My Food Coma Friend

*I have received information, product and materials from McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., the makers of PEPCID^®, as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post.

As most of you know, I travel the world in search of awesome vegan food. Sure, vegan food is “healthier” in many ways but it can still be rich, spicy, oily, heavy and food coma inducing. Yum! So I partnered up with my friends at Pepcid as part of the Pepcid Tastemakers Taskforce for Pepcid Restaurant Week to show some yummy rich foods that I happily consumed knowing that they were along for the ride!

Let’s face it, food is a hot topic of conversation, the center of your weekend plans, and for many of us, a passion…even if some foods don’t always sit comfortably and instead ignite a “real fire” in your esophagus. That’s why the makers of PEPCID® are launching the PEPCID® Tastemakers series, and I’m super excited to be a part of it! Myself and Pepcid want to help foodies in their pursuit of elevated tastes and make the great taste last long after the meal is over.

Heartburn doesn’t just affect those chowing down on a massive plate of greasy, fried food; it can strike anywhere, even at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Certain foods and spices always cause discomfort, but people don’t want to give up these flavors and exploring new cuisines because of heartburn pain. PEPCID® is the tool that makes it possible to eat whatever you want and provides fast relief that lasts. The makers of PEPCID® want to help foodies enjoy the great taste of a meal, even if heartburn strikes. PEPCID® provides fast, long-lasting relief in just one chewable tablet to help you fight the burn and enjoy your next great bite. PEPCID® Complete also tastes great!

As any foodie will tell you, heartburn is one thing they want to keep off the menu. Heartburn is stomach acid escaping into the esophagus; you feel pain because, unlike the stomach, the esophagus isn’t meant to house acid. Uh, check please! Not to get all Bill Nye on you, but heartburn triggers vary from person to person, and various foods are a common trigger. Foods can trigger heartburn when the stomach reacts by increasing acid production, slowing down digestion, or inhibiting the esophageal sphincter’s ability to prevent stomach acid from going into the esophagus.Tomatoes, fatty foods, and coffee are common heartburn triggers. Yeah, they’re delicious, but heartburn? That’d be a big fat no.

Well I recently dined at a very rich and tasty vegan restaurant called Hog Town Vegan. I was with a friend and we just had to try everything on the menu, even though we knew we’d be in a food coma shortly after. We shared everything from vegan poutine and baked mac n’ cheese to phish & chips and vegan chick’n n’ waffles. And of course, we topped it off with a cinnamon chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. Oy, we felt that meal for days but boy was it fun!

Later that week, I met up with friends at Tabule where PEPCID® was a welcomed friend after a dinner full of spices, curry and mix of all sorts of food (and cocktails!). Delicious tofu and chickpea stew, a slew of dips and sauces and even a vegan mango lassi, this was another meal for the books ; )

I eat extremely clean 90% of the time but when i travel or spend time with friends, I like to live and enjoy it so that’s when Pepcid comes in handy!

Be sure to also follow Pepcid on Facebook for fun tips AND your chance to win the Pepcid Tastemakers Pepcid Restaurant Week Sweepstakes!

About Pepcid Tastemakers Pepcid Restaurant Week

The PEPCID® brand has teamed up for a second year with Tastemaker at large Ted Allen – a heartburn sufferer, food enthusiast and host of Chopped and new show All Star Academy – to curate a list of top restaurants and dishes in cities across the country. Ted, like the PEPCID® brand, believes that heartburn shouldn’t keep anyone from enjoying bold flavors and he is sharing his tips on how to find great meals anywhere.

As part of PEPCID® Tastemakers Restaurant Week, the PEPCID® brand is partnering with Eater.com, the go-to source for in-the-know food and dining news and events, to curate exclusive content for foodies everywhere, including restaurant recommendations, Ted Allen’s tips for exploring local restaurant’s unique flavors and access to exclusive recipes. The PEPCID® brand and Eater are kicking off PEPCID® Tastemakers Restaurant Week with two exclusive dining events in New York City and Chicago to provide food enthusiasts with unique, culinary experiences at sought after restaurants. For more details on these exciting events, visit EATER.com/PEPCID.