.

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
If your family doesn't want to eat their spinach, try this casserole recipe. It makes a great meal while being heartburn free.

Bean and Cheese Burritos with Avocado
Burritos are an all-time favorite in many families. With this recipe, you dont' need to worry about heartburn.

Cashew Vegetable Fried Rice
Rice is the staple food, and is nutritious while being ideal for special diets. The vegetables add more flavor.

Cheese and Olive Manicotti with Mushroom Sauce
A filling pasta dish that is also heartburn-friendly.

Cheese Topped Vegetable with Rigatoni
This pasta dish can either be served as a side dish, or served as a complete meal.

Creamy Potato Soup with Herb Croutons
This hearty soup makes a great first course to an evening meal, or a satisfying lunch. The ingredients also make it heartburn-friendly.

Lentil and Vegetable Barley Soup
The lentils, barley, and vegetables make this soup tasty and filling, not to mention low-fat and heartburn-friendly.

Parmesan-Mushroom Penne with Herb Sauce
This pasta dish is a great addition to any meal, and with the low fat ingredients, is heartburn-friendly.

Pasta and Vegetable Frittata
Fat can be a heartburn trigger for some people. This pasta recipe uses fat-free ingredients, making it a safe choice for heartburn sufferers.

Skillet Zucchini with Pasta Shells
Prepared with a minimal amount of oil, with no added fat when preparing the pasta, makes this a tasty, heartburn-friendly recipe.

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What to Eat With Peptic Ulcers

For some people, certain foods seem to aggravate their symptoms. For them, they need a diet that is designed to accomplish the following: Restrict or avoid those foods that may cause irritation to the digestive system Reduce excessive acid production Prevent unpleasant side effects, such as heartburn. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day instead of 3 larger meals. It is important that you avoid overeating. Frequent, smaller meals will be more comfortable and easier on the stomach than two or three large meals a day. Eat a diet rich in fiber, especially from fruits and vegetables Rest and relax a few minutes before and after each meal, as well as remaining relaxed during meals. Eat slowly and chew you food well Avoid eating within 3 hours before bedtime Eat foods that are low fat Avoid foods that are fried Avoid foods that are spicy Cut down on the following foods: Coffee Decaffeinated coffee Tea Cola drinks Carbonated beverages Citrus fruits Tomato-based products ChocolateAvoid alcohol Quit smoking

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Useful Links:

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The Ulcer-Friendly Diet

Some people who have peptic ulcers can eat whatever they want with no problems. For many others, however, eating certain foods can cause irritation, excessive acid production, and heartburn. For them, they need to know what foods are safe, and what foods to avoid. They need to know how to prepare foods to avoid ingredients that will cause a flare-up of their symptoms. If you are a ulcer patient and need to make some dietary changes, the following resources will get you started. There are lists of what you can eat and what you shouldn't. There are heartburn-free, ulcer-friendly recipes. There are also links to menus suggestions.

Foods Recommended for the Peptic Ulcer Diet
The foods listed in this table are the most common foods that are usually pretty safe for heartburn sufferers to eat.

Foods to be Avoided on the Peptic Ulcer Diet
The foods listed in this table are the most common foods that can produce heartburn.

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Recipes For the Peptic Ulcer Diet
These recipes that will help ulcer-sufferers prepare food that will aide in good digestion. It isn't just the foods you select. It is also important how the foods are prepared. Categories of recipes include:

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Weekly Menus - Index
These charts are arranged Sunday through Saturday. You can try them all in the order given, rearrange them, or choose the ones that appeal to your palate. These are suggestions only, and not the only foods you may be able to eat. You can add or subtract foods according to your preferences and what may or may not be your heartburn triggers.

Daily Menus - Index
This index gives sample menus featuring heartburn-friendly foods and recipes. Each daily menu for this acid reflux diet includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections, along with 2 snacks. Each dinner menu gives an Entree with a link to the recipe for its preparation.

Breakfast Menus - Index
These links give sample breakfast menus featuring heartburn-friendly foods for the acid reflux diet.

Lunch Menus - Index
These links give sample lunch menus featuring heartburn-friendly foods for the acid reflux diet.

Dinner Menus - Index
Each dinner menu gives an Entree with a link to the recipe for its preparation, along with suggestions for side dishes.

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Treating Infants with GERD

Treatment of infant reflux depends on the severity of the problem. Your baby's doctor may decide no treatment is needed, that the reflux will disappear on it's own as your baby grows older. For most babies, reflux will resolve itself during the first year of life. If your baby is otherwise healthy, happy, and growing, your doctor may recommend a few lifestyle changes for your baby in order to ease her reflux problem. These include:

Hold Baby Upright
Keep infants upright during feedings, and for at least 30 minutes after feedings. This will decrease the amount of gastric reflux.

Nighttime Sleep Position
As noted above, position your infant on his back, and elevate the head of the bed 30 degrees. Gravity will help keep stomach contents where they belong.

Try Smaller, More Frequent Feedings
Feedings every two to three hours when the infant is awake will reduce the occurrence of gastric reflux. Overfeeding can increase abdominal pressure, which can lead to gastric reflux.

Rice Cereal May Help
This can reduce the amount an infant will regurgitate. Start with one teaspoon of rice cereal to each ounce of formula. If the baby is breast-feed, try pumping and then adding rice cereal to the breast milk.

Diet Modifications for Mothers who Breastfeed
Certain foods -- such as caffeine, chocolate, and garlic -- can promote reflux, so if you breastfeed your infant, you should consider cutting these foods out of your diet.

Infant Seats and Car Seats
The way the infant is positioned in the car seat can cause regurgitation to increase. If the infant slouches over, it causes abdominal compression, increasing the risk of reflux. Using simple supports to keep the infant upright will prevent this.

Burping the Infant
Burping your infant several times during the feeding will help minimize gastric pressure, and the reflux it can cause. Waiting to burp your infant until after she has a full stomach can increase the chances of regurgitation.

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If the reflux is more serious, or if your baby has been diagnosed with GERD, the doctor may prescribe a prescription medication or over-the-counter remedy to help treat the reflux. These remedies include: Acid Suppressers - These suppress acid production in the stomach. These include Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac. and Axid. Acid Blockers - These completely block acid production in the stomach. Prilosec and Prevacid have been approved for children over certain ages. It is very important to discuss treatment options with your baby's doctor before beginning any treatment method, especially before using any over-the-counter remedy.

Sources:

"Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants." NIH Publication No. 06-5419 August 2006. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 06 Mar 2008

"Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)." NIH Publication No. 03-0882 June 2003. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Accessed on 06 Mar 2008

Marsha Kay, M.D., Vasundhara Tolia, M.D. "COMMON GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS." The American College of Gastroenterology. 06 Mar 2008

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Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES) is a rare disorder that causes one or more tumors to form in the pancreas or the upper part of the small intestine called the duodenum. It can also cause ulcers to develop in the stomach and the duodenum.

The tumors are called gastrinomas, and they secrete a large amount of the hormone gastrin. This then causes an excessive production of stomach acid, which can lead to peptic ulcers.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is rare, and though it may occur at any age, people between the ages of 30 and 60 are more likely to develop it. Also, of all the people who suffer with a peptic ulcer, only a tiny percentage of those people will have Zollinger-Ellison.

The tumors are cancerous in 50 percent of the cases. They secrete a hormone called gastrin that causes the stomach to produce too much acid, which in turn causes stomach and duodenal ulcers (peptic ulcers). The ulcers caused by ZES are less responsive to treatment than ordinary peptic ulcers. What causes people with ZES to develop tumors is unknown, but approximately 25 percent of ZES cases are associated with a genetic disorder called multiple endocrine neoplasia. Gnawing, burning pain in the abdomen This pain is usually located in the area between the breastbone and the navel. Sensation of pressure, bloating, or fullness This pain usually develops 30 to 90 minutes after a meal, and is often relieved by antacids.Pain or burning sensation in the abdomen that travels up toward the throat Vomiting The vomit may contain blood or resemble coffee grounds.Diarrhea Black, tarry stools Blood in the stools will turn them dark red or black, and make them tarry or sticky.Nausea Fatigue Weakness Weight loss Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is caused by a tumor (gastrinoma) or tumors in the pancreas and the upper small bowel (duodenum). These tumors produce the hormone gastrin and are called gastrinomas. High levels of gastrin cause overproduction of stomach acid. This increase in acidity can lead to the development of peptic ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. Blood test.
A blood test is performed to see whether there is an increased gastrin level in the blood. An elevated level of gastrin may indicate tumors in the pancreas or duodenum.

Barium X-ray.
The patient drinks a liquid that contains barium, which will coat the walls of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. X-rays are then taken. The doctor will then view the X-rays, looking for signs of ulcers.

Upper endoscopy.
The doctor examines the inside of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum with an instrument called an endoscope, a thin flexible lighted tube with a lens. The endoscope is inserted through the mouth and down the throat, and into the stomach and duodenum. The doctor can look for ulcers, and can also remove a tissue sample, called a biopsy, for examination in the laboratory to identify if there is the presence of gastrin-producing tumors.

Imaging techniques.
A doctor may use a computerized tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and ultrasound, or a nuclear scan in an effort to pinpoint where tumors may be located. A CT scan is a diagnostic test that uses X-rays with aided by computer technology. The X-ray beams are taken from many different angles to create cross-sectional images of the patient's body. Then a computer assembles these images into a three-dimensional picture that can display organs, bones, and tissues in great detail.

With the MRI scan, magnetic signals are used rather than X-rays to create images of the human body. These images show the differences between types of tissues.

An ultrasound sends out high frequency sound waves which go into area being examined, and bounce back when they hit an organ. This is processed by a computer, which produces a map of the area being scanned.

With the nuclear scan, radioactive substances are introduced into the body that permit a gamma camera to detect tumors.

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Part 1: Symptoms - Causes - Diagnosis
Part 2: Complications - Treatment - Prognosis

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When Does Heartburn Strike?

If you know when your heartburn is most likely to occur, there are steps you can take ahead of time to prevent it. Certain foods can aggravate your heartburn symptoms. If you find that you frequently suffer heartburn after eating, it will be helpful for you to limit or avoid completely those foods and drinks that result in acid reflux. The following resources will help you accomplish that.

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Nearly eight in ten heartburn sufferers experience symptoms at night. There are tips you can follow to relieve nighttime heartburn.

Find useful tips at Easing Nighttime Heartburn

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While stress hasn't been linked directly to heartburn, it is known that it can lead to behaviors that can trigger heartburn. During stressful times, routines are disrupted and people may not follow their normal routines in regards to meals, exercise, and medication. It is important to find ways to alleviate the stress, and thus make stress-related heartburn less likely.

Follow the relaxation tips at Managing Stress to Ease the Heartburn

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Exercise is rarely the cause of heartburn if a person doesn't suffer from chronic heartburn otherwise. But some exercises can induce episodes of acid reflux. Acid reflux happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is loose, opens inappropriately and allows stomach contents to back up into the esophagus. Acid reflux usually happens during certain types of exercise, not necessarily during all exercise.

Find exercise tips at Heartburn and Exercise

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Alcohol can have several unpleasant affects on heartburn sufferers. It is best to avoid alcohol as much as possible if you suffer from acid reflux. But there are a few tips that may make it possible for you to enjoy alcoholic beverages if consumed in moderation.

Find those tips at Heartburn and Alcohol

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If you smoke, consider stopping or decreasing the amount you smoke. Smoking stimulates the production of stomach acid, and can weaken and relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), allowing this excess acid to reflux back up into the esophagus.

Read those reasons at Heartburn and Smoking

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Your Guide to Hiatal Hernias

There are two categories of hiatal hernias, sliding and para-esophageal.

Sliding hiatal hernias are those in which the gastro-esophageal junction and part of the stomach slides into the chest. This junction can stay permanently in the chest, or just slide into the chest during swallowing. The later results because with each swallow, the esophagus contracts, causing the esophagus to shorten and pull on the stomach. After the swallow, the junction falls back into the abdomen. Approximately 90% of all hiatal hernias are the sliding type.

With para-esophageal hernias, the gastro-esophageal junction remains where it belongs, but part of the stomach is squeezed up into the chest beside the esophagus. These hernias remain in the chest at all times. With this type of hernia, complications can occur, such as incarceration and strangulation. Incarceration means the hernia is stuck and being squeezed. Strangulation results from teh lack of blood supply, leading to death ofthe tissues involved, when incarceration persists too long. Surgical intervention is required.

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