Everyone has experienced the symptoms of acid reflux or indigestion. Symptoms like these often show up after you’ve eaten a big meal. It’s estimated that as many as five millions men in the United States alone are affected by acid reflux symptoms at one time or another. For some people, however, their indigestion symptoms occur far more often.
You can take several steps to improve your digestive help and reduce your acid reflux symptoms. Here are five steps you can begin with right away.
1. Eat More Fiber Every Day
Adding more fiber into your diet will not only help prevent indigestion, it will also have a positive impact on your overall digestive health. Most people eat a diet full of junk food and fast food, as well as high-fat meals made of mostly meat. Unfortunately these foods only worsen your acid reflux symptoms.
A high fiber diet helps to prevent heart disease, colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, diabetes and many other diseases. In order to increase the amount of fiber you’re eating, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and add more whole grain cereals and breads to your diet.
For those that suffer with frequent indigestion, it may also be wise to avoid food that can give you gas, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, baked beans, and carbonated drinks and sodas. Drinking enough water is also a good idea, as it helps to lubricate the food within the digestive tract, and helps dissolve minerals, vitamins and other nutrients so they are more easily absorbed by your body.
2. Make Sure You are Chewing Your Food
To support good digestion, make sure you completely chew each bite. The motion of chewing breaks down your food, and it also signals your body to release digestive enzymes, beginning the digestive process.
In addition, make sure you don’t overeat. It can be an easy thing to do, especially with the portion sizes doled out in many restaurants. The larger your meal is, the more acid your stomach needs to produce to properly digest the food. In turn, this extra acid can increase the your chances of developing heartburn or indigestion.
3. Eliminate Stress and Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, while improving your digestive health. Regular exercise can help to avoid obesity, which can lead to such digestive problems as diarrhea, stomach pain, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Reducing the stress in your life helps to reduce digestive issues. Stress reduces the blood flow to your abdomen, and it also reduces the production of digestive enzymes. This reduction of enzymes slows the digestive process, leading to heartburn and indigestion symptoms.
4. Don’t Overuse Antacids
If you’re trying to eliminate your indigestion and heartburn symptoms, it might be tempting to take more than the recommended dose of your favorite antacid.
Over-the-counter antacids usually work to neutralize stomach acid, but overuse can cause more harm than good. Too much antacid can cause your stomach to lose acidity, which will impair its ability to properly digest your food, and leave you susceptible to bacterial infections.
5. Supplement your Digestive System
Digestive enzyme supplements can help you decrease your hearburn symptoms. Sourced from plant fiber, these enzymes enhance your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and digest food.
If you eat an unhealthy diet, or are in poor health, you probably lack a sufficient amount of digestive enzymes. Even healthy people can benefit from digestive supplements, espeically if they are suffering with indigestion or heartburn.
While there are certainly other things you can do to reduce your chances of experiencing indigestion, these five will get you well on your way, not only to eliminating your symptoms, but to an overall healthier body.
Tags: Acid Reflux, digestive, disease, throat