Hiatal Hernia Diet: Foods to Eat & Avoid for Symptom Relief

Hiatal hernia is a condition where a part of the stomach protrudes upwards into the opening of the diaphragm. Usually, a majority of people with this condition do not exhibit symptoms, but there are some who do. Such people should look at hiatus hernia diet to help control their symptoms, which are usually acid indigestion and heartburn.

Why Hiatus Hernia Diet?

When you have hiatus hernia, the stomach acids can easily make their way into the esophagus. As a result, you will experience a burning sensation in your throat as well as chest. Consuming certain foods can make this sensation worse, and that is why you should be looking to manage your diet. It will help minimize or eliminate the symptoms.

 

Foods that May Cause Heartburn:

Foods that are very acidic or those that weaken the lower esophageal sphincter may cause you heartburn. Hence, when embarking on your hiatus hernia diet, these are foods that you should avoid or consume in limited quantities. They include the following:

• Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit and lemons)
• Citrus fruit juices
• Chocolate
• Fried and fatty foods
• Onions
• Garlic
• Peppermint
• Spicy foods
• Tomato-based foods (spaghetti, salsa, chili and pizza)
• Carbonated drinks
• Oil
• Butter
• Dairy products
• Coffee
• Tea
  

[Read:Endometriosis Diet]

Foods that You Can Consume:

There are some low acidity foods that will not worsen your symptoms. These foods can be included in your hiatus hernia diet.

• Bananas
• Apples
• Green beans
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Bread
• Rice
• Pasta
• Grains
• Low-fat milk
• Low-fat yogurt
• Egg whites
• Fat-free cream and cheese
• Lean meat and chicken
• Fish
• Baked potato chips
• Pretzels
• Graham crackers
• Rice cakes

You can also consume feta or goat cheese, but make sure you eat them in moderation. It has also been observed that certain foods on this list may aggravate the symptoms of hiatal hernia in some people. This is primarily because different people tolerate foods differently. So, it is best if you maintain a food diary, so that you can see which foods do not bring about the symptoms and which foods do. This way, you can eliminate foods that worsen your symptoms from your hiatus hernia diet.

[Read:Healthy Diet To Fight Constipation]

Cooking Tips for Hiatus Hernia Diet:

• To enjoy your diet for hiatus hernia, it is important that you cook your food in a healthy manner.
• Make sure you try to bake or broil foods rather than frying them. This way, the oil will not worsen your symptoms.
• Furthermore, if you are cooking meat or poultry, opt for skinless chicken and lean meats.
• When cooking meat, skim off the fat.
• Consume just steamed vegetables and use just water to steam them and not stock.
• Also, do not go overboard with the seasoning. While you can consume most seasonings, make sure they are not too salty or spicy or you will end up with heartburn.
  

Final Tips:

While it is good to adopt the hiatus hernia diet to tackle your symptoms, it will not help if you consume large meals. That is why it is best to consume smaller meals more frequently. Also, try to sit up for at least an hour after your meals to prevent the food from flowing backwards into your esophagus. Avoid any food that causes heartburn. In fact, such foods should be eliminated from your diet altogether.

When celebrating, as tempting as it may be, stay away from alcohol. It may cause your symptoms to aggravate. So do not let your friends force you.

Be sure to stick to your hiatus hernia diet strictly to improve the quality of your life and reduce your symptoms. Do not be afraid to get creative with the foods you can eat, as this will reduce the monotony of eating the same dishes. Also, this reduces the risk of getting tempted by the foods you should be avoiding as a part of your diet.