Proper eating habits - Best way to manage digestive problems

Mumbai, July 10 (UNI) Ensuring a good diet and physical activity is a big challenge in today's fast paced world of pepperoni pizzas and sugary cereals, conferences and e-mails.

If you're busy with work or family commitments, it can be tricky to find time to try new activities, exercises or focus on your diet.

No wonder acidity, indigestion, stomach upset and heartburn are far more common than other problems.

A balanced dietary regimen is the best way of keeping indigestion at bay. A proper food chart should be based on a wholesome, high-fibre low-fat diet, say experts.

Doctors explain that fatty foods can lead to indigestion, since they take more time to digest. Excessively spicy food tends to cause heartburn, as it causes stomach acid to reflux into the food-pipe.

Overeating also adds up to the problem of indigestion.

Smaller meals at regular intervals are a better choice. Fast food and beverages like coffee, tea and soft drinks that trigger additional acid secretion in the stomach should be avoided or at least minimized if one perceives a problem due to their consumption.

Alcohol and tobacco also disrupt the digestive process.

It's also important to keep a minimum time gap of one to two hours before you hit the bed after your meal. Further, lying down after a meal can be a cause of heartburn, since in this position acids and digestive juices can leak into the food pipe.

Former President of the Gastroenterology Research Society, Dr Rekha Bhatkhande says, ''People generally feel the symptoms of dispepsia (indigestion) after a dense-calorie meal (over-eating).

They should approach a doctor to confirm whether the problem is due to the food or someother complication completely.'' Talking to UNI, she said that more than 60 percent of the people who face such problem try home remedies and if not able to resolve their problem, approach a doctor. Most people make do with antacids that come handy when one is looking for a quick relief from indigestion and heartburn. They not only reduce the acidity of the stomach by neutralizing some of the hydrochloric acid but also provide rapid relief from gastric discomfort for a short period of time. But Dr Bhatkhande says, they are just trying to get rid of the symptoms. They maynot actually reach the root of their problem.

However, ayurvedic doctors and home remedies for ages have suggested volatile plant oils purely due to their carminative effects and soothing action on the gastrointestinal tract. One of the most notable is the use of 'pudina' (mint) oil - a traditional natural stomach remedy, the benefits of which have been validated by today's medical science. Studies have also proved pudina oil to be a smooth muscle relaxant and an effective remedy for spasms, gas and unsettled stomach.

No doubt that antacids have been available in the market but leading global consumer healthcare companies recognising the goodness of mint introduced ' pudinhara' liquid and pills.

However experts still feel that despite the availability of a host of options to treat one's stomach ailments, prevention through proper eating habits and dietary discipline are nonetheless, the best ways of managing digestive problems.

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