An Amazing Herb…Butterbur

Butterbur plant is related to Sweet Coltsfoot herb

Butterbur! It makes you think you could cook this and it would taste like butter with stickers in it! Butterbur is in the same family as the sunflower. It is a perennial plant. This lush, creeping plant has a rhizome root (much like an Iris), thick stalks and large leaves. The rhizome is not what should be used in any remedy. The leaves and the stalks are what are generally used. Make sure you read the label on the bottle.

1. Actually, this herb has properties that can prevent and relieve migraines

2. Helps with general pain

3. Whooping cough

4. Persistent cough

5. Allergic rhinitis

6. Insomnia

7. Asthma

8. Ulcers and other stomach issues

9. Anxiety

10. Chills

As with all herbs and medicines as well, there are differing opinions on whether they should be used, and when and how. After doing some research, I am going to give you the information that I found most helpful and any warnings that I found.

First off, when you purchase Butterbur, it must be Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Free (usually stated on the bottle as PA Free) to prevent liver damage. The rhizome is where most of the alkaloid is found and is not used. It is through out the plant but in smaller doses but only a PA Free brand should be used.

Several days ago, I started using the Butterbur for my lower back pain. Sadly, my back is not healthy like the rest of me and I had back surgery May 2014 which did not alleviate the pain. I have been on a mad search to find something that would help me without having to stay on prescription pain medications.  In just a few days, I have had as much relief from those two capsules as I did with taking Tramadol three times a day!

Butterbur likes to grow near a water source or in wetlands

By what I have read, you can take 1 capsule in the morning and one at night. They usually run about 50-100 mg each. Here is where some of the differing ideas come in. Most agree that Butterbur should not be taken for long periods to protect your liver and it is suggested to take it for two weeks and then stop for a week or two. Some suggest taking it for two weeks and then going down to one a day. For migraine preventative it has been suggested taking it 2-3 times daily for two weeks and then leveling off at one a day but I could not find where it said to stop taking it. The Canadian Headache Society  has recommended taking Butterbur for preventing migraines.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Headache_Society)

My rule of thumb for taking herbs is to take it for six days and let the body use what you have given it to heal on it’s own on the seventh day.  My thought is to take Butterbur for six days, do not take it for a day and then resume the next day for six days.  Then take another day off and then resume but go down to one capsule a day for a week. Stay off of it for at least a week. This may be overly cautious but without further testing and related facts, I would not feel right in suggesting a continuous dose. The best way to make sure and be carefully watched is to see a Naturopathic doctor that is well versed in the herbal world.

I do take Milk Thistle, zinc, antioxidants and eat beets to always keep my liver strong. As with all medications, I research each one in full to make sure my health will not be jeopardized and that what I am taking will benefit my whole body.  That is why I try to give as many facts as I can find when writing a blog so that you can cut down on your own research.

Warnings:  This herb can cause problems with some high blood pressure and heart medications. If you are pregnant or nursing, you definitely should not take this. Consult your doctor if you are on any medications. Herbs are medicines and just like being careful with combining medicines, you need to be careful with mixing herbs and medications.

Even if there are no contraindications with any medicines and herbs you are taking, please always take them separately and one hour apart. 

Omega Oils for Your Heart, Circulation, Allergies and Fibromyalgia too!

Omega Oils Do Not Have to

come from Fish Oils !

                                                                                                

Omega Oils are also called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and can be derived from plants too and then there is no fishy flavors coming back to haunt you! You will not have to worry about mercury being in your oil either.

One source of  EFA is from the plant or rather the seeds  of the Sacha Inchi plant. These seeds contain Omega-3, 6 and 9 and they will bring nourishment to you skin, and aid your cardiovascular system, brain, and joints. These oils are very good for helping to fight allergies and might be a big help with fighting the pain of Fibromyalgia too. My chiropractor tells his fibromyalgia patients to take Omega oils along with some other vitamins to help eliminate the pain. This oil comes in a soft gel capsule and you would take one capsule twice daily.

Another source is Walnut Oil that is taken in a capsule twice daily also. Walnut oil can also be purchased as an oil to pour onto your salads too and is tasty in many foods.

Another source is Omega-7 which is from Sea Buckthorn. This is loaded with Omega 7, 9, 3, and 6.  This fruit is purported to contain 190 good for you nutrients and is supposed to be helpful with dry eye.

You can find these products and some are organic through a company I use which is swansonvitamins.com. I do not sell for them and I do not get a kick back from them. I just know the company and buy many things from them including organic spices, oils and food items.

These types of oils listed above and fish oils as well, help to raise the good cholesterol (HDL) too!

Wishing  you good health, healthy eyes, smooth moving joints, help with allergies and Fibromyalgia,

Barbara

It is Time for B Vitamins!

 

Spring is coming on fast and it is time to beef up on the B Vitamins. 

 

Every cell in your body needs B vitamins and with folks cutting back on eating beef, it is harder to eat enough foods to get all the B’s we need.

 

The reason for B Vitamins in the Springtime is to ward off ticks and mosquitoes. They do not like the smell on your skin and it helps to prevent them from biting you! 

 

When I lived on a ranch, every Spring our mom gave us B Vitamins. She had us take it through Fall. It takes several weeks to really get into your system and work, so early Spring is when we started. We would find ticks on us but they did not bite us. We were extra careful because our dad was bit by two ticks at the same time and we almost lost him to Lyme disease. It was caught in time but he was very ill for awhile. He was hospitalized and given massive antibiotics. I am glad to say he is hale and hearty at age 91!

 

Here are some of the benefits for taking B’s :

• Promotes cell growth and division
• Maintains healthy skin and muscle tone
• Supports and increases the rate of metabolism
• Enhances immune and nervous system function
• Eases stress 
• Improves mood
• Am finding that they may be very helpful in removing pain from the body when medications are not working and there are no side effects. 
• I have seen it improve sleep  patterns when combined with magnesium.

For me, I find that taking B 12 at night gives me too much energy, so I take most of my B’s with breakfast. Taking with food  helps to prevent stomach upset. I do have friends that take B’s at night and sleep peacefully. We are all different. B’s do work best if taken with a calcium source.

B6 and B12 are purported to be natural antibiotics. They are supposed to enhance the immune system and with Spring also comes viruses and the flu. So it is time to start taking them and I believe they should be taken all year.

Time to take your B’s!

Some new tidbits

Since starting this blog, there have been many changes and the one big one is that I no longer sell herbs. I am still asked about what to use in different situations and am so glad to be able to help those that are looking for answers.

I have been learning a lot about the use of charcoal. It works well to absorb toxins and to heal itching but there is so much more that I am learning that it can do. I have seen charcoal reverse the effects of a spider bite and get rid of hives and itching in less than an half hour. Six capsules of charcoal can take you from horrible food poisoning back to feeling good again. You have to buy good products and have found that one of the best charcoals to use is bamboo.

Taking charcoal internally should be limited to 2 capsules as it can bind you up. There are situations like food poisoning or spider bites or other infections that might require taking more but I have seen it do great works and you can stimulate the bowel with fruits and fiber after an hour or more after taking charcoal. The end result will be a dark gray and green excrement but that should be gone in a day or so. You do not want to take charcoal with fiber such as psyllium as they absorb each other which leaves no room to absorb toxins or impurities.

I have had a sore area in the back and upper part of my jaw. The dentist has not been able to determine the cause. I purchased some charcoal tablets and let one dissolve in the area and after just two treatments, there is a marked improvement. After a few more attempts, I am certain that whatever the cause of the pain will be gone.

Also, several years ago I had developed a horrible case of cellulitis in my left foot and leg. It took months to heal it but the foot and leg were left deep red and swollen. After trying many herbs and soaks, the leg and foot returned to a normal color. The swelling remained though. Just a week ago, I did a very warm foot soak with bamboo charcoal and water. I did this for about 40 minutes. What ended up on top of the water was horrible but the foot and ankle were much improved. It seemed to pull old toxins from the very sluggish lymphatic system.  I am continuing to soak the foot and am fairly certained that this will be resolved. The doctors said my foot and lower leg would always remain deep red and swollen. Am pleased to say they were wrong. Sometimes you have to keep seeking and trying new things to get your answer but the research and trials are worth it!

There should be mention of the fact that soaking one’s foot in a charcoal bath can leave any cracks in the feet and the area around the nails a bit dark but it does eventually wash away and it is a small price to pay for a normal looking foot.

The products I purchased are by charcoalhouse.com and they also offer a wonderful book about the uses for charcoal.

Also, another interesting product is pine pitch. Yes, you read right. Pine pitch heals cracked hands and cuts. It is antibacterial and antiviral. I have used it on dogs to heal cuts that refused to heal and even on deep cuts on fingers. Within days there is new skin and no infection. Am in the process of finding good sources for it. Pure Pitch is a company that sells it but it is very expensive. But one small ounce can last a family of four for several years as you only use a tiny bit. It is sticky, so you have to cover it with a band aid. Best to do it right away and put a new dressing  on at night before bed. Change the bandage whenever it gets wet.  My husband cut his finger badly and needed to go to the hospital. He refused and asked for the pine pitch. I cleaned the wound, applied the pitch and bandaged it. We changed the dressing twice daily and within three days it was healed over with nice smooth skin and no scar.

As I find more uses for these two great and natural products, I will try to update this.

Bamboo charcoal

Pine trees

Oil Pulling

Have just come across some interesting information on oil pulling.  It simply means that you can put a tablespoon of cold pressed and preferably organic olive oil, safflower oil, or sesame oil  in the mouth and swish it around for twenty minutes and it will pull bacteria, viruses and toxins from the mouth and possibly from the whole body. It is supposed to remove stains from the teeth and have to say my teeth did appear whiter. It is also to have the benefits of healing your gums and improving the health of your whole mouth and rid you of bad breath.

Amazingly, I caught a cold and was using herbs for it. All symptoms were mostly gone in three days and it did not become severe at all. But still had a scratchy throat, a bit of a headache, and sounded hoarse. A friend told me about oil pulling. Ok, it sounds odd but I remembered that in the Bible that the Good Samaritan used olive oil to treat the injured man. So I tried it. It is best to do it first thing in the morning but it was late in the day by the time I had heard of it. I decided to not wait until morning and in just twenty minutes my hoarseness was much improved and headache gone. I did it one more time before retiring and then again first thing in the morning. By mid-morning, the hoarseness was gone completely and I felt rejuvenated and ready for the day. The extra benefit was that my teeth look even more white today and the cold, dry air of winter was not making me feel so parched.

There is more to read on this subject but wanted to post this so you can add it to the baking soda bath and herbal treatments for colds, flu and viruses. It may mean the difference in whether you make that early morning meeting, are able to handle your toddlers and children first thing in the morning or that you end up in bed all day.

Here is how it is done. You take one tablespoon of good cold pressed and organic oil and begin to swish it around in the mouth and try not to swallow it as it is supposed to become full of bacteria and toxins. I did swallow occasionally but kept the oil at the front of my mouth while doing so. I kept myself busy with doing dishes or reading and just kept swishing. After twenty minutes I spit it into the sink with hot running water, rinsed my mouth with water, and then brushed my teeth with my Xylitol toothpaste by Nature’s Sunshine. You can use it once every day to keep yourself more healthy or just when you may be getting ill. What I read is that you can do it up to three times a day. It wasn’t that bad but I am a trooper and am willing to try something new that I know that is safe and may help me to feel better quickly.

Some of the things I read on line that it is purported to help, I cannot vouch for but I do know that it sure helped my cold and my teeth do look whiter. When I get more information, I will add it on.

Yours for Good Health,

Barbara Berger

P.S. Have been swishing now for three days and my teeth are definitely whiter, my gums are pinker, the dark line around a crown I have is almost gone and I have more energy. My daughter tried it and she says her gums and teeth look better after the first treatment. She has had some problems with cavities, staining and other aggravating issues. She takes great care of her teeth and gums and rinses every day with salt water. She says this is far superior to the salt in results. Will keep you posted on what others find after swishing.

In Addition:

Added February 2012

What I have since learned is that doing the oil pulling is similar to flossing. What I mean is that the oil helps the gums, heals the gums, and pulls things from between the teeth.  Flossing is supposed to help the gums and then in turn helps other organs such as the heart.  My thoughts are that it is or can be part of stopping bacteria or illnesses that can start in the gums or mouth.

If someone is purporting that it will pull toxins from the body, then I would want to see how that can happen. I would liken it to the foot pads that were to pull toxins and even parasites from the body and that has been almost certainly proven untrue. The only way to really pull toxins out of the body is to do a full body cleanse with herbal supplements. Using preventatives such as cleansing, eating healthy, exercising, drinking good water, brushing and flossing your teeth, keeping the skin and hair clean, limiting over the counter medications  and just being sensible about your body will help keep you from bacterial infections, viruses, and disease.  Oil pulling can be a help but to me it should be considered as a first line of defense and not a cure all.

In addition, someone I had told about this went to the dentist and even though her gums looked better, her exam proved that she still had the same amount of tartar build up and her teeth did need cleaning and some other issues.  She has been faithfully swishing the oil daily and maybe her exam would have been worse if she had not done the oil pulling.  Each of us are different and it may help others that have severe gum problems.

My dental exam is in a few days and even though I have not daily done the swishing, I have used the oil often. The dark red line above my crown is gone and the gums are more pink.  Will let you know what they say about my teeth. I do floss daily and brush several times a day with toothpaste that has Xylitol in it that fights bacteria in the mouth and always have a good report.

The roof of my mouth was roughed up by some hard crusted Italian bread and did decide to try the oil and sure enough, it healed it up right away.  There is some merit there but without testing or even asking several friends to try it for several months, I cannot give you anything hard and fast on this issue.

I just want to give you a fair view of oil pulling and now I will let you decide what to do.

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 5,400 times in 2010. That’s about 13 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 9 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 29 posts.

The busiest day of the year was October 7th with 40 views. The most popular post that day was Various Illnesses.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were answers.yahoo.com, en.search.wordpress.com, en.wordpress.com, onhealthy.net, and images.yandex.ru.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for eczema around eyes, eczema eyes, eczema on eyes, alopecia areata, and eczema around the eyes.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Various Illnesses August 2009
1 comment

2

Questions and Answers October 2009
17 comments

3

Virus/Bacterial Infections August 2009
66 comments

4

Women’s Concerns August 2009
1 comment

5

Alopecia Areata October 2009
14 comments

ARTHRITIS HELP

There is a real help for arthritis that I have found. Actually, there are a few ways to improve mobility, reduce swelling, rid yourself of pain, and even stop it in it’s tracks when you are getting your first symptoms.

I cannot promise that you will have the same results that I will list but by what I have seen in the men and women of different ages,  and even in different types of arthritis, you may have the same results and at the very least, more mobility and less debilitating pain. Each person is different so you may not see the same results for a month or more. You have to give supplements a good try and if you have been fighting arthritis a long time, it just takes time to reverse it.

You start by taking Glucomsamine, Chondroitin, and MSM with 1,000 mg of Vitamin C. As your pain subsides, which can take 1-3 months, you can lower your dose!!! You will eventually only be taking these ONCE A WEEK! Your body will get the message that it needs to start making its own Glucosamine, which puts the fluid back in the joints and stops the inflammation and pain.

Along with these supplements, now here comes the magic part, you will take 2-3 tablespoons of  Thai-Go to start and then lower to 2 tablespoons a day and 2 tablespoons of  Noni juice. What I have seen is that just taking the Thai-Go (which consists of mangosteen juice and other dark skinned fruits) that the pain is gone in 3-10 days and most mobility is restored. By taking the Noni (a dark skinned fruit that is so healing to the joints, as well as a tumor fighter and a cancer fighter) with the Thai-Go that all mobility is restored even in the more severe cases.

Nature’s Sunshine’s  Thai-Go has been tested, in an outside lab, against the hottest selling mangosteen juices and found to be 50% higher in antioxidants than any of these brands.  Their products cost less as well and undergo strict testings and are guaranteed pure.  Antioxidants, as we all know, fight infections, free radical cells that can cause cancers, and can strengthen our systems.

What I have not had anyone try yet is lowering the juices after several months to see if the body can take over. As we age, we need to protect ourselves against illnesses that can be costly and cause so much suffering. So my suggestion is to take the Thai-Go everyday (just 2 tablespoons) with the Noni and the reduced supplements and enjoy your life. Like vitamin C and vitamins with minerals, you just need to supplement every day but in the end, it is less expensive than doctor bills!

Here is my suggestion for the supplements above:

1,500 mg of Glucosamine

1,200 mg of Chondroitin

1,000 mg of MSM

1,000 mg of Vitamin C

Take this amount until the pain is gone if you are taking this without the juices. If you are taking it with the juices, take this for at least a month. This will jump start your system into making it’s own Glucosamine. You can then start lowering your intake by going down in mgs or going to every other day and then by month’s end, you can take this combo once a week.  NOTE: I would still advise that you continue on the Vitamin C every day along with a good multivitamin with minerals.

Now, check out the rest of my blogging home and the other tabs and get some ideas on how I handle other health issues.

Have a Healthy, Happy Day,

Barbara

A 2012 Addition!

The Thai-Go and Noni juices have shown the greatest of results in all types of arthritis! The results have been astounding! Some have become completely pain free and  mobility has returned.  I am very excited about the results and hope this information can help other arthritis sufferers.

I no longer sell herbs and supplements but the information is here to help anyone who needs it.

For Ordering Information

Due to very few orders from this blog, I have canceled my direct website effective the end of June 2010. The links will no longer go over to my personal page.

I would greatly appreciate your orders and to help you with any health questions you may have. You can contact me by email at barbarasherbbasket@yahoo.com. To place an order you can call the company directly at 1-800-453-1422 and request that I be your sponsor. My sponsor number is 2287825-8 and my full name is Barbara Berger. If you want to place an order on line, go to http://www.naturessunshine.com and you can request that I be your sponsor there. Sometimes there are glitches with adding a sponsor. If a different name shows up, you can call and quickly have it changed over to me and I would really appreciate that of course. You can order directly from them but then you will not have any personal support.

After your purchase, I will contact you and give you my phone number and will be available to you for consultation and health helps and helping you to choose the right products for yourself. People get discouraged and think herbs don’t work because they do not know what to buy or how to use them. I will be very glad to help you and keep you from buying things you do not need. I am here for you.

Have a Healthy Day,

Barbara

Lyme Disease

No new articles submitted here for awhile but I wanted you to know that I am working away. If anyone has any info to add here regarding Lyme Disease, please, leave me a comment!  This is going to take a while if the article is going to be well written and I am going to be able to give you information you might not have had before. I am contacting some naturopathic doctors for their input and then will head into the medical field. Thank you for your patience.

Updated 6/14/10

I am still in the process of reading the books listed below and doing some internet research. There is one question  that has not been addressed yet. The question is, “Why are the Lyme patients not given Psyllium during the die off or Herx time?”. Psyllium absorbs toxins as they are released into the system. It makes the die off time easier because the toxins are not floating free and affecting the systems in the body and they will stay in the colon to be eliminated. My suggestion would be to take Psyllium caps or mix the loose Psyllium into water and drink it 2-4 times a day. If you can not tolerate Psyllium and it binds you up, you can take Slippery Elm instead. It may not have the same absorbency factor as Psyllium but it sure aids the individual that is dumping toxins. Slippery Elm also coats, heals and nourishes the digestive tract and helps protect the kidneys against harsh toxins. The best suggestion I could offer would be to take the Psyllium 2-3 times a day with 10 oz of water with each dose and to take Slippery Elm 1-2 times a day with the same amount of water. You would need to be drinking lots of water all day with this amount of fiber and to also flush the body of toxins. The minimum water consumption should be 80 oz a day. This would not include other liquids.

Updated 5/18/10

In the process of reading “Healing Lyme” by Buhner, “The Diagnosis and Treatment of Babesia” by Schaller, and “Lyme Disease and Rife Machines” by Rosner. Will post some new information soon. Thank you for your patience.

Updated 5/5/10

I did just find some interesting information about the testing of Lyme’s Disease and how many doctor’s are either not able to deal with it, might lose their license due to the needed long term treatment for patients, or feel that it is not a disease that stays in your system for years. Here are some links for you.

http://igenex.com/Website/

There is a movie out called, “Under Our Skin” that covers the medical view of this disease and the obvious neglect of patients by the medical field with this disease. Not all doctors are that way of course. My goal of course is to find herbal remedies that do not have the side effects of antibiotics or other meds. There is an MD in the Santa Cruz, CA area that treats this dreaded disease with herbals and medicinals. Will keep you posted on what I find out about him.

There is a doctor, in Palo Alto, by the name of Suzann Wang, ND that treats Lyme Disease. I wrote to her and this is what she said:  “Yes, I do treat Lyme disease and use IGeneX labs for most of the testing. They are extremely reliable in their testing and are one of the best on the west coast for testing of Lyme disease. My success with Lyme disease is excellent. I use herbs, homeopathics, heavy metal detox (usually people with chronic Lyme have heavy metal toxicity) and an acupressure technique to alleviate the neurological effects of Lyme. I do food sensitivity testing geared toward improving immunity so the individualized testing allows me to have optimal immune support.The goal with Lyme treatment is optimizing the immune system while assisting the body to get rid of the Lyme disease and to repair the body.”

Her website is www.naturalhealthcalifornia.com and her blog is www.greenhealthspot.com

if you are on Facebook, she does a lot of activity there at www.facebook.com/greenhealthspot.

Dr. Jake Felice an ND from the Seattle area (see my referral list), referred me to Dr. Nicola in the San Diego area. Her website is  http://www.drnicola.com/201/index.html and her book is called “The Lyme Diet”. I have not read it yet but Dr. Nicola treats many diseases and health issues but Lyme Disease is a specialty of hers. If you live in the San Diego area, you can make an appointment to see her. I did email her and she assured me that she treats Lyme and Autism and that they are her specialties. She listed her background of schooling, which was impressive, and she seemed very helpful.

No matter who you see, it is a good idea to have  a phone chat or an appointment with them first to find out what their goal for you might be and the costs. Be prepared with questions and if they are resistant to your questions or brushes off your concerns, please go elsewhere.

What I do know about Lyme Disease and Ticks

When we lived on a ranch, my dad was bitten by two spotted ticks and almost died. The sheep he got them from died. He was hospitalized and given a huge amount of antibiotics. His was caught in time. So many  have suffered for years because of misdiagnosis or they had the disease and not much was known about it.

One thing our family did do was take B vitamins 6 weeks starting in early Spring and continued taking them through the summer and into the fall. We lived where it was very cold and we had lots of snow. I think even the ticks froze! So we worked on the preventative when the snow started melting. This might not be true information. It is just what we did. When we moved to California, my parents had us take B vitamins all the time to keep the mosquitoes away and ticks if we went hiking. It worked for both. We would find ticks on us but they would not bite us and the mosquitoes just stayed away. So far that is all I have. But my suggestion now that Spring is here is to start taking B vitamins NOW! It takes a good 6 weeks to build up in your system.

If you are going in a wooded area or even an open field, wear boots, high socks, and close fitting pants. One time my husband and I went walking in an open field and within seconds were covered with tiny red ticks. We ran like crazy, got all we could see off of us, went home and checked each other to make sure they were not in our hair or burrowing in. In my own little suburban backyard, my dog got a tick and she graciously passed it on to me. I had deserted my parents wise advice and was not taking Bs. It did bite me. I took a lot of natural antibiotics and applied  an herbal cream that was antibiotic. My dog and I were fine but it could have been an awful beginning to a life long sickness. I did not know that I should have gone in for a blood test.

Here is a link that might be of help to you too.

CALDA – California Lyme Disease Association

http://www.lymedisease.org

So don’t wait for me to write about ticks and Lyme Disease. Get going on preventing the bites.

Vitamin B Complex, Balanced (120 tabs)

Vitamin B-Complex (100 caps)

Acid Reflux

Here is the information I accumulated regarding Acid Reflux. Your esophagus can be harmed by continual acid reflux but you need to know that it is also very tough and thick. We do need to work on making the acid stop to prevent any  problems down the road.

The main reason for Acid Reflux is that even though acid comes up from the stomach, there isn’t enough acid or enzymes in the stomach to digest the food in a timely manner. By the time you are 35 the natural enzymes that were in your stomach are no longer there unless you  have eaten mostly fresh foods all your life. So your body has to steal enzymes from the pancreas which leaves it open for diabetes and cancer. Even though you are bringing up acid, it does not mean you have too much, it merely means you have undigested food in your stomach and when you lay down, the food pushes the acid up into the esophagus. You need more acids and enzymes so your food will have passed into the small colon by bedtime. Meats can take 18 hours to leave the stomach! They are pretty much rotted by then. Best to get it moving! Enzymes break it down so it does not take all that time. Here are my suggestions and what worked for me.

Meals:

Dinner should be completed 4 hours before bedtime and accompanied by a digestive enzyme.  At first, enzymes and digestive acids should be taken at each meal or as directed on the bottle. You can scale down later on. An empty stomach is good for your night time rest and to prevent reflux. To rest well, you want your digestion to have a break too. If you can and until your reflux settles down, you may want to try to switch dinner and lunch. The heavier meal in the day gives you more time to digest. Just a thought.

Eat fresh first with each meal. An apple before breakfast followed by whole grain cereal with Almond Milk is a good start to your day. Slices of cucumber and carrots before lunch followed by a sandwich of good tasting whole grain bread with lots of lettuce, maybe a little mustard, a slice of tomato and a few slices of turkey – preferably organically raised but at least has no nitrites or nitrates. Dinner should be 1/2 a plate’s worth of a loaded salad with a lemon juice, mustard, honey, extra virgin olive oil based dressing. Use lots of fresh herbs but be careful of more than a few sprigs of parsley. Parsley is a diuretic and can cause you to lose your calcium and potassium along with increased eliminations. A small amount is good. Dinner can be fish, chicken, a little red meat once or twice a week, lots of veggies, or an all veggie based entree. With dinner, take an enzyme. This will help you to digest your dinner, clear out your stomach before bed and take the stress off of your pancreas by not stealing enzymes from there. NOTE: Do not mix fresh fruits and veggies. Their enzymes fight and stress your liver. I made a mango dressing for my salad but quickly cooked the mango in a bit of wine to kill the enzymes and the alcohol and then mixed it with other ingredients. Yummy and safe to mix with salad veggies. Or have a big fruit salad instead. Papaya and Pineapple pair very well with meats. Their natural enzymes break down the meat.

I had Acid Reflux so bad, I was waking nightly and gagging on acid and could not breathe. Now it is all gone unless I foolishly drink a late night cup of coffee with a piece of cake. If I take a Food Enzyme, then I will fair well but that is not a good choice for every day.

What to avoid:

Caffeine, white wine, fatty foods, fried foods, pickled foods, processed foods, sugar, white flour – including pasta – there are good Brown Rice pastas that is really good and some of the whole wheat pastas are tasty and do not taste too wheaty. Some pasta once in awhile is ok, just like a good sour dough or french bread is fine but should not be part of the daily fare. Also, avoid milk and milk products – very acid forming and robs you of calcium from your bones. Butter and a little cheese are fine and Keifer once in awhile is ok too. Avoid canned foods that are not organic and it is best to buy things that are jarred instead. We have an excellent chocolate that is sweetened with Xylitol (contains 40% of the calories of sucrose and it doesn’t hurt your sugar levels) and 2 little squares is very satisfying. Did I mention delicious? Would not have believed it if had not tried it. Better than Sees! Our chocolates are actually good for you. They have antioxidants packed into them. We have a cardio one that is dark chocolate with raspberry and it has heart healthy ingredients. Really yummy! Be careful with Xylitol at first. It can give you diarrhea if you eat too much until you get used to it. We have the bag of Xylitol to use just as you would sugar and it tastes the same to me as sugar and I am finicky about sweetners. Xylitol Bulk (1 lb. bag) and we have mints and to die for gum! All with Xylitol. Sugar is a real problem when it comes to Acid Reflux. Xylitol has no after taste at all. Safe for diabetics and pregnant ladies and children. It is in all of our dental care products too. Another subject. Take a look at the tab for Various Illnesses and Dental Care and the Gift Ideas for the chocolates.
Products I suggest:

*Slippery Elm (100 caps) It soothes and heals the whole digestive tract. 2 capsules can be opened and put into a little water, mixed well and then drink it on down. Will soothe and heal the esophagus tract and stop the acid reflux if the stomach is empty. It also contains Vitamin F which an essential fatty acid and can also be found in Black Currant Oil. Very nutritious too. Makes eliminations easy and swift!

*Food Enzymes (120 caps) This digests meats and fats and all other foods. This is the best one but we have others if you don’t need the full spectrum of enzymes.

Probiotic Eleven® (90 caps) This is good bacteria that your body needs to stay healthy and it balances your digestive tract. It is the only one we have that has L-salavarius in it and it is hard to find it in other probiotic formulas. Probiotics get you back in balance especially if you have had antibiotics. L-salavarius does not regrow in our systems and is the one bacteria that is literally killed off completely with antibiotics. It is like a pac man. It is the bacteria that gets in and chews up all the old built up waste in your colon. If your colon is healthy and clean, you not only feel better but you will not have digestive problems. I would take this at night with my calcium and Vitamin E. All of these need to work in your system without food going in too. E is depleted by Iron so it is best to take it before bed.

Stomach Comfort (60 chewable tabs) This is our chewable enzyme. It contains calcium carbonate, alginic acid (from kelp), wintergreen oil, papaya fruit, slippery elm bark, licorice root concentrate and ginger rhizome, all of which may help to protect the mucous lining of the esophagus, aid and promote digestion, and soothe the digestive tract.

Chlorophyll, Liquid (16 fl. oz.) A green drink is soothing to the digestive tract, eliminates waste, assures you of fresh breath and is very healthy for you. Must stay refrigerated. You drink 1 teaspoon in water twice a day and here are some of the benefits.
Benefits:
•Helps promote the natural blood-cleansing functions of the body.
•Promotes strong immune response.
•Strengthens cells.
•Deodorizes the body, including the bowel

Also the molecule of chlorophyll is similar to our blood. If you have heavy periods, this will make your body replace the blood quickly and replace your minerals.

Here are other suggestions if there are other digestive issues.

Gastro Health Conc. (60 caps) This heals digestive problems and irritations and is great teamed with Slippery Elm. This can also heal a beginning ulcer in a few days. I know! Have used it myself for this. This is just an item I would take if there were other digestive problems.

The way to start feeling good…

CLT-X (100 caps) This is our gentlest of cleanses and is a good way to start cleansing if you are working every day or have a sensitive digestive tract. If you add in Slippery Elm, it works even better. If your colon is clean, your whole body will function better.