One in four of us suffers from heartburn – a condition that has nothing to do with your heart, but is still a serious cause for concern. Heartburn is very uncomfortable, causing a burning pain behind the breastbone and a taste of acid in the back of the throat or mouth. Also called acid reflux, it occurs when acid is forced out of the stomach via the valve that connects the stomach to the gullet.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to the symptoms of heartburn including smoking, eating too quickly, wearing your clothes too tight around your midriff, and consuming the wrong kinds of food and drink. The solution to the first three of these are obvious: quit smoking, take your time when eating, and don’t have your clothes as tight as John Travolta did in his 70’s heyday, but what kinds of food and drink should you avoid?
The main culinary culprits are sweet foods (especially cake and chocolate), fried foods, carbonated drinks, coffee and alcohol. Try to cut out fizzy drinks altogether, and limit your intake of coffee and alcohol. Instead, drink around 2 litres of clean water a day and see how you get on with herbal teas. As for food, eat a diet rich in fresh vegetables. The best kind of meal for sufferers of heartburn is vegetable soup. Why not try the following one with kale and potato?
Ingredients for 4 people:
2 large potatoes
1 large bunch of kale
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups of hot water or yeast-free stock cube
Black pepper
Directions: