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According to some recently released statistics, about 10 percent of adult Americans get heartburn every day. New research may offer these people an effective and natural way to ease their discomfort.

People get heartburn when stomach acid backs up from the stomach, irritating the lining of the esophagus. Normally, the esophageal sphincter muscle forces itself shut, preventing stomach acid from coming upward. But foods that are high in fat can instigate heartburn, and lying down on the “wrong side” may only make matters worse.

Recent studies suggest that lying down after eating a big meal makes many people susceptible to heartburn. The studies also indicate that which side you lie on may make a significant difference in the amount of discomfort you experience. Lying on the right side may allow the esophagus to open where it enters the stomach, making it easier for stomach acid to enter. Here are some suggestions to help you combat heartburn, naturally:

1) Try to wait at least three hours after eating before you lie down. If you can’t wait that long, lie on your left side

2) If your heartburn continues, prop up your head at least six inches. This should help keep stomach acid from surging upward.

3) Don’t eat fatty foods, chocolate; drink alcoholic beverages, or smoke cigarettes. All of these tend to relax the esophageal sphincter, and lead to heartburn.

4) Try some gingerroot. Many people have found relief from heartburn with this herbal remedy. Some medical experts say that gingerroot seems to work by absorbing acid and by helping to calm the nerves. It’s best to take it in capsule form just after you eat.

5) Apple cider vinegar is another natural remedy that works well for some people who experience heartburn. The recommended “dosage” is 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 1/2 glass of water. The concoction should be taken during a meal.

If your heartburn persists you should see your doctor.

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Unless you know food has been organically grown, it has most likely been

“treated” with some form of pesticide. The theory behind the use of pesticides is that they make crops much less vulnerable to a variety of harmful insects and other pests. This, in turn, helps to keep prices down.

According to the Food And Drug Administration (FDA), the pesticides used today by American farmers seldom “gets into food”, and can be eliminated altogether by washing fruits and vegetables with water and wiping them off or peeling them. The FDA, which inspects thousands of domestic and imported foods every year, says that only “minute levels” of pesticide residues are found. The debate about pesticides on food, however, centers around whether or not the FDA’s standards and frequency of testing are adequate.

If you are concerned about the use of pesticides on fruits and vegetables, you may want to consider starting your own organic garden. And look for abnormal spotting and coloring which could be cased by harmful pesticides.

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1) Lie on your stomach, with your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders. Slowly straighten your arms, while keeping your spine relaxed. Allow only your upper torso to move up from the floor.

2) Arch your back passively as your hip bones remain on the floor. Straighten your arms as much as is comfortable for your back. Slowly bend your arms so your upper torso returns to the floor. Repeat these movement about ten times.

Swimming is probably the best form of exercise to relieve chronic back pain. When you swim the breaststroke, you must be careful to put your face in the water every few strokes, otherwise you will be arching your lower back which is likely to aggravate your back pain.

Jogging is also a good form of exercise for people who suffer from back pain. Those people who experience chronic, or recurrent back pain, and who take up jogging as a form of exercise, should avoid all hard surfaces. They should also wear cushioned insoles to reduce the amount of jarring through the spine each time your feet hit the ground.

Strength exercises that require lifting weights can also be of benefit in relieving back pain. However, it is important that you take some precautions when doing strength exercises. Always use an exercise mat for any floor exercises that you do. You should also keep your knees bent during sit-ups in order to reduce the chances of aggravating existing problems in your lower back.

To ease back pain, you can try elevating your knees a foot or so. Place a pillow under your knees so they are elevated about 12 inches in order to keep your hips lightly flexed. The best pillow to use may be an inflatable pillow because foam pillows are likely to become compressed with use.

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