TMS/Acid Reflux

Stock Trader, I found that in my mid-forties (15 years ago) I needed to moderate my eating habits somewhat in order to avoid nightly GERD symptoms. I decided to avoid certain foods at dinner, and to eat less at dinner as well, because my metabolism was inevitably changing, but I could typically enjoy anything I wanted to eat during the day. However, although I was controlling regular GERD without drugs, I was still having occasional distressing bouts of nighttime digestive disturbances, for reasons which eluded me. I would obsess for the next day or so about what I'd eaten the day before, but I just couldn't find any patterns.

Of course, it turned out to be TMS. Now, if I feel any signs of an upset stomach when I go to bed, I examine my day, what kind of thoughts have been circulating in my brain, who I might be reacting to - and then I take some deep breaths, and "allow" the symptoms to calm down and dissipate. I am almost 100% successful with this, which I'm pretty ecstatic about. I'm not nearly as successful with my TMS dizziness, but even that went away for a number of months until I hit a brick wall last year with two different personal losses in my life that I'm still dealing with. However, just knowing it's TMS means I have a different relationship with it, which is very empowering.

So anyways - I think the bottom line is that you need to treat your body with respect, no matter what. You don't actually say what constitutes "all foods" for you, but as Rik points out, people are eating all kinds of processed garbage these days that our grandmothers (for those of us who are over 60) wouldn't recognize as being real food (and I'm paraphrasing the brilliant Michael Pollan when I say that).

You can use the power of TMS knowledge to heal your body of past abuses, and to resolve symptoms that are caused for no good reason, but do be good to your body going forward.

To quote and slightly paraphrase Michael Pollan some more: "Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Jan

 

Whoo Hoo! Way to go ST - isn't it cool?

So at the time I just did some reading about GERD and recommended diets until I zeroed in on a few key things to avoid, especially at night (which is apparently typical):
fats
chocolate
peppermint
alcohol

I don't drink very much, but those first three really hit me where it hurt, because my favorite dessert at the time was mint chocolate chip ice cream. Sigh.
Other things I recall being bad are fried foods and carbonated drinks. Now, I like a really good french fry as much as the next person, once in a while, but as far as I'm concerned, soft drinks were invented by the devil himself to destroy the health of human beings. And there is no difference in their evil between diet and regular soda.

Anyway, I would recommend that you google around and see what's being said today, but apart from the obsession with the anti-reflux drugs, the diet advice is probably similar.

I would say that the main thing I did, which I do to this day, is that I started eating a large and substantial salad at night, instead of cooked food. Lots of different types of veg on a base of lettuce and cabbage, plus a few nuts, some fresh or dried fruit, and a bit of cheese or meat. Vinaigrette dressing made with olive oil. I drink a half a beer most nights. I know, that's pretty lightweight, but it works for me!

Here's my thing about food: I won't eat fake food. It's a pretty simple basis for what I think is a pretty healthy diet. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy the wide array of foods prepared in the gazillion ways that humans have invented over the centuries. I love to bake bread, but I use organic unbleached and whole grain flours, or if I buy bread, I'm careful about the ingredients. I cook and prepare my own food as much as possible. I always have a good breakfast with protein. I try to buy mostly organic fresh produce (easy to do on the West coast), and a lot of it. I mostly drink tea and and lots of water.

Here is what I identify as fake food: I went to a cookie exchange at Christmas. There were cookies that I came home with, which I threw out after one bite, because I could tell they were made with Crisco or margarine, bleagh. My motto is: if it's not butter, don't bother". Someone brought low-fat cream cheese to a party and left it with me - I tasted it, I looked at the label, I threw it out. It wasn't real, and it didn't taste real because it was so full of non-dairy additives. Regular full-fat Philly might not be organic, but I would have kept that, because it's mostly real milk, and tastes way better. I love real cheese, even more than meat - although real grass-fed beef, and organic free-range poultry, are far superior in flavor and texture to their factory-grown cousins. And as far as I'm concerned, turkey bacon is a fake food. Seriously - why bother? It is NOT enjoyable. Eat a moderate amount of the real thing, once every few months, and enjoy it (I invite friends so I don't eat it all myself).

Which leads me to my other motto, which is "no fat means no flavor". You don't want to eat a lot of high-fat foods - but when you do, eat them in moderation, and make sure they are good quality so you can appreciate them. The calorie difference of lower-fat processed alternatives is never significant enough to make the sacrifice worthwhile, not when you are moderate about your servings. Speaking of non-fat food, many of the more radical nutritionists are saying that whole milk dairy products are better for you than low- or non-fat ones - look that one up to see if the argument is convincing to you! It's a different way of thinking, to be sure.

Goodness - I really got on my soap box, didn't I? That's what you get when you ask me a simple question about diet

Okay, ST - it sounds like you are doing GREAT work, and we're really glad you're here. Maybe "see" you on the chat tomorrow (3pm Eastern time).

Jan

 

Yep, and yep, and yep again.

If "they" don't really know what causes "it" (enter your symptom here) you might as well assume it's another TMS equivalent. Because... why not?