You are what you digest and absorb. For you to be well nourished, your digestive system must be able to break down food so that it can pass through the intestinal walls, enter the bloodstream, and eventually feeds the cells. If your digestive function is impaired, you may be receiving sufficient calories but not nutrients. Symptoms such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, a burning sensation, and nausea can occur.
Here are better ways to prevent indigestion from the book "Healing Foods for Dummies", by Molly Siple, a registered dietician :
* Chew your food well, but not with your mouth open. Don't talk while you're chewing.
* Slow down. Dine. Don't gulp.
* Eat smaller meals.
* Don't drink a lot of fluids with meals.
* Add foods to your meals that are also digestive aids, such as celery, asparagus, parsley, horseradish, oats, fennel, ginger, and cinnamon.
* Limit your intake of high-protein foods, such as meat and dairy product, which increase the amount of acid the stomach produces. Avoid hard-to-digest fatty foods.
* For dessert, have fresh papaya and pineapple, which contain food-digesting enzymes.
* Finish your meal with peppermint tea to relax tense muscles in the stomach and intestines.
Published by Teresita C. Tayanes on January 13, 2009 03:30 AM
