Ever-Important Digestion: Help Your Body Out!
Nothing ruins a good meal like uncomfortable indigestion.
According to statistics from the National Institute of Health, 25 million Americans suffer from indigestion on a daily basis, and more than 60 million report having indigestion at least once a month.
What makes these numbers so alarming, however, is realizing how avoidable indigestion can be.
It isn't simply what we eat that affects our health, but also how we eat.
More often than not, indigestion can be avoided by understanding how your stomach works and eating within your digestive system's "rules.
" The process of digestion is much more complex than simply chewing food and swallowing it.
Minerals, probiotics and enzymes all work together to prepare your body for digestion and absorption so that it can be turned into useful energy.
Digestion begins with your first bite: as you chew, the enzymes in your saliva begin to break each morsel down so that your stomach can properly digest them.
For example, the enzyme alpha amylase is responsible for reducing starches into smaller, more manageable molecules, and lingual lipase, which is secreted by glands underneath your tongue, digests fats-important steps which occur while food is still in your mouth.
Swallowing your food without chewing thoroughly will hinder these enzymes and as a result, place a greater strain on your stomach, resulting in indigestion.
A good rule of thumb is to chew your food until it is a liquid or you cannot distinguish its texture anymore.
It's tempting to reach for those TUM's when you are suffering from indigestion, but antacids actually stop the production of hydrochloric acid.
Instead, prevent indigestion before you experience it by following these "Rules of the Stomach.
" 1.
Drink fluids between meals, and don't have more than 4 oz.
of fluids with a meal.
That said, thirst can be perceived as hunger so drinking ample amounts of water between meals is always a good practice.
2.
Avoid coffee at meals.
Instead, drink it an hour before you eat or an hour and a half to two hours after you eat.
3.
Consume fruits by themselves, not with other foods.
As with coffee, eat fruit an hour before your meal or an hour and a half to two hours after a meal.
This is especially important with melons.
4.
Pay attention to your body more.
Some people's body's will respond better to frequent small meals while others will feel much better only eating 3 main meals per day.
No matter what your body's preference is, overeating is always ill-advised.
5.
Take your time.
Savor the food, enjoy your meal, and make sure that you chew thoroughly before swallowing.
6.
Rest after eating, allow your body 30 to 45 minutes for digestion and wait a little longer before engaging in strenuous physical activity.
7.
Practice moderation with foods that are known triggers for indigestion, particularly carbonated beverages, alcohol, coffee, acidic foods, spicy foods, fried foods and greasy foods.
8.
Try not to microwave your food, as doing so destroys natural enzymes, making it more difficult for you to digest.
Instead, re-heat food in the oven or on your stove-top.
9.
Start taking acidophilus capsules, which can be found at most pharmacies or grocery stores.
Taking two each day about 45 minutes before breakfast will help you balance your bowel flora.
10.
Eat when you're hungry.
This seems like common sense, but it is easy to misinterpret boredom for actual hunger.
11.
Wait to sleep until three hours after eating.
The body doesn't require as much energy to sleep, and calories from a bedtime snack will be stored as fat.
Sleeping with your head elevated on a pillow will also prevent indigestion while you sleep, since acids from the stomach will be less likely to move upwards into the esophagus.
12.
Avoid enzyme-less foods, many foods meant to last for long periods of time do so because of a lack or enzymes.
Make sure the majority of your diet consists of fresh foods.
13.
Healthy lifestyle can also benefit digestion.
Frequent exercise, not smoking and avoiding processed foods are habits that your entire body will thank you for.
According to statistics from the National Institute of Health, 25 million Americans suffer from indigestion on a daily basis, and more than 60 million report having indigestion at least once a month.
What makes these numbers so alarming, however, is realizing how avoidable indigestion can be.
It isn't simply what we eat that affects our health, but also how we eat.
More often than not, indigestion can be avoided by understanding how your stomach works and eating within your digestive system's "rules.
" The process of digestion is much more complex than simply chewing food and swallowing it.
Minerals, probiotics and enzymes all work together to prepare your body for digestion and absorption so that it can be turned into useful energy.
Digestion begins with your first bite: as you chew, the enzymes in your saliva begin to break each morsel down so that your stomach can properly digest them.
For example, the enzyme alpha amylase is responsible for reducing starches into smaller, more manageable molecules, and lingual lipase, which is secreted by glands underneath your tongue, digests fats-important steps which occur while food is still in your mouth.
Swallowing your food without chewing thoroughly will hinder these enzymes and as a result, place a greater strain on your stomach, resulting in indigestion.
A good rule of thumb is to chew your food until it is a liquid or you cannot distinguish its texture anymore.
It's tempting to reach for those TUM's when you are suffering from indigestion, but antacids actually stop the production of hydrochloric acid.
Instead, prevent indigestion before you experience it by following these "Rules of the Stomach.
" 1.
Drink fluids between meals, and don't have more than 4 oz.
of fluids with a meal.
That said, thirst can be perceived as hunger so drinking ample amounts of water between meals is always a good practice.
2.
Avoid coffee at meals.
Instead, drink it an hour before you eat or an hour and a half to two hours after you eat.
3.
Consume fruits by themselves, not with other foods.
As with coffee, eat fruit an hour before your meal or an hour and a half to two hours after a meal.
This is especially important with melons.
4.
Pay attention to your body more.
Some people's body's will respond better to frequent small meals while others will feel much better only eating 3 main meals per day.
No matter what your body's preference is, overeating is always ill-advised.
5.
Take your time.
Savor the food, enjoy your meal, and make sure that you chew thoroughly before swallowing.
6.
Rest after eating, allow your body 30 to 45 minutes for digestion and wait a little longer before engaging in strenuous physical activity.
7.
Practice moderation with foods that are known triggers for indigestion, particularly carbonated beverages, alcohol, coffee, acidic foods, spicy foods, fried foods and greasy foods.
8.
Try not to microwave your food, as doing so destroys natural enzymes, making it more difficult for you to digest.
Instead, re-heat food in the oven or on your stove-top.
9.
Start taking acidophilus capsules, which can be found at most pharmacies or grocery stores.
Taking two each day about 45 minutes before breakfast will help you balance your bowel flora.
10.
Eat when you're hungry.
This seems like common sense, but it is easy to misinterpret boredom for actual hunger.
11.
Wait to sleep until three hours after eating.
The body doesn't require as much energy to sleep, and calories from a bedtime snack will be stored as fat.
Sleeping with your head elevated on a pillow will also prevent indigestion while you sleep, since acids from the stomach will be less likely to move upwards into the esophagus.
12.
Avoid enzyme-less foods, many foods meant to last for long periods of time do so because of a lack or enzymes.
Make sure the majority of your diet consists of fresh foods.
13.
Healthy lifestyle can also benefit digestion.
Frequent exercise, not smoking and avoiding processed foods are habits that your entire body will thank you for.
