Domestic Geek

I used to have really bad heartburn all the time up until about a year ago. I thought it was the result of the carbonation in the excessive amount of soda I drank every day. When I eliminated soda from my diet last January, I stopped having constant pain. Since I've been back at work, though, I've started drinking coffee and hot tea and the heartburn is back. It turns out one cause of heartburn is our good friend caffeine. It relaxes the valve that keeps your stomach acid out of the esophagus. I guess that explains why chocolate also gives me heartburn. I guess I need to cut down on the amount of caffeinated beverages I consume. I don't want to use any medications to treat it, because I've read that those interfere with your digestion and keep you from getting nutrients from your food. I read that Ginger is a natural remedy and I've been meaning to try it. Supposedly chamomile is good, too. I had heard that peppermint was good for heartburn, but unfortunately it has the same effect as caffeine. When I tried that, it actually ended up making the problem much worse. I had totally forgotten peppermint's effects until a couple of days ago when I ate a bunch of Altoids after a particularly bad cup of coffee. Big mistake!