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Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Categories
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Active for Health
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Age and Stage
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Infants, Children and Youth
- Child Who Is Overweight: Evaluating Nutrition and Activity Patterns
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Infants, Children and Youth
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Being Active
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Getting Started
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Choosing Your Activity
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Staying Active
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Digestive
- Managing Constipation in Adults
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- Bowel Disease: Changing Your Diet
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- GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms with Diet
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Heart
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
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- Izzy's Story: Living with the DASH Diet
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Kidney and Liver
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for People with Early Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stages 1 and 2
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Food and Nutrition
- About Healthy Eating
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Eating Habits
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- Healthy Eating: Changing Your Eating Habits
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- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out
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- Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change
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- Jaci's Story: Changing her Life With Small Steps
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Nutrients
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- Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
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Healthy Weights
- About Healthy Weights
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- Exercise Helps Maggie Stay at a Healthy Weight
- Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals
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Policies and Guidelines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Making Bake Sales Delicious and Nutritious
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Boosting the Sales of Nutritious Food in Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Food Fundraiser Ideas for Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Involving Everyone in Implementing the Guidelines
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Selling Food and Beverages at School Sporting Events
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Planning Healthy Cafeteria Menus
- Healthier Choices in Vending Machines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Provincial Nutrition Resource Inventory
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Forms and Tools
- Walking Log
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- Target Heart Rate
- Interactive Tool: What is Your Target Heart Rate
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- Overview of BC Provincial and Federal Nutrition Benefits Programs
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Body Mass Index (BMI) for Adults
- Interactive Tool: Do Your BMI and Waist Size Increase Your Health Risks?
- Measuring Your Waist
- Body Fat Testing
- Fitness: Using a Pedometer, Step Counter, or Wearable Device
- Email a HealthLinkBC Dietitian
- Email a Qualified Exercise Professional
Overview
Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be painful and, if allowed to continue, can lead to complications including esophagitis. Esophagitis is irritation or inflammation of the esophagus.
You can make changes to your lifestyle to help relieve your symptoms of GERD. Here are some things to try.
- Change your eating habits.
- It's best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
- After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
- Avoid foods that make your symptoms worse. These may include chocolate, mint, alcohol, pepper, spicy foods, high-fat foods, or drinks with caffeine in them, such as tea, coffee, colas, or energy drinks.
- If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.
- Do not smoke or chew tobacco.
- Raise your bed if you have GERD symptoms at night.
- Put the frame on blocks or place a foam wedge under the head of your mattress to raise the head of your bed 6 in. (15 cm) to 8 in. (20 cm). (Adding extra pillows does not work.)
- Avoid or reduce pressure on your stomach.
- Don't wear tight clothing around your middle.
- Lose weight if you need to.
- Losing just 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms (5 to 10 pounds) can help.
How can you help relieve symptoms of GERD?
Changing your eating habits
Developing healthier eating habits, losing weight if necessary, and avoiding foods that increase symptoms of GERD may make heartburn less likely to occur. Take your spouse or partner along with you when you go to your doctor to discuss diet habits. It will be easier to make changes in your diet if your family understands what you need to do and why.
Here are some changes you can try.
- Avoid foods that can make your symptoms worse.
These may include chocolate, mint, alcohol, pepper, spicy foods, high-fat foods, or drinks with caffeine in them, such as tea, coffee, colas, or energy drinks.
If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating it to see if your symptoms get better.
- Eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
- Don't lie down after you eat.
After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
Being overweight puts more pressure on your stomach and makes you more likely to have heartburn. Losing just 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms (5 to 10 pounds) can help.
If you notice that your symptoms are worse after you eat a specific food, you may want to stop eating it and see if your symptoms get better.
Quitting tobacco use
If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. The nicotine from tobacco relaxes the valve between the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter). This can allow stomach acid and juices, the chemicals that break down food in the stomach, to back up (reflux) into the esophagus, which causes heartburn.
Because the nicotine in tobacco is addicting, stopping the use of tobacco is more difficult than simply changing a habit. Those who successfully quit using tobacco usually use a combination of these strategies.
- Seek professional counselling, either by telephone or in person.
- Use medicines to help overcome the addiction to nicotine.
- Participate in a proven smoking cessation program.
- Join a support group of peers who are also quitting or who do not smoke.
Changing your sleep habits
Here are some things you can try.
- Raise the head of your bed 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in.)
- This will help keep stomach acid from flowing into your esophagus when you are sleeping.
- You can do this by putting blocks underneath your bed frame or by placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. Using extra pillows will not work.
- Wait 2 to 3 hours after you eat before you lie down.
- Lying down soon after eating will also increase the chance of getting heartburn.
- Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
Reducing pressure on your stomach
Putting pressure on your stomach may push stomach juices into your esophagus, causing heartburn. Here are some things you can try.
- Wait 2 to 3 hours after you eat before you lie down.
- When you are lying down, the contents of your stomach can push against the valve between the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter).
- Sitting up allows gravity to help food and stomach juices from the esophagus drain back into your stomach.
- Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
- Avoid tight clothing over your stomach.
- Tight belts, waistbands, or panty hose may push against your stomach and make your heartburn worse.
- Use care when lifting and bending.
- Bending over tends to increase the amount of stomach acid that can get into your esophagus.
- When lifting, bend your knees to avoid bending over at the waist.
Credits
Current as of: March 22, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Arvydas D. Vanagunas MD - Gastroenterology
Current as of: March 22, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Arvydas D. Vanagunas MD - Gastroenterology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Learn how we develop our content.
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Contact Physical Activity Services
If you have questions about physical activity or exercise, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. Our qualified exercise professionals are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translation services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC’s qualified exercise professionals can also answer your questions by email.
Contact a Dietitian
If you have any questions about healthy eating, food, or nutrition, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. You can speak to a health service navigator who can connect you with one of our registered dietitians, who are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translations services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC Dietitians can also answer your questions by email.
Find Services and Resources
If you are looking for health services in your community, you can use the HealthLinkBC Directory to find hospitals, clinics, and other resources.