Barrett’s esophagus-friendly diet

Wouldn’t this be similar or the same as the dietary guidelines for GERD—i.e. avoiding acidic foods and beverages, things that are highly spiced, etc?

Yes, it’s kinda like the gerd diet but there are conflicting items they say you can eat like apples that I know are acidic. I’d like a diet list that’s safe to consume.

There is no “one diet fits all”. Best way to figure out “what works for you” is to keep a food diary. Make a list of what triggers your symptoms and avoid those foods. Some apples are more acidic than others. Some coffees are less acidic than others. Research low acid foods.

@riflemanz64 I have been diagnosed with both BE as well as IC (interstitial cystitis), so I have been on a No/Low acid diet restriction for almost 2 years now. I use the diet restrictions list off of the IC Network, which, like someone else mentioned before, is there as a guideline since everyone is different. Some items that is on the list to avoid is fine for me if I have a very small amount and/or don't consume it every day, while other's on their "safe" or "maybe" categories seem to bother me a little. Ultimately, I have found that for the most part, their exhausted list that you can download for free is pretty accurate for me. When you first start, though, I found that it's best to eliminate everything they say to avoid for at least 2-3 weeks, and then slowly start adding food items, one at a time, back into your diet, that are either on their "maybe" category, or that you just want to try (remember, though, only small amounts of these; AND, the longer you are off of something, the harder it is when you re-introduce it back into your diet, for your body to accept/digest it). Also, I found it extremely helpful to prevent acid reflux (as well as for much better digestion) to SLOW DOWN when eating and drinking, as well as taking SMALLER bites. Chew every bite slowly. If you can, time yourself, and try dividing your meal in half, eating the first half over the course of 10 minutes - drinking in between bites, putting your fork/spoon down in between bites, or food down if eating something you hold. When that first 10 minutes is done, take a 3-5 min break from eating, and afterwards, eat the remaining half of your meal in the same slow manner as you ate the first half. One last thing I also found helpful when training myself to eat this way was to eat smaller portions; to help with that, I serve myself on a smaller plate, like a side/salad plate. All of these habits have honestly been such a game changer for me; I hope they can help you, too! Again, the free printable exhausted list is found at IC-Network.com

@riflemanz64 here's the link to the IC Network with info on their food list https://www.ic-network.com/interstitial-cystitis-diet/the-ic-food-lists/

Here's the link to their ICN Food List that you can print out (this is the one I use)
https://www.ic-network.com/downloads/2012icnfoodlist.pdf

Thanks!

Do you think that fig newton cookies would be safe to eat?

@riflemanz64 Well, according to the ICN food list, fresh or dried figs are in the "foods worth trying", but since the figs in a store-bought Newton cookie have a lot of other ingredients and preservatives in them, I'm leaning towards probably not a great idea. However, the only real way of knowing, since everyone tolerates things differently, is to try it - but, I would just try one and see how you do with that. If I eat something that flares up my BE, I usually know right away, like minutes after I've eaten it. So, it's up to you whether you want to take the chance or not. If you try, let me know how it went!

Also, I'm not sure this is something you'd be interested in or not, but my mom also has BE, but she doesn't have all of the other health issues that I have, so she is able to do things for her BE a little differently than me. So, I looked into this book for her bc the Dr was talking about possible surgery for her, and I decided to buy it for her bc I kept hearing really good things about it. She had only been following it for a few days and was so encouraged and excited to tell me that it was already making a huge difference, so she is currently in the middle of the 28-day program, and is feeling so much better and has even lost weight. She also said that it is very interesting and informative. I bought it off of Amazon for $13

The Acid Watcher Diet: A 28-Day Reflux Prevention and Healing Program https://www.amazon.com/dp/1101905581/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_81ytDbXQ7VB5K

@graceandpeace I think I’m a real anomaly. My BE never seems bothered by any food, the only sign of it that I have ever had is hoarseness! That was the first indication. The omeprazole has kept that in check for a long time and my endoscopes have been good but I am getting a little hoarse recently so I am a bit anxious for my endoscopy scheduled in September.

If my endoscopy indicates I need to be more cautious, I will buy that book. Thanks for the info.
JK