What's the Root Cause? by Dr Vikki Petersen

Surviving Hiatal Hernia During the Holidays

Root Cause Medical Clinic

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If you suffer from Hiatal Hernia Syndrome and its attendant symptoms of reflux, GERD, bloating, burping, stomach pressure, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and anxiety.... yes, a very long list - I don't need to tell you how miserable it is.

With the Holidays fast approaching I wanted to give you some tip to help you get through the Holiday meals with less discomfort.

1. Stick with real food. Avoid the overprocessed, high sugar and preservative foods.
2. Use box breathing before meals or whenever you're feeling anxious. (I describe how to do this in the video).
3. Eat slowly - chew, chew, chew and put down your fork between bites and engage in conversation.
4. Don't overeat. Your hiatal hernia symptoms will really flare up with an overfull stomach.
5. Between meals, hydrate.
6. Take a 20 minutes walk/stroll after meals.
7. Stay upright for 3 hours after a meal. Either walking or at least sitting upright to help digestion.
8. If you are getting heart palpitations, try changing position - bending left or right, stretching your arms overhead, strolling - see what abates your symptoms.
9. Finally, consider bringing some of your own 'safe food' to a dinner to ensure you have something to eat that you know you do well with.

And enjoy the time, conversation and relaxation time the holidays bring vs focusing on the "bad food" too often present.

Let me know how this works for you!

When you're ready to improve your health, consider reaching out to us for a consultation. Call 727-335-0400.