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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | AUGUST 2025 13 By Janet Boyce, Resident Symptoms of heartburn, and sometimes acid reux from your stomach, become more prevalent as we get older. Frequent heartburn occurs when we get it two or more days per week. It's a burning pain in the chest that occurs aer eating. e pain will tend to worsen when lying down or bending over. ere can also be a bitter, acidic taste in the mouth. is condition is not that uncommon. GERD, which stands for Gastro-Esophageal Reux Disease, occurs when stomach acid comes back up into your esophagus. e lower esophageal sphincter works to prevent the acid reux from happening. GERD is much more serious than just heartburn, and will occur more oen, if treatment for heartburn is not addressed. I have experienced acid reux from my stomach twice, and it is a horrible situation! Foods that can trigger heartburn are the following: spicy foods, citrus foods, fatty or fried foods, tomato-based foods, alcohol, peppermint, carbonated and caeinated drinks, and even chocolate. Some of these foods are our favorites, so moderation is key. Don't over-do it on any of these particular foods, or you may get heartburn, and other uncomfortable stomach issues. e body always wants to live, so it will signal your transgressions! ere are many lifestyle changes and habits you can use to manage heartburn. First of all, avoid going to bed on a full stomach. You need time for digestion. is is one of my worst oenses, so I try to sip herbal tea aer 7:30 - 8 pm, even though I feel like I have the "ying munchies" at night. Secondly, eat smaller portions during the day while eating slowly. is gives your body time to feel full. Avoid trigger foods and beverages. With these changes, you can maintain a healthy weight which is important, because overweight people tend to have higher risks of problems. Usually, frequent heartburn is treated by medicine that has proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Nexium is a good example, but there's also Omeprazole, Pepcid AC, etc. ese are over-the- counter products, not prescriptions. Try various acid-reducers to see which ones work best for you. Also, be aware that some other medications or supplements that you may be taking can cause heartburn by irritating the lining of the esophagus. To improve your gut health, add more gut-bacteria promoting foods to your diet such as: garlic, bananas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables that include onions, carrots, and asparagus. In conclusion, we have all lived long enough to know which foods are healthy and which are not. It's a matter of avoiding junk food, and serving your body more of the real, unprocessed foods. What I do with really unhealthy food is take a "No, thank you" helping. at way, I get to taste it, but not compromise my routine. As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." Good luck, and here's to healthier eating, and no more heartburn. Handling Heartburn By Georgeann Wellfare, Resident On Veteran's Day we announced our annual awards to support our Veterans. is year for the rst time we donated to Homes for Our Troops. We like their mission of providing homes for veterans who have been severely disabled due to a war-time event. We were able to donate to a specic veteran that is in our area. It was our privilege to meet his family and those who are building the home for him. Marine Corporal Antonio Ortega & his wife, Cynthia, are pictured below with Ralph and Dennis. e kick-o event was a great reminder of the sacrices our veterans made for our country. Please visit www.hfotusa.org to learn more about this ne organization. Even though we have no general meetings in July or August, the planning does not stop. e following are events coming up in September and October: September 11 – Patriot Day at Sizzler: On that ursday, from11 am – 9 pm, 20% of all sales will benet our fundraising. Watch for a Community Blast for the ier to take with you to Sizzler. October 4 – Whiskey Tasting: Tasting will take place with the help of Kirk, who has presented many wine tastings here at SDV. He will lead us through the history of whiskey. October – Trunk or Treat: For this event, please bring bags of candy to the Lodge to support the City of Hemet Police Department's Halloween Trunk or Treat Project for local children. Watch for an SDV Community Blast for more information. Veterans & Friends

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