Fewer burning nights, without giving up every food you enjoy.
Work with a Registered Dietitian to ease heartburn and reflux through meal timing, portions and your own triggers, alongside the treatment your doctor prescribes. In person in Ottawa and Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.
Start with understanding
Acid reflux happens when stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus, the tube between your mouth and stomach. It often causes heartburn, a sour taste or regurgitation. When it happens often or causes complications, it’s called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is very common, and it can disturb sleep, meals and work.
What, when and how much you eat affects reflux. Large or late meals, lying down soon after eating, and some foods and drinks can make it worse. Guidelines recommend changes to meal timing and habits for everyone with GERD, and avoiding foods that clearly trigger your symptoms, rather than following one strict diet. These changes work alongside medication, not instead of it.
We work with adults who have heartburn or reflux, whether it has been diagnosed as GERD or not, including people who want to rely less on medication with their doctor’s agreement. If your symptoms are new, severe or have changed, see your doctor first.
Your path forward
Most people improve with changes to timing and portions before cutting out any food. Restrictions come later, and only if they help.
Step 1 · first weeks
Finish eating two to three hours before lying down, have smaller meals, and slow down at the table. These habits help most people, whatever their triggers.
Step 2 · next
Common suspects include fatty or fried meals, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, mint, citrus, tomato and spicy foods, but triggers are personal. We test them one at a time instead of cutting them all.
Step 3 · long term
Hold on to the habits that help, plan for meals out and late evenings, and review your medication needs with your doctor as your symptoms settle.
Every reflux is different
When and how your symptoms show up points to the changes most likely to help.
Reflux symptoms can look like heart, stomach or swallowing problems. Your doctor confirms GERD and decides whether you need tests or medication.
Support for your everyday
We use clinical software that links what and when you eat to how you feel, so your plan targets what actually matters for you.
You log meals and symptoms in our patient portal, with the time of day. Your dietitian looks for patterns, including late meals and specific foods.
Once your triggers are clear, the recipes we suggest are checked against the foods you avoid, at the portion you’ll actually eat.
You get recipes and meal ideas that fit your schedule, with lighter options for the evening.
With your consent, we share our notes with your family doctor or gastroenterologist, especially if you plan to change your medication with them.
Putting it into practice
Leave two to three hours between your last meal and lying down, so your stomach has time to empty.
Large meals put more pressure on the valve between your stomach and esophagus. Smaller meals and snacks spread through the day help.
If reflux wakes you at night, raise the head of the bed by 15 to 20 cm with blocks or a wedge. Extra pillows alone tend to bend you at the waist and don’t help as much.
Cutting out every food on a list makes eating harder without guaranteeing relief. Test suspects one at a time and keep what you tolerate.
Both relax the valve that keeps stomach contents down. Stopping smoking helps reflux and much more.
Avoid lying down, bending over or tight waistbands right after eating. A short walk after dinner can help.
WORKING WITH YOUR DIETITIAN
We review your symptoms and when they happen, your medication, your meal pattern, sleep and weight history, and what you have already tried.
We start with the habits most likely to help you, then test your suspected triggers one at a time.
We adjust the plan as your symptoms change and, with your consent, keep your doctor informed if you review your medication together.
There is no single list that applies to everyone. Fatty or fried meals, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, mint, citrus, tomato and spicy foods are common triggers, but most people react to only a few of them. Cutting them all out usually isn’t necessary.
Not necessarily. Some people with reflux tolerate coffee well, especially with food and earlier in the day. We test it rather than remove it by default.
Better habits can reduce symptoms and sometimes the need for medication, but any change to your medication should be made with your doctor or pharmacist. Stopping some reflux medications suddenly can make symptoms come back stronger for a while.
It may soothe for a moment, but it isn’t a treatment, and a large glass of whole milk can make some people’s reflux worse later. Timing and portions work better.
If you are above a weight that’s healthy for you, even modest weight loss often reduces reflux symptoms. We focus on sustainable habits rather than strict dieting.
Many private insurance plans cover services from a Registered Dietitian. We provide receipts for you to submit. Check your plan for coverage details.
Yes. Online appointments by secure video are available anywhere in Ontario and Quebec. You log your meals and symptoms in our patient portal, and we go over them together at each visit.
This page is general information, not individual advice. Your needs depend on your diagnosis, your health and your goals.
We see you in person at our Ottawa and Gatineau clinics or by secure video anywhere in Ontario and Quebec, in English or French. With your consent, we share your plan with your family doctor or gastroenterologist.
Let’s take the next step
Start with a free initial consultation, in person in Ottawa or Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.
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