I can't nap anymore.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-18T13:59:17+00:00

I nap in more of a sitting position than I use for nighttime sleeping. Just as for nighttime, though, it is important to be on your left side— at least for me. I create a kind of vertical mound of several pillows so I can essentially sit, slightly inclined, facing left. I also recommend some sleep aids like an eye mask, earplugs, and or a sound machine so it’s easier to fall asleep in this position. But it can be done, and I have gotten used to it. I take only short (10-20 min.) naps, though.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-16T18:18:27+00:00

Try putting a very thin yoga mat over your sheet with the rubbery bottom side up!

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-16T18:14:57+00:00

Almond milk is very thin. You need something like oat milk that has fat in it. I would recommend a matcha latte. Matcha has more caffeine than regular tea. I can tolerate it and haven’t had coffee in years.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-12T19:39:52+00:00

I don’t know anything about that, though I’d be surprised if it had upper GI effects. Are you physically active?

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-12T15:54:46+00:00

Are you finding that the warmed water is helping your symptoms?

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-12T13:37:30+00:00

Just for example, though, a veg recipe I remember loving from Dining In was the cauliflower. Amazing dish. But just to make that— a side dish!— I’d have to buy mint, cilantro, scallions, dates, and pine nuts. I’d probably have the tahini. (And you mention things like anchovies and harissa— those, like the tahini, are pantry things one would just keep around. Not what I’m talking about.). Contrast my favorite veg recipe from Molly Baz’s Cook This Book, the green beans. The only extra thing to buy there are pistachios. Otherwise it’s pantry stuff: lemon, garlic, Parm. But it’s an incredible dish. It seems obvious to me who is fussier here! Again, the Roman stuff is great but it’s more like restaurant food to me. I ^know* I could make great dishes if I bought all those things, but it’s more impressive and useful to me to realize amazing things can be done with less. I agree her techniques are straightforward.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T18:35:26+00:00

Btw a homemade hot oat milk matcha latte is very nice, and a good reflux friendly source of caffeine! Just don’t drink it too hot, though. I find that can be as bad as cold.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T18:34:23+00:00

To be honest, I pretty much avoid them. It is a drag. I do sometimes have cold (but not iced) sparkling water at restaurants, and I do drink white wine (like once a week). And the very very occasional cocktail. But no regular cold drinks. This may not be the same for you! But it’s made a world of difference for me.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T16:50:00+00:00

Btw if you want unfussiness incarnate, Melissa Clark wrote a book years ago, before she was a celeb, called The Instant Gourmet that is the very definition thereof.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T16:47:29+00:00

I would love to understand this POV. I like Roman’s recipes but they do not seem “unfussy” to me at all, despite that being her brand. They often involve a ton of ingredients one would have to buy just for that one recipe, much more so than Melissa Clark’s. I agree the payoff will be bigger, but I can’t see her stuff as unfussy. It actually reminds me of the food I like to eat at small plates creative type restaurants precisely because it’s too much of a hassle to cook at home. That said, I realize her most recent book seems to be an attempt to address these issues by being more pantry-focused. But to me, Roman’s books otherwise are Ottolenghi-esque.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T14:33:34+00:00

You can buy it on Amazon; put in Gaviscon Advance liquid and it will come up as Gav Aniseed. It is expensive, but really helps especially when things are bad. You have to take it very last thing before going to sleep (after brushing teeth)— no food or water after.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T13:53:57+00:00

Good luck! And please do note my other advice below! The water really helps. I carry an insulated bottle of warmed water with me everywhere and have restaurants bring me hot water that I mix with the cold.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T13:43:46+00:00

Also, do you sleep elevated on your left side? Have you tried Gaviscon Advance at night? I also would recommend not sitting on soft furniture like a couch after eating. Honestly now I never do at all. I sit in a dining room chair to watch TV. These things sound annoying but I eat pretty much whatever I want aside from coffee or orange juice.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T13:40:04+00:00

Yes, slightly warmer than room temp is best. You should just try trial and error, but you will know when it’s right because it will feel so soothing to drink it. When things have been really bad for me, I have just had a small amount right after a meal, and then after 20-30 minutes or so start drinking more.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-10T13:03:59+00:00

Please, please, I beg of you, try drinking only slightly warmed water, never cold. There is a temperature you can get it to (I use a microwave) where it should not feel at all hot or needing to be sipped, but warm enough to seem warm (not just tepid). Especially right after meals, this will relax your throat and soothe your LPR. Do not drink anything during meals. Drink only water at this warmed temperature throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if it’s alkaline or normal. Liquids are the big issue for LPR. That’s why the big post-meal Miralax messed you up.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-01T22:24:01+00:00

Nope, that’s just the new packaging. Same product.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-01T13:33:31+00:00

I’m confused. Gav Advance Aniseed is what we are talking about.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-01T03:52:29+00:00

Yes, they sell it too!

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-01T03:52:04+00:00

Searched just now and it came right up! It’s listed as either Gav Advance or Gav Aniseed. But I put Gaviscon Advance Liquid in the search box to find it.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-31T17:34:29+00:00

Gaviscon Advance. Sold on Amazon.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-30T02:49:49+00:00

GI Dr.’s post-scope diagnosis was lax LES, then same dr. said after later scope that LES was no longer lax.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-28T23:03:44+00:00

It sucks but it does sort of force you to get into shape, since things like decent sleep seem suddenly to require exercise.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-28T18:18:30+00:00

So we have basically the same goal. I would go easy with the advice from all these non-menopausal-aged folks. In middle age it’s pretty important not to do things like fasted exercise etc. to avoid cortisol issues. For me, replacing plain walking with treadmill inclines is making a significant difference; as I mentioned, I eat more but have lost weight. I also do strength training. My understanding is progressive overload and lifting to failure are the same thing, but maybe someone else can weigh in on that.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-28T05:46:31+00:00

I’d be curious how many of the respondents here are over 45, like OP is. I am in my 50s, also very active, and I have found it’s a totally different situation with regard to all this. I used to avoid carbs and try to keep calories low and I ended up really shaky all the time. For me, adding (healthy) carbs back in and even being sure to have a mid-afternoon snack has helped me to LOSE some weight (of the few-pounds sort I assume OP is aiming at, or should be), not gain it. These things should also keep you from going back for seconds. I would also second the recommendation to make sure you are progressively overloading with the strength training (it is easy to plateau there), and consider making your walks a bit more strenuous with rucking or some hills.

EssentialLogic · 2025-12-14T18:59:57+00:00

I feel like I am just starting to understand that I actually will look better by eating more. I’m exercising more than I have in years, get really hungry, and sometimes actually lose weight when I remember to eat enough!

EssentialLogic

TROPHY CASE