Our digestive system today is greatly challenged. Thanks to the ever-widening menu of strange foods, colours, food chemicals, processing chemicals, additives, preservatives etc. To add to this, we often eat irregularly, exercise very little, work till late, sleep less, and are constantly stressed. It's no wonder that most of us have badly maintained digestive systems.
Symptoms of indigestion include belching, abdominal pain, bloatedness, diarrhoea, constipation, burning sensation after eating food, nausea, joint and muscle pain, weakness etc. These symptoms could be due to a disorder in the stomach or in the intestine.
Causes of indigestion: Certain foods and beverages can cause indigestion as they irritate the digestive tract. These include alcohol, colas, coffee, fried foods, maida based foods, spicy and greasy foods, preserved foods etc. You may also suffer from indigestion if you have liver problems, gall stones, ulcers, lack of friendly bacteria. Psychological factors also contribute to indigestion. Stress, anxiety, anger can disturb digestion. Sometimes indigestion can be caused by insufficient (HCL) hydrochloric acid in the stomach. HCL is required for digestion of many food including fish, chicken, meat. HCL levels decline with age. Therefore older people suffer frequently from indigestion. In order to test if you have sufficient HCL in your stomach take a tablespoon of lemon juice or applecider vinegar after meals. If this helps your digestion means you need more stomach acids. If it makes you feel worse mean you have sufficient levels or maybe too much HCL in your stomach. So you should avoid vinegar, lime etc). If food is not digested properly, it ferments producing hydrogen and carbon dioxide causing gas and bloating. Foods such as grains and pulses are difficult to digest and cause bloatedness.
Ginger: has long been used as an aid for stomach upset. Its juice can be diluted with water and honey and consumed (slightly warm) if you have indigestion. Those people who experience nausea and vomiting will greatly benefit by using ginger. Nausea caused due to pregnancy, motion sickness, indigestion, or as a result of anesthesia or chemotherapy can be corrected by using ginger. For those of you who cannot consume raw ginger, try a ginger pickle, or diluted ginger juice. Ginger capsules are available and can be used effectively for combating nausea and indigestion.
Peppermint: Herb teas made from peppermint leaves are very helpful in combating acidity gas and bloatedness. Just dip the tea bag in hot water and sip it after meals. Peppermint oil contains menthol, which has beneficial effects on the intestines. You can buy peppermint capsules, which are available in health food stores all over the world. Peppermint oil is widely used in aromatherapy to combat indigestion. It can be topically applied to the stomach in combination with coconut oil.
Curd: If your indigestion is due to lack of friendly bacteria then having a bowl of curd a day will help you to restore the lost bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus, a strain of bacteria existing in curds helps to replace the gut flora and helps improve digestion.
Aloe Vera: This plant is known for its medicinal properties. It helps solve a whole range of digestive problems. Take 1 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera juice on a empty stomach in the morning and again at bed time. In order to extract fresh juice, just tear open the aloe vera leaf and scrape off the sticky juice with a spoon into a cup. Drink it fresh twice a day. It helps correct acidity, constipation, heartburn, gas. It is an excellent remedy for dry skin. These remedies are usually effective if combined with correct eating habits, avoiding stimulants like tobacco and caffeine, exercising regularly, maintaining a positive outlook and keeping regular hours of sleep.
Remember that a holistic approach to health will help you to solve most problems with greater ease.
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