With Week One down, I couldn’t wait for my diet options to broaden. The one thing I was holding onto was that I would be able to eat rice. Dr. Reem had told me so. You see, I love rice. I think I love rice like Oprah loves bread! My love affair with rice began when I was little. My sister and I stayed with my grandmother for weeks at a time because she was sick. And every single day there were two things we could count on: iced tea and rice. It’s funny what gives you the hope you need to move forward!
Excitedly, I texted my naturopathic doctor for my end of week check in. She asked how I had been doing. Being the detailed bookkeeper, I gave her the blow by blow. Note to self: Don’t overshare. Being as comprehensive as possible, I told her that my throat had stopped burning but I still got that food stuck in my esophagus feeling from time to time. “Overall, I’m much better,” I said pretty darn proud of my report. Her response? Let’s continue your Week One regimen. Y’all, metaphorically speaking, every piece of hair on my body fell to the floor. I was so disappointed!
Knowing that I just could not regain my motivation without further clarification, I asked her to tell me why she had made the recommendations. You know, what was actually being addressed by it. (Honestly, I was hoping for a loophole, but after what she shared I knew that if I wanted to get better, I didn’t need to leave out anything.) And so, dear acid reflux sufferers and those diagnosed with G.E.R.D., over the next few blogs I will be sharing the why with you starting with this one…(Cue clouds opening and choir singing): Bone Broth.
Now, when I went to my regular grocery store and asked for “bone broth,” they took me to the broths in the soup section. Let me clarify. Bone broth is different from regular broths. You can try to communicate that to the store clerk who will then look at you like you have two heads or you can go to Target or Wal-Mart. Yes, Target and Wal-Mart have bone broth. Both carry Pacific Organic Bone Broth for just $4.99 for 32 ounces. I’m sure there are other places, but Target is everywhere. Wal-Mart is everywhere! Besides, they have a great variety: turkey, chicken and beef.
Most cost effective is going to the butcher at your favorite grocery store and asking him or her for a beef or turkey leg bone. Add some purified water. With mine, I added half purified water and half alkalized water. Just enough to cover the bone. The stock is what you want.
I actually took a leg of lamb from my freezer that had been cooked but we froze what had not been eaten. I put the lamb in a pot with enough water to cover it. When the meat thawed, I carved it off and put it in a separate container, seasoned it with some spices and onions for my husband’s dinner. Then I let the bone continue to cook. It should simmer for 8 hours or more. By doing so, not only is there the collagen from the joints in the gelatin but also minerals from the bones. A website called Nourished Kitchen says, “At the end of cooking, the bones should crumble when pressed lightly between your thumb and forefinger.”
I had some chicken stock left over from cooking a chicken and threw that in for good measure.
The next day, I noticed the fat had crested and underneath was the gelatin. I skimmed off the hardened fat and spooned the gelatin into a coffee mug. Then I added more purified water and heated it. What became clear immediately was:
(1) It tasted like what I bought.
(2) by purchasing it, I was paying for more water than broth.
(2) Making my own would go so much further.
(3) I could verify how long it was cooked; hence ensuring nutrients and minerals from the bone marrow.
For those of you who prefer to buy it, what I liked about the Pacific brand was the taste. It tasted better than the bone broth I purchased that was frozen. It claims that it is “slow-simmered organic … bones with vegetables, vinegar and rosemary for a savory bone broth full of naturally occurring protein.”
So what does it all have to do with acid reflux? It’s this. “It is essential to heal the stomach lining to prevent acid reflux,” is what Dr. Reem told me. Face it. If we are suffering with prolonged, recurring or chronic acid reflux, our bodies have been taking a hit for quite some time. In some way, there is something causing it.
Bone broth is an essential part of the healing process so I had to adopt it as my in-between drink. Get use to it as you will be drinking it a lot! I drink mine with lunch and dinner instead of water, juice or tea. I do have to caution you not to lose hope if you don’t get immediate results. It took a while for us to develop this condition. It will take a commitment to healing in order to turn it around.
In my next blog post, I will tell you about another supplement that I knew about but stopped taking. I found out what I was doing wrong.
Let me interject that I am not a doctor and none of this should be initiated without checking in with your doctor or a medical professional. Dr. Darar’s recommendations took into consideration my medical history and lifestyle. Also some remedies were her custom blends.