Conti's - MakanMakan - Harbor View (My Birthday Nomnoms)

It crossed my mind to eat whatever I want to eat on my birthday last weekend. I was definitely missing all tomato-based dishes, I wanted chocolate and mocha cakes, I wanted to drink coffee, I wanted ice cream, I'm always craving for oily foods. But after weighing the pros and cons of my condition (pros: satisfying my cravings and feeling good for a little while, cons: acid reflux, heartburn and generally feeling awful afterward), I managed to stay disciplined and just ate the right kinds of food. I was thankful that I was able to get dishes that are healthy for me on these three restaurants we dined in last weekend:

Hotdog Potato Spinach Medley

There are days when I couldn't help myself and I eat the kinds of food that are a no-no for people with GERD like me (like chocolates,coffee, alcohol, anything with tomato, garlic and onions even in small amounts), thinking that I can get away with it. Well, sometimes, I can but when I do it for two or three consecutive meals, I end up not feeling so good afterwards. Tsk, tsk. 

On this particular day, I was running out of groceries and food I can eat. Actually I've been running out of groceries  for a week now (been doing 18-hour shifts at work coz I need the moolah to fund my summer escapades beginning next month... will be visiting Bacolod and Cebu again; will be living in Siargao for two weeks and learn how to surf in Cloud 9 as promised; have plans of diving in Anilao and surfing in Baler, plus of course my addiction to windsurfing. So you see, I really need a lot of funds. Hehehe.). Anyhoo, our fridge don't have much in it at the moment except for a few hotdogs, potatoes, a bottle of mustard, and some spinach. Good thing that my hubby, Peter, has a talent for concocting wonderful homemade dishes out of scrap. So this is what he did to come up with his yummy Hotdog Potato Spinach Medley :

Soyami - Snacking Without the Guilt

I was invited to a bloggers event featuring Soyami products last Jan. 25, hosted by Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez. Unfortunately, my work schedule has been very hectic that it's been impossible for me to take some time off my job. It's one of those food events that  really got me interested because of these three reasons:

A Simple Noche Buena Good for People with GERD

My hubby and I have always had simple Christmas celebrations. Since both of us are not huge fans of the season, we prefer not to make a fuss about it. Actually, if it weren't for my family being with us, we probably would have slept through it. Anyway, last Christmas, Peter just prepared food enough for the five of us (my parents and sister included), making sure that I won't be eating oily and fatty dishes since I have special food requirements, although I did have Pancit Canton from Amber's, two glasses of strawberry wine and a glass of Coke. Luckily, I didn't feel bad afterward so maybe my GERD has already healed. ^_^

Baked Chicken

I only ate the meat inside and avoided the skin.

Good Food at Bono Yaki

Every time Peter and I would eat out, it's always a challenge finding a restaurant offering dishes I can eat. It get can pretty depressing actually but it's a good thing that I've gotten the hang of it. I'm starting to think  that after a month of GERD medication, my taste has already change. I no longer crave the foods I used to eat before. I'm now more into bland, a bit salty, less sweet and less tasty but healthier foods.

Healthy Weekend Feast

When Peter and I do the groceries, we can be very efficient. We already know where to go and we typically get the same items every time. But since I had GERD, I have to be more choosy and creative with the food we buy. No more chips, dips, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and chocolates. Even tomatoes, onions, pepper, spices, and all those things on my bad food list are a no-no now.

Thank God for the emergence of whole and organic foods, I am still left with a number of choices that can cater to my sweet tooth and my need for scrumptious dishes.

Below are just some of the food Peter and I prepared last weekend when two of our dear friends (Peachie and Marichit) stayed with us. If you have a desire to be healthier, or if you're having problems with heartburn and acid reflux too, but have a natural inclination towards sweets, know that you are not alone. There are still so many choices out there to choose from. It's not yet the end of the world. (^_^)

Herbed steak with Honey

This is a beef rib-eye steak, dashed with a bit of salt and tarragon, and poured with honey. It was baked for 20 minutes in an oven at 250 F degrees. Just make sure you cover it with foil so it doesn't get burnt.

Herbed Chicken with Potatoes, Carrots and Lettuce

Here's another dish I made that's good for people like me who are suffering from acid reflux or GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) ---> Herbed Chicken with Potatoes, Carrots and Lettuce. It's tasty, it's colorful, and very, very healthy. Here's how you can do this too. It's very easy.

Smoked Salmon on Toast - good food for acid reflux and GERD

I've been taking my medicines for 6 days now (Domperidone GI norm 10 mg and Omeprazole Omepron 20mg) and I am continuously learning my lesson... One of which is to not eat anymore when I'm about to go to bed. Though it was only a bowl of fish, eggplant and rice that I ate on Saturday evening, which are all included in the safe foods for GERD, I woke up nauseous the next day and threw up everything I ate several times! Tsk, tsk, tsk.

GERD and Acid Reflux Foods - My So-Called Healthy Diet Before. WHAT WENT WRONG???

So it's official. I'm not pregnant but I do have GERD. Its symptoms started exhibiting in October when we were in Misibis Bay. Just so you know, you would have GERD if you have the following symptoms:

• You feel like you want to burp but you can't.
• It feels like there's something stuck in your throat.
• It's hard to swallow. Worse, it's painful to swallow.
• You're experiencing heartburn more than usual.
• You hear a regurgitating sound in your throat like there's air twirling in there.
• You throw up your food (this has never happened to me but it happened to Peter and it was painful watching him).
• The food you've already swallowed backs up to your mouth (this always happen s to me).

Early signs and possible causes of GERD:

Misibis Bay Scrumptious Buffet Meals - Where it all started

When I changed the domain name of our food blog from dietmotivator.blogspot.com to www.sexynomnom.com, it was also around that time that I started exhibiting symptoms of GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It may have been triggered by all those buffet meals (breakfast buffets, lunch buffets, dinner buffets) we had at Misibis Bay in October made worse by drinking lots of coffee every single day for so many years now, eating lots of chocolates and ice cream, sleeping right after eating, or days when I don't eat at all then I suddenly eat a mountain of food in one go, and a whole month (or had it been months? I can't recall anymore) of not sleeping well. In short, I was not taking care of myself, coupled with stress from work and problems at the home front.