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Help Avoid Holiday Heartburn

(Family Features) - Busy schedules filled with gift shopping and family gatherings can make it difficult to watch your diet over the holidays. When you're on the go, it can be hard to find foods that don't trigger your heartburn, the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux disease.

More than 15 million adults in the United States experience GERD, a condition described as the frequent and abnormal backflow of the stomach contents into the esophagus. Changes in diet and lifestyle may be enough to alleviate your symptoms. However, if you experience persistent heartburn two or more days a week, despite diet changes and treatment, it could be GERD. Only a physician can diagnose GERD and determine what treatment plan is right for you.

"Over the holidays, it may be difficult to avoid certain foods that might trigger heartburn," said trained physician and chef Timothy S. Harlan, MD, better known as "Dr. Gourmet." "I designed a new recipe book, Cooking to Reduce the Burn, hoping to provide people suffering with GERD some guidance on how to enjoy delicious foods while also managing their symptoms."

Cooking to Reduce the Burn is a recipe collection offering delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes and useful tips designed to help adults with GERD. Cooking to Reduce the Burn offers 20 recipes, ranging from breakfast smoothies to dinner options including shrimp scampi and mushroom risotto. The recipe book is available online at www.thegerdlife.com. Some tips and recipes included in the book to help GERD sufferers are as follows:

Avoid eating snacks before bed —

It may be tempting to visit the refrigerator for a late night treat, but consuming snacks before going to bed may aggravate GERD symptoms. To reduce nighttime reflux episodes eat several hours before lying down.

Keep a food diary —

Regularly logging symptoms and their causes will help you identify GERD-triggers so you can work to avoid them in the future.

Wear loose-fitting clothing —

Those loose-fitting holiday sweaters and cozy sweatpants that keep you warm in the winter season are good choices for GERD sufferers. Tight clothes and belts can put pressure on your stomach and aggravate GERD symptoms.

Watch your weight —

If you are overweight, weight loss may help reduce GERD symptoms. It's also important to be mindful of your weight when sitting down to enjoy a holiday feast.

To learn more about GERD, talk to your doctor and visit www.thegerdlife.com.

While care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of these recipes, its authors are not responsible for errors or any consequences arising from the information contained herein. None of the recipes are intended as a substitute for prescribed medical treatment, and you should consult your doctor before embarking on any new diet regimen.

While trigger foods can vary, certain foods are commonly
known to aggravate GERD symptoms. Frequently identified GERD triggers are:

Chocolate
Coffee, cola or tea
Alcohol
Citrus juices
Tomato-based foods
Spicy foods
Fried foods
Fatty foods

White Chili
Makes 8 cups

No cold winter season is complete without a warm bowl of chili. This chili recipe is designed to be GERD-friendly and makes eight cups, but can be multiplied by two if you have a large pot available.

2 15-ounce cans of white northern beans (look for low-sodium)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups diced white onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 pound peeled and cubed russet potatoes
2 cups non-fat chicken stock
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 1/2 cups water
1 pound cubed boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup 1% milk
4 ounces grated reduced-fat white cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons per serving non-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons per serving fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the beans well with cool water.

Place the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly. Stir frequently and don't let the onions brown.

Add the potatoes, chicken stock, white wine, and water. Cook over medium-low heat, and then let it simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Add the cubed chicken, beans and cumin. Stir well and cook for five minutes.

Add the milk and grated cheese, stir and heat thoroughly. Do not allow the chili to boil.

Serve with two teaspoons each of non-fat sour cream, grated reduced-fat white cheddar cheese and cilantro as garnish.

Nutritional information per serving (1 cup): calories 372, calories from fat 63, total fat 7g, saturated fat 3g, cholesterol 47mg, sodium 312mg, total carbohydrates 39g, dietary fiber 7g, protein 34g, vitamin A 6% DV, vitamin C 23% DV, calcium 26% DV, iron 24% DV

Oven-Fried Chicken
Serves 4

This GERD-friendly recipe makes four chicken pieces, but can easily be multiplied by two, three or four to feed your entire family. It can also be a great replacement for other, more traditional holiday foods.

1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 box (5 ounces) plain melba toast
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the egg, egg white and mayonnaise in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Place the melba toast and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the bread is broken into small bread crumbs. Leave some pieces about the size of currants.

Dredge a chicken breast in the egg mixture coating thoroughly; then dredge the chicken in the bread crumbs patting and turning frequently until well coated.

Place the chicken on a cookie sheet or baking rack and then place in oven. Bake for three minutes and then lightly spray the top of each chicken breast with oil. Bake for five minutes more and then turn. Spray lightly with the oil again and bake for about six more minutes.

Nutritional information per serving (1 chicken breast): calories 298, calories from fat 45g, total fat 5g, cholesterol 120mg, sodium 565mg, total carbohydrates 27g, dietary fiber 2g, protein 33g, vitamin A 2%DV, vitamin C 3% DV, calcium 5% DV, iron 13% DV

SOURCE: Prevacid