Acidity can be caused by bad eating habits, lack of sleep and too much stress. If you are someone who eats greasy food everyday, gets only 4 to 5 hours of sleep every night and is constantly on the run with hardly anytime to rest, slow down! Change your habits to help you feel better. There are other reasons like over eating or eating too fast without chewing your food well, which can also cause acidity.

Our stomach secretes an acid which is necessary for proper digestion of food, due to the above mentioned reasons, the acid level can rise above normal and this gives a burning sensation in the chest, which we refer to as acidity or heart burn.

If you are suffering from acidity, the first thing to do is cut down all processed, oily or spicy food.

Eating fruits like bananas and water melon help in cooling the system. Try including cucumber and lettuce in your salad. Avoid adding heavy salad dressings or squeezing lime on your salads. Eating foods that are alkaline help reduce the acid levels in the stomach. Examples of alkaline foods are fresh fruits, foods that are low in sugar, oils such as flax seed oil & olive oil, sprouts, soy, chickpeas etc. These are foods that are good for you and should be a part of your daily diet.

Drinking a glass of cold milk without sugar before bedtime is proven to ease heartburn. If you can’t take milk without sugar, substitute it with honey. Avoid alcohol and smoking. Drinking mint juice is very cooling. Keep drinking cold water during throughout the day. Tender coconut water is excellent as well. Ginger ale is proven to be beneficial for stomach disorders or indigestion.

Chewing on basil leaves helps calm the burning sensation.

Apple cider vinegar mixed with honey in equal proportions can be had before meals.

Eat early and let at least 2 to 3 hours pass between your dinner and bedtime. Try taking a short slow paced walk 20 minutes after your meal. You should also try eating smaller meals 5 to 6 times in a day, as opposed to 3 large meals, as smaller meals are easy to digest.

When sleeping, raise your head and shoulders on a high pillow. Don’t make these changes only when you are suffering from acidity, but work towards making a lifestyle change to help you keep feeling good.