Hey Rosemary. I also have had a lot of problems and have finally found some things that work. I don't eat any gluten, sugar, artificial coloring or artificial flavoring and as little processed food as possible. Sugar includes high fructose corn syrup, which is really bad stuff. Hope this helps. I resisted this kind of restrictive diet for a long time but have finally settled into it and am feeling much better. It's been worth the sacrifice for me. I also take some supplements but make sure they are whole food vitamins and of good quality. My chiropractor recommended the mediterranean diet, which is good, too. Some grains are better than other but it's the gluten you need to watch out for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mediterranean Diet Web Site

Rosemary, I checked out such a book from the library about 6 months ago, and it had a lot of good information in it. I've also done a lot of other reading, too. I can't remember the name of the book right now, but I'll look it up and post it here later. I have an appt. that I need to get to shortly!

Well, I haven't yet been able to find the name of the book. But I did take notes from that book and a health newsletter I get, the Blaylock Wellness Report. I followed the plan for a couple of months last fall, and felt so much better. But I really fell off the wagon from about Thanksgiving until recently. And during that time, the acid reflux returned, as did most of my other aches and pains. I started back with the plan about a week or two ago and feel better already. A couple of the most important points is to avoid omega-6 fats and get lots of omega-3's, and to consume low-glycemic foods rather than high.

Here is what I eat:

Wild salmon (absolutely no farmed salmon. All the fish I eat is wild)

Fish - but none of the larger fish like grouper or swordfish.

Raw nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, mostly.

LOTS of organic vegetables, and I eat about half of them raw. 5-10 servings a day.

Healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil and organic virgin coconut oil. I take Carlson's liquid fish oil everyday. If I need a spread, I will occasionally use butter, never margarine.

Plenty of tea. White and Rooibos are the ones that Dr. Blaylock recommends. I also occasionally have a cup of green or oolong tea. I drink 3-4 cups of tea a day.

Purified water - We invested in a water distiller. It takes about 4 hours to make a gallon. We love it and wouldn't be without it now.

Moderate amounts of:

Whole grains (limited; definitely not the 7-9 servings advocated in the food pyramid) such as oats, whole wheat, brown rice. I like a bread from Wild Oats that is made with organic whole wheat, filtered water, honey, yeast and salt. That's the entire ingredient list, no additives, chemicals or preservatives.

Fruits - Berries are especially good, and I eat oranges and apples, too. I seldom have a banana, as it is higher on the glycemic index. Avocados are great, full of healthy fat (are they a fruit or a vegetable??)

Shell fish - I try to avoid that which comes from China or Thailand, which is most of it, especially shrimp.

Dried beans/legumes - I eat black or red beans mostly, and just an average size serving, not a huge plateful.

Eggs high in omega-3's (Christopher eggs have the highest omega-3, 600 per egg and can be purchased at Kroger or Walmart)

Chicken, pork, or beef - just one of these once a week and always organic.

Things I avoid:

The aforementioned omega-6 fats, found in corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soybean and canola oils. This means no packaged snacks, which are full of this. Even if the label touts, "No saturated fat!", it's still a bad fat.

High-glycemic foods. This means no white potatoes (darn!), white rice, white bread and sugar.

All prepared and processed foods and soups. They are loaded with many things that cause inflammation.

Limited or very little dairy.

No soft drinks or diet soft drinks. These and omega-6's are the worst things you can put into your body. Regular soft drinks are full of the worst type of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup. And diet drinks have aspartame, another bad guy.

No MSG, and it's everywhere in processed foods. Did you know that there are at least a dozen other names that MSG goes by? Manufacturers slip it by us disguised by another name.

So basically, it's a whole food diet, with the majority of it being vegetables, fruits, and nuts, with some high quality proteins, dried beans, whole grains and healthy fats thrown in. It is quite restrictive, but the longer I stick with it, the less I miss the junk food and artery-clogging stuff I was consuming. And boy, I can tell a difference in how I feel, so it is worth it. Of course, I will from time to time treat myself to a slice of birthday cake, or some favorite thing that I miss, like sushi. I really do enjoy the foods that are allowed. Today's lunch was a Wild Oats whole wheat pita filled with veggies, lettuce, avocado. Last night's dinner was wild salmon, roasted asparagus spears and a salad of romaine and cherry tomatoes with a dressing made of olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Then my evening snack was an apple and a few almonds. Tried not to think of the box of Cheese Nips in the pantry!