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The Habit Healers · Aug 21, 2026

The 7 Fixes for Heartburn That Have Nothing to Do With Avoiding Coffee

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Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA · The Habit Healers

If you have acid reflux or GERD and you’ve already cut the coffee, the chocolate, and the tomato sauce but the heartburn keeps waking you up at night, this episode is for you.

I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and on today’s episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I explain what actually causes acid reflux: a valve problem at the lower esophageal sphincter, plus something called the acid pocket, a layer of concentrated stomach acid that floats on top of your meal and sits right at the valve. Once you understand this mechanism, the fixes finally make sense. We walk through the research on the best sleeping position for acid reflux, why elevating the head of your bed works when stacking pillows does not, how eating dinner earlier reduces nighttime heartburn, and why reducing refined carbohydrates lowers acid exposure even before any weight loss. We also cover the honest evidence on trigger food elimination, and how to have a productive conversation with your doctor about stepping down a PPI like omeprazole, including what rebound symptoms to expect.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why acid reflux is a valve problem, not an acid problem

  • The acid pocket: why heartburn is worst after meals

  • The best sleeping position for GERD and nighttime heartburn relief

  • How meal timing and a lower-carbohydrate dinner reduce acid exposure

  • Which popular heartburn remedies the research does not support

  • How to talk to your doctor about tapering off a PPI safely

Dr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/the-7-fixes-for-heartburn-that-have

Check out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about

Read the original on drlauriemarbas.substack.com

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