The HealthStyle File- Chronic Indigestion…

What:

Remember that old commercial that proclaimed, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” This is the season of overeating, and many of you may experience the following not so pleasant symptoms: gas, bloating, acid reflux and burping.

When you overeat, stomach acid can rise up and irritate the esophagus; this can cause inflammation and acid reflux. In general, overeating makes you feel bloated because digestion gets slowed down; when digestion slows down, you may feel sluggish and tired.

Why:

Here’s a list of some daily habits that can cause digestive distress:

  • Swallowing air with food and water. This usually happens when you eat or drink too quickly.
  • Eating fast food and consuming too much fat at one time.
  • Smoking.
  • Alcohol.
  • Stress/fatigue/anxiety.
  • Drinking carbonated drinks along with consuming the sugar that is in the drink.
  • Recent research has discovered that if you have a large waist, it puts you at higher risk of having acid reflux.
  • Eating too close to bed time. If you don’t give your body enough time to digest a meal before bed, you may have more symptoms of indigestion.

How-to help your body heal from indigestion:

  • Elevate the head of your bed. Even just raising your head a few inches can make a huge difference in acid reflux.
  • Ginger can soothe the mucous membranes in your digestive tract and can also     reduce inflammation. Try sucking on ginger candy or sipping ginger tea after a meal.
  • Peppermint tea and chamomile tea can help to soothe the digestive tract and assist with digestion.
  • Drink less liquid with your meals. Many people drink glass after glass of water with a meal. The liquid will dilute your stomach acid, if you don’t have enough stomach acid, you will have a sluggish digestion. Drink sparingly during your meals.
  • Also…slow down and enjoy your food!
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