As the saying goes, "disease is 30% treated and 70% nourished". Treatment is the doctor's job, but nourishment is your own responsibility. No matter what illness you have, this saying is useful. Now let's talk about the "small matter" of nourishing the stomach!
If you have poor digestion and no appetite...
Indigestion is like a "cold", it comes and goes, with no appetite, unable to eat, bloating, and in severe cases, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. What should you do?
Secret 1: Eat three meals a day regularly
"Breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a rich man, and dinner like a beggar." Have a nutritious and balanced breakfast, a larger portion for lunch, and a smaller dinner;
Have breakfast before 8am, lunch before 1pm, and dinner before 7pm.
Secret 2: Stimulate the appetite acupoints
For long-term indigestion, try massaging the Zhongwan acupoint and Zusanli acupoint.
Massage each acupoint for 5 minutes every day until you feel a sore and swollen sensation in your hand and the acupoint. Keep doing this for a month, and it can effectively improve indigestion.
If you have stomach acid...
Many people have experienced acid reflux, but they don't take it seriously. The pH value of Shanxi old vinegar is 2.5-3, while the pH value of stomach acid is 0.9-1.5. You can imagine how strong it is.
How to keep stomach acid from "visiting"?
Secret 3: Don't eat too much, don't eat too late
Overeating will increase the burden on the stomach. Due to digestion disorders, the emptying of the stomach slows down, and the food stays in the stomach. The pressure in the stomach increases, making it easier for food to reflux into the esophagus. So don't eat too much.
The emptying time of the stomach is 3-4 hours. If you have dinner late, the food in the stomach won't be emptied when you lie down. Once you lie flat, the food is more likely to reflux into the esophagus. Therefore, there should be at least 3 hours between dinner and bedtime.
Loosen your belt after a full meal to reduce abdominal pressure and decrease the reflux of stomach acid.
Secret 4: Is drinking porridge good for the stomach? No!
If you have an uncomfortable stomach, should you drink some porridge? For people with gastroesophageal reflux, it is best not to drink porridge!
Drinking porridge can stimulate the stomach to produce more stomach acid, and liquid food is more likely to reflux.
Secret 5: Drink less strong tea and coffee, and preferably don't smoke
It's better not to have coffee with dessert. It causes more stimulation to the stomach and increases the production of stomach acid. Tobacco, coffee, and strong tea are like grease that prevents the lower esophageal sphincter from functioning properly.
Different people react differently to food. Most people with gastroesophageal reflux experience heartburn after eating sweets, but some individuals do not. Therefore, it is important to keep a record of the foods that cause heartburn for yourself.
Secret 6: Change your sleeping position to prevent reflux
Choose a pillow that is 15-20cm high, with the head higher than the chest to prevent reflux;
Sleep on your left side, as the stomach is located on the left side of the body and the position of the stomach is lower when lying on the left side.
Relax, don't get angry or anxious. It also helps improve gastroesophageal reflux~
If you have chronic gastritis...
If you want to prevent chronic gastritis or prevent it from getting worse, you need to learn to "live slowly".
Secret 7: Follow an old saying for a more comfortable stomach
Again, breakfast should be good, lunch should be filling, and dinner should be light!
Breakfast should include eggs, and it is recommended to eat some radishes to stimulate the appetite and invigorate the spleen. You can eat pancakes, but try to avoid or eat less fried dough sticks and oil cakes. Tofu pudding is not as good as drinking porridge or soy milk;
For lunch, you can eat more beef, and consider carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and various fresh leafy vegetables;
For dinner, it is recommended to have bean congee with coix seed, Chinese yam, and red dates, as it is beneficial for the recovery of chronic gastritis.
Tips: Don't smoke, drink alcohol, drink large amounts of strong tea, coffee, etc. for a long time~
Secret 8: Exercise more for multiple benefits
For people with chronic gastritis, you can choose some exercises that you like to do. Exercise should be done at least 2 hours after a meal, 3 times a week, for at least 40 minutes each time~
Massage the Zhongwan acupoint (mentioned above), Zusanli acupoint (mentioned above), and Shenque acupoint for 5 minutes each. Keep doing this for a month and see the results.
If you have gastric ulcers...
Gastric ulcers are very dangerous and can cause gastric perforation and gastric bleeding, which can be life-threatening in minutes. People with gastric ulcers need to pay special attention to not worsening the condition of the stomach.
Secret 9: Red list of foods, eat more
Choose easily digestible, energy-rich, and protein-rich foods, such as porridge, thin noodles, milk, soft rice, soy milk, eggs, lean meat, tofu, and soy products;
Choose foods rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins, such as fresh vegetables and fruits;
For ulcer patients with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, it is appropriate to eat more warm foods, such as lamb and walnuts.
Cooking methods should mainly include steaming, boiling, stir-frying, and stewing. Also, eat meals at regular times and chew slowly.
Secret 10: Black list of foods, avoid eating indiscriminately
Celery, chives, bean sprouts, bacon, dried fish, and various coarse grains that contain more dietary fiber are difficult to digest and can cause excessive secretion of gastric acid;
Alcohol, tea, and coffee stimulate the gastric mucosa and worsen ulcers;
Frozen and overheated foods irritate the gastric mucosa. Acidic, spicy, salty, and MSG-heavy foods can aggravate ulcers.
Milk has always been seen as a gastric acid buffer, which can relieve ulcer pain. However, it has been confirmed that milk only temporarily buffers stomach acid, and its calcium and protein will stimulate more stomach acid secretion, making the stomach even more uncomfortable.
