Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Those old Alka-Seltzer commercials were memorable, weren’t they? It was always a gas (no pun intended) to giggle over adult indigestion. But now we’re the ones burping and bloating and reaching for the antacid. Heartburn and acid reflux have become two of the most common afflictions of the 21st century.
Our eating habits have evolved much faster than our digestive systems. Early humans ate mostly vegetation with the occasional meat meal, if the hunting was good. Rich desserts, white bread, and diet soda were still millions of years in the future, and it may take another million to process them without gastric distress. Meanwhile there are six things you can do try at home to alleviate party pooping digestive issues and midnight antacid runs.
Avoid Fried Food
Here’s the pre-meal visualization: It tastes good for a nanosecond. Then the gut-wrenching work of digesting all that grease takes over and causes hours of serious discomfort. Plus, the recommended daily fat intake for an average adult is 65g or less. A large order of French fries can easily be 30g, or almost half the daily intake. Pair it with a burger and you’re WAY over the limit.
Say No To Drive-Through Dining
Fast food places can turn even a salad or a baked potato into a gut-busting fat-fest. The double meat, extra cheese, and piles of bacon push calorie counts and fat content into the stratosphere. If you don’t live in a state that has to post the calorie and fat content on menus now, you’re probably living in blissful oblivion.
Don’t Be Fooled By Sandwiches The Size Of A Volkswagen
When did the portion size of a single sandwich grow to be something measured in feet? The more we stuff into our gut, the harder our bodies work to digest it, and the longer it takes. And all those extra calories have to be stored, usually as fat
Soda Has Some Value – For Getting Wine Stains Out Of The Carpet
The acid in soda interferes with the acid-alkaline balance of the stomach and slows digestion. It also causes acid reflux and inflammation of the stomach. A study done at the University of Texas Health Science Center found that people who drank even one can of soda a day -- whether diet or not -- were at a higher risk of being overweight or obese.
Cut Back On Drinking With Meals
Gulping a lot of liquids during meals, whether it’s water, wine, milk or soda dilutes the stomach’s digestive juices. Most experts recommend just taking sips of liquids with meals; 4 to 6 ounces is usually OK. If you suffer from acid reflux or have severe digestion issues, drink liquids between meals and avoid drinking while eating.
Chew Your Food
Digestion starts in the mouth; our saliva starts breaking down the food as we chew it. If we don’t chew food enough, or we take bites that are too big to chew properly, this process is impaired, causing the stomach to work harder.
Mary Marino is a writer, blogger and editor of www.flashionista.com.
