Step 3 - Month 2 | Reset Your Stomach Acid

therhythmofhealth
Nov 21, 2025
6 min read

When most people hear the word “acid,” they think of heartburn or reflux, something they have too much of. But for many people, especially those with long-term digestive issues, it’s actually the opposite, too little acid or acid that is delayed.

Your stomach acid isn’t the enemy. It’s your first major line of defence, and one of the most important parts of digestion. It signals everything else that follows: bile release, enzyme production, and even the rhythm of your bowel movements. If that signal is weak, the rest of the processes struggle to stay in sync.

Why Stomach Acid Matters

It kills bacteria that shouldn’t pass further down the gut.
Prevents bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine (SIBO)
It breaks down protein so your body can use it.
It tells your gallbladder and pancreas that food has arrived, so they release bile and enzymes.
It keeps your gut environment acidic enough to prevent fermentation higher up.
It helps calcium, magnesium and zinc to be released from food and ready for absorption.

If this step fails, digestion turns sluggish. Food sits too long, starts fermenting, or passes through half-digested. That’s when you see symptoms further down: bloating, pale stools, urgency, or colon irritation.

Why It Happens

Low acid isn’t random. It usually builds up slowly from a few key things:

Eating under stress | The brain never sends the “get ready” signal.
Drinking too much water with meals | It weakens the acid.
Long-term antacids or reflux medication | These reduce acid over time.
Nutrient deficiencies, or low salt intake | Your body simply runs short on the materials it needs to make acid.
H. pylori infection | A common stomach bacteria that can suppress acid production. Testing and treatment for this can be done through a trusted health practitioner.

How to Tell If Low Acid Might Be the Issue

If any of that sounds familiar, your stomach might not be sending the right signal.

Feeling full after only a few bites.
Bloating, reflux, or heartburn after meals.
If you rarely burp after sparkling water (when most people would).
Heaviness or pressure under the ribs.
Food that feels like it “just sits there.”
Undigested pieces in stool. This can worsen food sensitivities and histamine reactions.
Nausea when you eat higher-fat or higher-protein meals.
Nutrient issues (low iron, B12, zinc, calcium, magnesium).
Weak bile and enzyme release.
Higher risk of gut infections and microbiome overgrowth.

At Home Acid Test

You don’t need a lab to get a rough sense of your stomach acid levels. You just need bicarb soda, water, and a few minutes. When bicarb soda meets stomach acid, it makes carbon dioxide, the gas that makes you burp. The stronger your acid, the faster that reaction happens.

What You’ll Need

½ teaspoon bicarb soda
½ cup of room temperature water
An empty stomach (do it first thing in the morning before food or drink)

What to Do

Mix the bicarb soda into the water and drink it calmly, not rushed.
Wait and notice what happens.
You’re looking for how long it takes you to burp.

What It Means

If you burp within 2–3 minutes | Your stomach acid is likely strong enough.
If it takes longer than 5 minutes | Or doesn’t happen at all, your stomach may be on the low side.
Burp right away (under 30 seconds) | Can just mean you swallowed air or drank too fast

Keep in Mind

It’s not a perfect science. Many things can affect it like your stress level, or what you ate the day before. But it’s a simple way to start getting to know your digestion. If you notice it’s consistently slow, that’s a sign your gut might need more support with stomach acid and calm eating.

How to Support It Naturally

Start simple first.

Eat calmly | Follow the steps from the first phase Step 2: Calm the System.
Avoid snacking | So the stomach has time to repair and reset between meals.
Make sure you have enough salt in your diet | It’s used to make stomach acid.
Avoid drinking large amounts of water | 30 minutes before and 2 hours after big meals.
Try adding apple cider vinegar or lemon juice | 1 teaspoon in a small amount of water before meals if tolerated. [Link to Digestive Support]
Morning walk or sunshine before breakfast | This helps stimulate stomach acid release by aligning the body's circadian rhythm.

If You Want to Try a Stomach Acid Supplement

You can find Betaine HCl with Pepsin in most health food stores. Here’s a gentle way to try it:

Take one capsule mid-meal | With each protein-rich main meal for two to three days.
Wait and feel | You’re looking for heaviness under the ribs or gentle warmth (not burning).
Increase gradually | Every two to three days, add another capsule to your meals, until you feel mild warmth or tightness.
Find your working dose | The last comfortable dose (the one before warmth and tightness) is your working level. It's the dose that gives smooth digestion with minimal heaviness, and no reflux. Most people land between 500 - 2000 mg per meal. Although some with long-term low acid may need 3000 - 4000 mg. Higher doses should only be used if the lower doses feel neutral and there’s no burning. If you experience burning, throat warmth, reflux, pain or tightness under the sternum, drink a little water with a pinch of bicarb soda, skip the next dose, and drop back one capsule.
Hold the dose | Once your meals start feeling lighter and your energy steadier, you can hold that dose. If the acid producing cells have been "asleep" for years, it can take several months of consistent supplement use before they reawaken. Note that if acid doesn’t noticeably improve symptoms within 2 - 3 weeks, your issue is probably not acid and it's time to move to the next step.
Carefully reduce | Once digestion feels smooth and stable, and stools are dark and sink, you can begin reducing your dose (likely when you are in Step 6 or 7). Pick a protein-heavy meal you normally use betaine HCL with. Drop your dose by one capsule for that meal, and observe how it feels for two or three days. If meals still feel light and your next-morning energy holds steady, reduce again. When you hit a point where heaviness or slow digestion returns, you’ve found your current natural limit, go back up one capsule and hold for a few more weeks. You can always try reduce further later on.

Disclaimer: This isn’t a prescription and it’s not for everyone. If you’ve had stomach ulcers, reflux damage, gastritis, or take anti-inflammatories (even occasionally) or acid blockers, skip Betaine HCL and get professional guidance first. Otherwise, go gently. Respect your body. The goal isn’t to blast your stomach with acid, it’s to wake it up gently.

If It’s Working, You’ll Notice

Meals feel “lighter” and don’t linger.
Bloating reduces. No nausea or burping.
Less gurgling or reflux after eating.
Stool colour deepens to a healthy medium brown and are better formed.
Energy between meals steadies out.
Breath smells cleaner and skin may improve.

Where to Next

Continue this step until meals consistently feel light and predictable. If your gut symptoms resolve, this may be all you need and you can move straight to Step 7 | Build a Lasting Gut Rhythm. If resetting your stomach acid doesn’t help, or if it helps at first, but then symptoms shift lower down, it’s a sign the next link in the chain, Step 4 | Rebalance Bile + Enzymes, needs attention. And that’s where we’ll go next.