My acid reflux/GERD was so bad I ate the same 4 foods everyday for over a year.

My acid reflux was so bad I ate the same 4 foods every day for over a year. I know firsthand how frustrating it is to feel like every meal is a gamble. I built my entire world around a handful of "safe" foods, and I still had symptoms most days. That's when I started asking a different question: what if food was only part of the story? For me, the real missing piece was my nervous system. When you're stuck in fight or flight, blood flow shifts away from your gut, your diaphragm tightens, and your LES loses coordination. You can eat the exact same meal on two different days and have a completely different reaction, simply because your stress levels were different that day. That was me, and at the time I didn't have language for it. Here's what I teach my clients now, the things I wish I'd known back then: The Nervous System Snack: 1 to 5 minutes of downregulation, 1 to 3 times a day. Extended exhales, diaphragmatic breathing, or a hand on your chest and belly. Check the link in my bio for the exact 3 breathing exercises I still use myself. The LES Lock: 1 to 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing immediately after meals, up to 5x daily. Halland et al. 2021, a Mayo Clinic randomized controlled trial (PMID 33009052), found LES pressure rose significantly during diaphragmatic breathing, and postprandial reflux events fell from 2.60 to 0.36 per session. Mealtime Mindfulness: chewing to an applesauce consistency and eating without rushing. Chewing alone stimulates 30 to 50% of your digestive juice production. Restriction gave me four safe foods and a lot of fear. Supporting my nervous system gave me my life back, and it's the work I get to do with clients every day now. Follow for more and share with a friend who needs to hear this. #AcidReflux #GERD #NervousSystem #GutHealth #RefluxRelief