What do you think?
Rate this book
The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally
Heal Heartburn and Lose Weight, Naturally
If you suffer from acid reflux, you’re not alone. More than 50 million Americans have GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, and while antacids can be effective for short-term relief, they can also cause dangerous medical conditions if they’re used for more than the recommended fifty days at a time. Luckily, The Acid Reflux Solution offers a simple plan to help you gradually and safely reduce—and eventually eliminate—the need for pills while alleviating your heartburn.
In this combination medical guide and cookbook, gastroenterologist Jorge E. Rodriguez, MD, has teamed up with registered dietitian and food writer Susan Wyler to present a three-step program to heal heartburn naturally. This isn’t a formal diet plan—no calorie counting required—but you’ll probably shed some pounds while followingThe Acid Reflux Solution because these recipes were designed for good health. In fact, Dr. Jorge has not only healed his own heartburn since developing this plan, but he has also lost more than 30 pounds!
In step one you make some simple lifestyle modifications, like raising the head of your bed, loosening your belt, and eating less but more often. These are easily achievable goals that you can start working on today. In step two, you start eating to avoid reflux. With 100 high-fiber, low-fat, portion-controlled recipes to choose from, this step is the most delicious—and surprising. The list of foods that actually trigger acid reflux is smaller than you might think, which means you can enjoy meals that you probably thought were off limits, like Cuban Black Bean Soup, Grass-Fed Beef and Portobello Blue Cheese Burgers, Asian Barbecued Chicken, and even Spaghetti and Meatballs.
In the final step, you reduce the dosage and frequency of the medications you were taking to control your heartburn because you won’t need them anymore. The Acid Reflux Solution combines the latest medical research with reflux-friendly recipes to help you feel great, lose weight, and live heartburn free.
If you suffer from acid reflux, you’re not alone. More than 50 million Americans have GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, and while antacids can be effective for short-term relief, they can also cause dangerous medical conditions if they’re used for more than the recommended fifty days at a time. Luckily, The Acid Reflux Solution offers a simple plan to help you gradually and safely reduce—and eventually eliminate—the need for pills while alleviating your heartburn.
In this combination medical guide and cookbook, gastroenterologist Jorge E. Rodriguez, MD, has teamed up with registered dietitian and food writer Susan Wyler to present a three-step program to heal heartburn naturally. This isn’t a formal diet plan—no calorie counting required—but you’ll probably shed some pounds while followingThe Acid Reflux Solution because these recipes were designed for good health. In fact, Dr. Jorge has not only healed his own heartburn since developing this plan, but he has also lost more than 30 pounds!
In step one you make some simple lifestyle modifications, like raising the head of your bed, loosening your belt, and eating less but more often. These are easily achievable goals that you can start working on today. In step two, you start eating to avoid reflux. With 100 high-fiber, low-fat, portion-controlled recipes to choose from, this step is the most delicious—and surprising. The list of foods that actually trigger acid reflux is smaller than you might think, which means you can enjoy meals that you probably thought were off limits, like Cuban Black Bean Soup, Grass-Fed Beef and Portobello Blue Cheese Burgers, Asian Barbecued Chicken, and even Spaghetti and Meatballs.
In the final step, you reduce the dosage and frequency of the medications you were taking to control your heartburn because you won’t need them anymore. The Acid Reflux Solution combines the latest medical research with reflux-friendly recipes to help you feel great, lose weight, and live heartburn free.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2012
134 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 30, 2017
This book has all the standard advice that people who've suffered acid reflux have no business not knowing. But, reading them all today in this book has inspired me to put them to practice.
1. Eat less, eat often, and space out the time between meals.
2. Eat unprocessed foods, and foods that are plenty in fiber.
3. Eat an assortment of lean meats, veggies, fruits, whole grains and nuts. (special nod to ginger and fennel)
4. Choose organic foods (including flours).
5. Avoid mint, caffeine, chocolate, fried-foods, saturated fat, alcohol, carbonated drinks and processed food (especially meat). (A glass of wine along with food is okay).
6. Limit but enjoy dairy products, preferably the low-fat options.
7. Listen to your stomach, and pay attention to your particular triggers. Also, don't give up on a foods commonly found in avoid-lists until you've tried them and found them to be bothersome.
8. Exercise regularly. Walk for 30 minutes after a meal.
9. Drink plenty of water or non-caffeinated herbal teas, but don't drink water (or any liquids) along with a meal. Wait at least 40 minutes after you drink to eat, and wait 40 minutes after you eat to drink!
10. Sleep three hours after your last meal!
Dr. Rodriguez advices going to a doctor and nutritionist to get tested, to get the right medication (with the intention of going off it completely) and to learn how to eat healthy and watch for deficiencies!
The information about GERD in Part 1 and the recipes in Part 2 were mostly tailored to people with obesity, whereas not everyone with GERD is obese!
I also wish the recipes were organized by meal-plan (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)... instead of by course (Appetizer, Soups, Salads, Desserts etc). Moreover each recipe serves 4–6 people, which is not helpful for individuals who want to understand portion control and how to combine different meals (like an appetizer, main course and dessert! Is that even allowed? Or are we to have only one course at a time?). The recipes also don't help me understand how to apply the rules to other recipes that are not in the book, especially since his recipes have many of the ingredients that he said were not okay to have. (Eg: Grass-fed Beef and Portobello Blue Cheese Burgers and Cocoa Meringues!).
1. Eat less, eat often, and space out the time between meals.
2. Eat unprocessed foods, and foods that are plenty in fiber.
3. Eat an assortment of lean meats, veggies, fruits, whole grains and nuts. (special nod to ginger and fennel)
4. Choose organic foods (including flours).
5. Avoid mint, caffeine, chocolate, fried-foods, saturated fat, alcohol, carbonated drinks and processed food (especially meat). (A glass of wine along with food is okay).
6. Limit but enjoy dairy products, preferably the low-fat options.
7. Listen to your stomach, and pay attention to your particular triggers. Also, don't give up on a foods commonly found in avoid-lists until you've tried them and found them to be bothersome.
8. Exercise regularly. Walk for 30 minutes after a meal.
9. Drink plenty of water or non-caffeinated herbal teas, but don't drink water (or any liquids) along with a meal. Wait at least 40 minutes after you drink to eat, and wait 40 minutes after you eat to drink!
10. Sleep three hours after your last meal!
Dr. Rodriguez advices going to a doctor and nutritionist to get tested, to get the right medication (with the intention of going off it completely) and to learn how to eat healthy and watch for deficiencies!
The information about GERD in Part 1 and the recipes in Part 2 were mostly tailored to people with obesity, whereas not everyone with GERD is obese!
I also wish the recipes were organized by meal-plan (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)... instead of by course (Appetizer, Soups, Salads, Desserts etc). Moreover each recipe serves 4–6 people, which is not helpful for individuals who want to understand portion control and how to combine different meals (like an appetizer, main course and dessert! Is that even allowed? Or are we to have only one course at a time?). The recipes also don't help me understand how to apply the rules to other recipes that are not in the book, especially since his recipes have many of the ingredients that he said were not okay to have. (Eg: Grass-fed Beef and Portobello Blue Cheese Burgers and Cocoa Meringues!).
June 2, 2017
This book is VERY repetitive. The first portion of the book was way too long and could have easily been cut down to a 1/4 of the size it was. I felt like I was reading something that was geared towards twelve year olds understanding acid reflux. Every chapter was interspersed with the all consuming repetitious promise of eventually getting to the main ideas behind the acid reflux solution on the next page. It also read like what the author had to say about curing acid reflux could have fit into a one page bulleted piece of text.
Other than that, the book is really informative and does give great insight into how to approach the diet with a lifestyle change. Throughout the book, I had many "a-ha!" moments where certain symptoms I had suddenly made sense. I just wish there wasn't so much fluff.
Other than that, the book is really informative and does give great insight into how to approach the diet with a lifestyle change. Throughout the book, I had many "a-ha!" moments where certain symptoms I had suddenly made sense. I just wish there wasn't so much fluff.
April 15, 2014
Help is on the way!
"The Acid Reflux Solution.
Finally a book that's straight to the point for people suffering with this very common ailment.
What foods to avoid.
To drink before & after meals but not during meals.
Several smaller portions of veg's & fruits each day.
Educational and a necessary tool for acid reflux and GERD sufferers.
I will be referring back to this book as needed.
"The Acid Reflux Solution.
Finally a book that's straight to the point for people suffering with this very common ailment.
What foods to avoid.
To drink before & after meals but not during meals.
Several smaller portions of veg's & fruits each day.
Educational and a necessary tool for acid reflux and GERD sufferers.
I will be referring back to this book as needed.
April 30, 2021
While most of the recipes didn't appeal to me, I found the rest of the book to be very helpful. I feel armed with new information and easily adoptable strategies to employ while pursuing weightloss. Quick read. Worth your time.
November 27, 2021
Jorge E. Rodriguez's _The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally_ receives four stars from me. The information is good, and I can't wait to start going through the recipes.
What Rodriguez is addressing in this book is people with chronic acid reflux. He explains the condition, the possible causes, and gives solutions. The solutions come in two forms recipes which were developed using the latest research on common foods that cause a flare up, and in a list of things one can do to help reduce acid reflux. Things you can do right away. One at a time to develop a better eating lifestyle.
The list is in many ways common sense. For example, sit up straight, raise your chest in the bed. However, Rodriguez explains why this helps. I found the list really helpful for me now and I've started one (walking for 10-20 mins after dinner) and going to make it a habit. After, I'll focus on something else. Many items on the list did not apply to me--I don't eat meat, or smoke--so that's good. But again, he explains fully why this is important.
Recommended: if you have acid reflux-yes.
What Rodriguez is addressing in this book is people with chronic acid reflux. He explains the condition, the possible causes, and gives solutions. The solutions come in two forms recipes which were developed using the latest research on common foods that cause a flare up, and in a list of things one can do to help reduce acid reflux. Things you can do right away. One at a time to develop a better eating lifestyle.
The list is in many ways common sense. For example, sit up straight, raise your chest in the bed. However, Rodriguez explains why this helps. I found the list really helpful for me now and I've started one (walking for 10-20 mins after dinner) and going to make it a habit. After, I'll focus on something else. Many items on the list did not apply to me--I don't eat meat, or smoke--so that's good. But again, he explains fully why this is important.
Recommended: if you have acid reflux-yes.
December 3, 2018
Quit at p.59. That's the end of the text part; the rest is recipes. Dr. Rodriguez has some different ideas about avoiding certain foods, namely only if you're having a reflux attack. However, I just found I have Barret's esophagus, so my reflux has been much worse than I realized. How am I supposed to avoid my trigger foods if I don't realize I'm having an attack? Some of his information is repetitive but still helpful. Some of the recipes look interesting, so I'll show them to hubby dear and see what he thinks.
December 21, 2018
while the content may be correct--he repeats himself over and over and over...adding one new bit about his own story...so he can call it another chapter.....the book part of the book could have been summed up in about 900 words...and all of us who suffer from acid reflux and who are looking for help would be better off....he just drones on and on...
buy the book for the recipes...and goggle acid reflux ...read any short explanation of the issue..and you will know as much as this guy tells you for a lot less money and you won't have to read all about him...
buy the book for the recipes...and goggle acid reflux ...read any short explanation of the issue..and you will know as much as this guy tells you for a lot less money and you won't have to read all about him...
April 21, 2021
Some great advice in this book which worked for me - namely to not drink a lot of water with dinner because it extends your stomach. That actually was an eye opener for me because I used to down lots of water. Now I drink my water an hour before my small dinner and it really helps! Plus, of course, portion control. Another big eye opener was the pasta causing acid reflux, not the tomato sauce. Lots of other great suggestions to help and many nice, easy recipes. I haven't had to take an acid reducer for weeks now.
Read
November 9, 2023Has some good information. Recipes seem geared more towards those with mild acid reflux. Has some good healthy recipes that avoid highly processed foods (which are quite acidic) as well as high fat foods (increases acid production in the stomach) and includes healing foods and foods easy on the digestive system. However, nearly every recipe has at least one trigger food so if you are in a healing phase and need to really limit acidic and other reflux trigger foods, you won't find many recipes that qualify. I will revisit when (if?) I get to the point I can eat these foods again.
July 25, 2019
I liked that this cookbook was written by a doctor who specializes in GERD and was open and honest about what doctors typically do (prescribe medication) and what is a much better idea (treating GERD with diet modifications first and only using medication temporarily to alleviate symptoms while the patient is making lifestyle changes). I think this is a good overview of a diet to alleviate acid reflux, especially for people who are taking antacids regularly. However, this diet didn't quite sync with me because I've been reading a lot about the Paleo and Whole30 diets which eliminate grains, legumes, and dairy. This book has dairy throughout (most recipes) and emphasizes lower-fat dairy and eating less red meat because of the saturated fat. Later in the book, in the text above some of the recipes, the author mentions grass-fed beef as a better alternative to traditional ground beef. I feel that this information should have been in the initial pages describing the diet. Many of the recipes felt a little complicated to me, but I am a 5-ingredient, throw-everything-into-a-slow-cooker kind of cook.
The author distinguishes between trigger foods that are scientifically proven to loosen up the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and acidic foods, but I feel like he doesn't explain this fully. He essentially recommends eliminating trigger foods and only limiting the quantity of acidic foods. Later on, he mentions that garlic and onions could be a problem, but they are in many of the recipes in small quantities that he says should be okay. I feel like he should have elaborated a lot more on this part, which foods may be a problem even though they are acidic foods and don't technically trigger the LES to relax. He also says that people know what foods trigger reflux in them, which I disagree with. Sometimes, it's hard to put my finger on what exactly is giving me reflux hours later. Overall, I appreciated the author sharing his own story throughout the book and explaining the various medications and solutions that are available from a medical perspective if this diet doesn't work.
The author distinguishes between trigger foods that are scientifically proven to loosen up the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and acidic foods, but I feel like he doesn't explain this fully. He essentially recommends eliminating trigger foods and only limiting the quantity of acidic foods. Later on, he mentions that garlic and onions could be a problem, but they are in many of the recipes in small quantities that he says should be okay. I feel like he should have elaborated a lot more on this part, which foods may be a problem even though they are acidic foods and don't technically trigger the LES to relax. He also says that people know what foods trigger reflux in them, which I disagree with. Sometimes, it's hard to put my finger on what exactly is giving me reflux hours later. Overall, I appreciated the author sharing his own story throughout the book and explaining the various medications and solutions that are available from a medical perspective if this diet doesn't work.
November 26, 2017
I read this for my health and found it very interesting and helpful. The recipes are a little more permissive that I can be when suffering from Acid Reflux symptoms, and they don't take into account my more vegan lifestyle, but I think there are still good recipes that I will use once I get my symptoms under control and want to maintain a healthy esophagus.
November 25, 2022
Fairly good book, one would argue that the information presented could have been condensed into a bulleted list, and a couple of articles. Regardless, I did gain info and insights, learned some good terminology like ‘hiatial hernia’ etc. I haven’t tried the recipes yet, but did find a lot of the info helpful and thought provoking.
May 26, 2018
This book is fantastic! I read it in one day. Tomorrow I will head out to get groceries and
Start cooking from the recipes. I was already doing some stuff he mentioned but theirs a
Lot of great information. I will review again with an update in a couple of weeks.
Start cooking from the recipes. I was already doing some stuff he mentioned but theirs a
Lot of great information. I will review again with an update in a couple of weeks.
July 15, 2020
This book gives good advice and without drastically limiting yourself (which I always found too hard). The majority of the book is recipes. I'm going to try a few but I wasn't impressed with the selection. Many fish which I don't eat.
Read
July 12, 2022I skimmed it for the parts that I wanted to read. Thankfully I knew what to look for after reading the other reviews of this book, so I didn't have to deal with the repetition! Got some good tips to help with my acid reflux.
January 3, 2018
Got some good information from it. Quick read.
January 20, 2021
I liked the way he wrote, in that he gives hope to eating a varied diet as apposed other doctors. I have tried some of his suggestions and felt they are slowly starting to work.
July 26, 2022
interesting and some good suggestions
August 20, 2025
Ok but not doesn't contain as many good recipes as some other books. Glad I borrowed it from the library rather than purchasing it.
August 4, 2013
I don't have acid reflux so my experience reading this book will obviously not be the same as for people that do have it.
The first part of the book has some description of the disorder and some tips on lifestyle changes you can make to help ease the symptoms. The second part is recipes. While the first part was interesting, the second part was a little weird to me - most recipes had lots of spices and ingredients, though the methods didnt seem too difficult. The author does say that while some of the recipes include foods that traditionally people with acid reflux would avoid, most people will have no problems as long as the servings are small, so try it and see.
The first part of the book has some description of the disorder and some tips on lifestyle changes you can make to help ease the symptoms. The second part is recipes. While the first part was interesting, the second part was a little weird to me - most recipes had lots of spices and ingredients, though the methods didnt seem too difficult. The author does say that while some of the recipes include foods that traditionally people with acid reflux would avoid, most people will have no problems as long as the servings are small, so try it and see.
July 13, 2014
3.5 stars, rounding up
I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, so I can't comment on that. I did like the first half of the book with the explanations of reflux and the importance of the diet. Lots of good, straight-forward information about GERD is included as well as information about the different methods of treatment. I also like that the emphasis is not on deprivation but on small ways to modify and improve living with GERD (the biggest of which is diet!). Looking forward to trying some of the recipes soon, even if a lot of them include cucumber and olives (both of which I hate and both of which I will omit).
I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, so I can't comment on that. I did like the first half of the book with the explanations of reflux and the importance of the diet. Lots of good, straight-forward information about GERD is included as well as information about the different methods of treatment. I also like that the emphasis is not on deprivation but on small ways to modify and improve living with GERD (the biggest of which is diet!). Looking forward to trying some of the recipes soon, even if a lot of them include cucumber and olives (both of which I hate and both of which I will omit).
April 5, 2015
I have never suffered through acid reflux until about 10 dayas ago, with a sudden and painful onset. I checked out this library book about 5 days in so I was following many of the tips Dr. Rodriguez mentioned in the book, but what I found so appealing about this book was the cookbook portion which is the latter 2/3 of the text. The photos make the meals look especially appealing. We haven't yet made any of the recipes but we bought ingredients for several of them yesterday, so I may update this review based on how they work out. I did 4 instead of 5 stars because I wish Dr. Rodriguez had written more about lifestyle and supplement modifications for GERD.
January 23, 2013
Gives a good, clear explanation of what causes acid reflux, and presents an easy solution for those (like me) who suffer from it. In addition to the diet and exercise recommendations, there are about ten quick, easy things you can do right off the bat to decrease the episodes (including elevating the head of your bed). But the lion's share of the book is a cookbook full of tasty-looking recipes. Just wish they'd had more pictures of the dishes!
October 1, 2017
Decent overview, but the author gets weird about GMOs. The first 50 pages are about acid reflux, mechanics of it and dietary and lifestyle changes you can make. The recipes seem like they’re mostly to bulk out the book, and harvested from other cookbooks in some cases. If you can read and follow the directions in the first 50 pages (portion control, considering the universal trigger foods plus finding your own triggers) you can go back to your family recipes and work off them pretty easily.
June 26, 2012
This book is about obviously acid-reflux as the title says. I'm not sure I really learned anything new except it did explain some things better. It gives you a few tips on what to eat, some explainations of different medicines, allergies, etc. There is about 60 pages of explainations and then the rest is recipes.
June 27, 2013
Some good suggestions for those suffering with reflux. I would have liked a little more detailed example of the foods to eat and not to eat. The recipes looked good but many have more ingredients that I am willing to deal with in making a meal but would love some of them if someone else was doing the cooking! I do plan to try a few of them.
January 8, 2016
Excellent book with sound medical advice. The author is a gastroenterologist which means the book is based on real research (no "woo" as is too often found in any resource claiming natural healing). The only criticism I have is that the recipes are pretty complicated. They do give a good idea of what to eat, though, and probably can be simplified.
September 27, 2016
This is a very good guide for those suffering from acid reflux and/or GERD. I have a better understanding of why my doctor said to not drink caffeinated or carbonated beverages, coffee, or eat chocolate. I have started following the lifestyle mentioned in the book. I now know what the medication does and I will try to wean myself off of it, and am losing weight in the process.
May 4, 2013
The first 60 pages were about acid reflux and how to prevent it. It was very clear and easy to understand. The rest of the book contained recipes. Unfortunately, none of the recipes were anything I would be willing to eat.
May 29, 2012
good recipes that I might actually use.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews