Rhonda is a lovely 61 year old lady who came to see me for help with reflux. She had been suffering with reflux for a very long time and had been taking the stomach acid blocking drug Nexium for 4 years. Nexium does work for Rhonda, but she still experiences other digestive problems including abdominal bloating, gas and burping. Plus she has read that taking Nexium long term isn’t healthy. Rhonda is aware of the fact that it reduces nutrient absorption and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Her mother suffered with osteoporosis and Rhonda has osteopenia. She is worried about her bones getting worse.

Another concern is the fact that Rhonda is prediabetic. Her blood sugar level has been hovering close to diabetes for the last 10 years. She would like to avoid becoming a type 2 diabetic. As with most type 2 diabetics, the condition promotes abdominal weight gain and makes it extremely difficult to lose weight. Rhonda is semi retired. She works in retail two days a week, and on other days looks after her grandchildren. She loves to cook. Rhonda loves bread and pastry. She already knew they aren’t great for her blood sugar or the reflux. If she stays away from them she is able to lose a few pounds in a week. Rhonda is prone to emotional eating. Whenever she feels anxious, she eats some bread and it settles her nerves and helps her relax. It’s true that carbohydrate can be sedating and calming because it promotes the production of serotonin. Unfortunately the way she was managing her anxiety was creating health problems.

My recommendations for my patient

I explained the importance of removing grains and dairy products from Rhonda’s diet for the time being. I asked her to use grain free bread recipes. She could make bread from things like almond meal and coconut flour. Grains can be very difficult to digest and their carbohydrate content fuels the growth of harmful gut bugs that create bloating, gas and reflux. For a lot of people, carbohydrate can aggravate small intestinal bacterial and fungal overgrowth. In some cases, high FODMAP foods like garlic, onion, cauliflower and stone fruits need to be avoided.

I gave Rhonda Bactoclear capsules to help reduce the levels of harmful bacteria, Candida and parasites in her intestines. These capsules are wonderful for easing bloating, burping and gas.

Glutamine is healing and soothing to the lining of the entire digestive tract. I asked Rhonda to remain taking Nexium for the time being, but glutamine will be especially helpful for reducing reflux symptoms when she slowly comes off it in the future.

Individuals who experience reflux are almost always deficient in digestive enzymes. Taking a Digestive Enzymes supplement helps you to digest your food more thoroughly, thereby leaving less waste behind that feeds harmful gut bugs that cause bloating. I asked Rhonda to take 1 capsule with each meal.

Emotional eating can undo anyone’s best efforts at improving their health. It was important for Rhonda to find healthy ways to unwind, reduce stress and ease emotional tension. Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system and the 5 hydroxytryptophan in Blues Free capsules helps to promote serotonin production in the brain. This is great because it reduces the feeling that you need to eat carbohydrate to feel calm and content.

I plan to see Rhonda again in another 5 weeks. Depending on the degree of improvement she experiences, I will slowly wean her off the Nexium. Please do not discontinue taking Nexium if your doctor has prescribed it, unless you have the supervision of a healthcare practitioner. Long term reflux can be very harmful to the delicate lining of the esophagus. It is important to first fix the digestive problems that are present, so that you no longer require a stomach acid blocking drug.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.