night skies

When scouring the internet to find out what this thing called Reflux was I came across many Health sites all giving info about the condition. By reading the many guidelines they give to fight the condition in an attempt to alleviate it to manageable levels or to make it extinct, there are the usual suspects they mention. I'm sure most of us here read those sites and followed their guideliness as to what to avoid, when to avoid and how to avoid, as well as reading the little leaflets that come with the meds we take etc. But from reading this forum and other forums the last few months on and off, I find that those guidelines don't work as we all are different. For example, so many sites say to totally avoid dairy, especially milk, especially at night. It's like they are throwing a big blanket over all of us saying what we should avoid and when to, how to etc.

How many of us immediately ruled out various foods and liquids after coming across the health sites and reading the leaflets etc? How wide ranging was the amount of foods and liquids you immediately cancelled from your diet at the drop of a hat one day? Was this because of all these guideliness you read, posts you read, leaflets you read or because of proper trials you experimented with during your days and nights? How many foods and liquids have you cancelled from your diet just because a health site said to, or a leaflet said to or a poster said to? Have you even tried those foods and/or liquids out again since the cancellation or not so due to the fear such sites, leaflets and posts cause you? How many comfort foods are on the cancelled list that once made you feel calm when consuming them, bringing a calming mood to a tough day? We talk about stress being a precursor to an onslaught of the conditions but wouldn't cancelling these comfort foods just add to that? or even cause it in the first place?

I just know from reading this forum for awhile now that the big blanket health sites, forums, docs etc throw over us in regards as to what to avoid, how to avoid, when to avoid etc just doesn't wash. There is a great chance that some foods/liquids I or anyone here has avoided for months could actually be a positive for us, whether it be of a physical nature or a mental one or both, but due to reading and hearing many reflux guidelines we have veered away from them due to fear and trepidation. I know some days I eat a chocolate and become calmed by it, not the taste per se but just the fact I am eating a mentally calming food. This is also the case with milk. It's always been my lifelong favourite drink. I would drink 4-5 glasses of it each and every day, falling into my milk world each time much like how people are when eating a chocolate, where you float off into a calming world. Since I've upped my milk intake again it's made me feel more mentally sound and calm instead of living in the grasp of the Water World way too much.

One theory I have realised of late is that when we alter our diet in a dramatic way, ruling out many comfort and calming foods and liquids, we could in fact add to the stress levels and mental instability, thus increasing our problems or prolonging them. I know when I would walk past the fridges at a supermarket and see all the milk it would just sadden me to realise I couldn't have much of it anymore like I loved to. This is the same with so many foods and liquids I used to have on a daily, weekly or fortnightly basis. I just no longer lift that glass of milk with fear anymore or have that cereal with fear anymore. I swear at times that the fear we suffer from, from all i've mentioned above, could in itself cause a bad reaction because we are expecting it will. Sometimes when we expect something strongly enough it will in fact happen. I'm not saying we should be super positive about what we're injesting so as to protect against any negative effect but just that we somehow need to live without fear anymore as to food and drink. Look at how the use of Fear by the Government works in relation to controlling the masses and what negativities that brings to light; it's what's happening here with us, but this time food and drink is playing the role of the Government. We need to lower our stress levels but I believe that Fear at times could play an even greater role in our malaise.

These are just my thoughts, opinions and theories so please don't leap at them with 100% belief. But I honestly hope it can help me and others here as well. Here's to a reflux-free night.