Effective tips to prevent indigestion

Indigestion is stomach discomfort that usually occurs after meals, often with nausea, belching, and bloating. It is commonly caused by overindulgence in food or drink, and stress, tiredness, or being overweight can aggravate symptoms. Sometimes indigestion is due to a serious disorder such as a stomach ulcer or gallstones, or is a side effect of medicines such as iron or certain antibiotics.

Make an appointment to see your doctor if:
* You have severe pain

*Indigestion does not seem related to eating

* You are losing weight without trying

* You are over 45 and have only recently developed indigestion

NATURAL REMEDIES
Herbal tea made with peppermint, chamomile, gentian, or fennel may help to relieve symptoms of indigestion.

What you can do yourself
Most bouts of mild indigestion can be dealt with simply by lifestyle adjustments and home remedies.

* Avoid foods or drinks that trigger symptoms.

* Don’t exercise for at least an hour after eating.

* If stress contributes to indigestion, try some methods that help to reduce it.

* Stop smoking, as this may aggravate symptoms.

* Take an antacid, an H2-blocker, or a combined H2-blocker and antacid to relieve symptoms.

* Eat at regular times. You’re less likely to get indigestion if you eat smaller meals more often. Eat slowly, chewing your food thoroughly.

* Avoid taking aspirin or ibuprofen for pain, as they can irritate the stomach. Paracetamol may be a more suitable alternative.

* Try a herbal tea to soothe your stomach (See NATURAL REMDEIS).
* If you are overweight, try to lose weight gradually.

Seek further medical advice if
* Your symptoms become worse

* Symptoms are not improving after a week or two.

* You have recurrent indigestion.

DRUG REMEDIES
Antacids can relieve indigestion by neutralizing acid in the stomach. Some antacids are combined with dimeticone (also known as simeticone) or an H2-blocker

H2-blockers reduce acid produced by the stomach. Try a short course (not more than 2 weeks) of ranitidine, famotidine, or a combined H2-blocker and antacid if antacids alone are not effective.

Antacids Liquids are more effective; tablets may be more convenient.

Body Will Unable to Digest Even a Healthy Diet Eaten Under Stressful Condition

Did you know that our thoughts have a profound effect on digestion? Even if you eat a healthy diet, yours body will be unable to digest the nutrients if you eat under stressful condition.

Hence, your state of mind is a critical factor at mealtimes. Your body can assimilate nutrients from food only if you eat in a relaxed environment. If there is something that bothering you, or if you are agitated, its is best not to eat at that time. You can resume eating later when you are in a composed state of mind.

Treat meal times as sacred. Don’t eat just because it is time to eat. Follow your hunger signals. Try and eat only up to 3/4th of your eating capacity to ensure proper digestion. If you overfeed yourself, you will be overloading your digestive system. This overload will only leave you sleepy, drained and lethargic.

Think Positive To De-Stress

Just like vegetable and fruits juices have a cleansing effect on the body, keeping a positive attitude will have a cleansing effect on you mind. You dispose off your body wastes and toxins by bathing, sweating, passing stools, etc. In the same manner, you must get rid of your mental blockages (negative feelings like jealousy, hatred, greed and anger) by maintaining a positive attitude.

In yoga it is said that the disease first enters from the mind and then seeps into the physical body. For example, no amounts of fiber, water or laxatives help some people get rid of constipation, acne, skin infections, eczema, bleeding from the nose, etc. Therefore, the cleansing of the mind is as important as the cleansing of the body.

We live in a world of uncertainty and challenges. Pressures and tensions are a part of life, but staying calm through them is living life! In fact, without a reasonable amount of stress, we would not be pushed to our limits to do more. Since you can’t eradicate stress, the goal should be to manage stress.

Remember what Robert Schuller said?

“Tough times don’t last, tough people do!”

By Dr.Anjali

How To Strengthening Your Digestive System

Chew your food well to allow breaking of food into small particles thus allowing salivary enzymes to begin their task in digesting the food. Swallow one bite before taking another as a means of slowing down in case you are accustomed in bolting your food.

Consume more cooked foods in oppose to cold or raw foods. If cold and raw foods are presented to you, have it heated up. Prefer hot soups, grain and bean dishes over snack-type meals.

Consume freshly cooked foods because these are free of molds or staleness and the most nourishing. Avoid leftovers.

Drink hot water (one that can be tolerated, not causing burns in your tongue). Hot water helps build digestive strength and detoxify the body. You can make a ginger root tea by adding few slices of ginger root in boiling water. Other herbs to improve digestive strength are cinnamon, chamomile and peppermint.

Avoid excessive intake of food because it greatly burdens the digestive system.

Rest a few minutes after eating and just sit still. This will help the body to focus fully on the digestive engine.

In between meals and you felt hunger, consume fruits preferably cooked fruit.

Eat simply by not mixing different types of foods.

If all else fails, consult a nutritionist or a physician to detect exactly the problem in your digestive system.
Ways to Improve Your Digestive Health:

Choose fresh, organic foods instead of canned or boxed foods that contain harsh preservatives and very small nutrients or vitamins. Combine cooked and raw foods, like a fresh salad and steamed carrots, to incorporate necessary and vital enzymes for proper digestion.

Maintain an 80/20 approach when eating throughout meals inhibits digestion and weakens your digestive system. This creates difficulties in converting consumed foods into energy.

Chew your food slowly and thoroughly with care and consideration every bite. Keep in mind that the first and most vital step to proper digestion and improved digestive health begins in your mouth.

Try eating your meals with the use of chopsticks. Although this may seem frustrating at first, in time you will adjust and learn how to maneuver food with ease and will consume meals gradually and take smaller bites. Eating with chopsticks controls your eating speed and bite size, and forces you to eat with more attention.

Take digestive enzymes with each meal to improve your digestive health. Digestive enzymes improve your nutrient extraction from the foods you consume and help in the prevention of bloating, gas and digestive distress.

Utilize apple cider vinegar in salads as a prebiotic that will feed healthy microflora to improve proper digestion.

Include ground flaxseed meals in your everyday meals. Sprinkle it as a topping on yogurt, salads and any dish of your food. Ground flaxseed oil is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a great source of dietary fiber.

Exercise daily to increase movement inside your bowels and improve your digestive health. Daily activity improves the usual rhythm of your digestive system and assists in moving food through your digestive system.

Some Amazing Health Benefits of Grapes

Grapes are rich sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants, which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and slacken ageing.

Grapes have vitamins, minerals, fiber and even proteins and could play an important role in ensuring a healthy and robust life.

Benefits: Some of the health benefits of grapes include the following:

Asthma: Due to its eminent therapeutic value, grapes can be used for cure of asthma. In addition to it, the assimilatory power of grapes is also higher. It increases the moisture present in lungs.

Heart diseases: Grapes increase the nitric oxide levels in the blood, which prevents blood clots thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks. In addition the antioxidant present in grapes prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which blocks the blood vessels.

Migraine: Ripe grape juice is an important home remedy for curing migraine. It should be taken early in the morning, without mixing additional water.

Constipation: Grapes are very effective in overcoming constipation. They are considered as a laxative food, as they contain organic acid, sugar and cellulose. They also relive chronic constipation by toning up intestine and stomach.

Indigestion: Grapes play an important role in dyspepsia. They relive heat and cure indigestion and irritation of the stomach. They are also preferred as they constitute a light food.

Fatigue: Light and white grape juice replenishes the iron content present in the body and prevents fatigue. Though, the dark grape juice might not give an iron boost and on the other hand, decrease the iron levels. Drinking grape juice also provides you with instant energy. The anti-oxidants present in grapes also provide the needed boost to your immune system.

Kidney disorders: Grapes can substantially reduce the acidity of the uric acid and helps in the elimination of the acid from the system, thereby reducing the work pressure of kidneys.

Breast cancer: Through a latest study, it has been discovered that purple colored Concord grape juice helps in preventing breast cancer. Significant reduction in mammary tumor mass of laboratory rats was seen after they were fed the grape juice on the experimental basis.

Alzheimer’s disease: Resveratrol, a beneficial polyphenol present in grapes reduces the levels of amyloidal-beta peptides in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that grapes can enhance brain health and stall the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Macular degeneration: Grapes can prevent the age related loss of vision or macular degeneration. Three servings of grapes a day can reduce the risks of macular degeneration by over 36 %.

Prevents cataract: Flavonoids present in grapes have antioxidants, which can reduce and fight the damage caused by free radicals such as cataract apart from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and age related problems.

Blood cholesterol: Grapes contain a compound called pterostilbene, which has the capacity to bring down cholesterol level. Saponins present in grape skin can also prevent the absorption of cholesterol by binding with it.

Antibacterial activity: Red grapes have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties and can protect you from infections. They have a strong antiviral property against poliovirus and herpes simplex virus.

Anticancer properties: Grapes are found to have strong anti cancer properties due to the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol present in grapes. It is particularly effective in colorectal cancer and breast cancer. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins present in grapes have properties of an anti-proliferate and can inhibit the growth of cancer causing agents. Grape juice not just prevents the risk of cancer but also suppresses the growth and propagation of cancer cells. The pigments contained in grapes enhance the overall immunity of the body.

Thus, grapes play a pivotal role in preventing innumerable health disorders and can be used as home based remedies for several ailments.

source: organicfacts.net

Tips for Snuffing Out Indigestion the Natural Way

According to the National Institutes of Health, indigestion is a common problem. It is usually not a serious health problem but, because it usually causes a bloated and overly full feeling, most people who suffer from it seek relief. Rather than turning to prescription drugs, and the side effects they may bring, people can find relief by taking a more natural approach.

“Most people do not realize that when one has digestion issues, it is because of a lack of enzymes,” says Gina Kopera, author of the book Cure Yourself Naturally: What To Do When Your Doctor Cannot Heal You. “Those enzymes need to be replaced, rather than drugged, which does not address the enzyme issue.”

Kopera, a certified master herbalist and owner of Gina’s Corner Healing Herbs and Supplements (www.ginascorner.com), offers EnzymePower, a natural herbal approach to beating indigestion. EnzymePower, which is a wheat berry drink that you make and is slightly fermented, helps to restore health by replacing all of the enzymes that the body is missing. While it contains healthy bacteria to help remove toxins, it is also loaded with important vitamins like B-complex, C and E.

She also notes that the body tends progressively to lose the ability to produce these important enzymes over the years, making indigestion more common as people age. Every 10 years or so, there is a substantial reduction in the amount of enzymes, making it imperative that they be restored to their natural state.

“Even using the EnzymePower, you still have to follow the three basic principles to having a healthy body,” adds Kopera. “You must take the time to cleanse, nourish and let the body heal itself. Until you do those things differently, you will continue to experience one problem after another. Natural healing and living is the route to wellness.”

In addition to EnzymePower, her herbal line of products includes those that help cleanse the colon, address nasal congestion, stabilize mood swings, and more. Kopera has used natural healing herbal remedies in her own life to overcome multiple sclerosis and to help her son address epilepsy.

SOURCE: hotindienews