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. Increase the Fiber in Your Diet
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.
In addition to improving digestion, a high-fiber diet can also aid in preventing heart disease, diabetes, colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and a host of other diseases. To increase the amount of fiber in your diet, add more fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals.
Drink more water, as it will lubricate the digestive tract, and make it easier for your body to absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. If you suffer with frequent symptoms of acid reflux, try to avoid foods that cause gas, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carbonated drinks, and of course, baked beans.
2. Make Sure You are Chewing Your Food
Proper chewing may be one of the most forgotten of all the habits for good digestion. Chewing helps to break down your food, and the motion signals the body to begin to release digestive enzymes. Take the time to ensure that you chew each bite well.
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. Exercise Regularly and Eliminate Stress
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.
Stress increases digestive issues. Excess stress reduces the flow of blood to the abdomen, and reduces the production of digestive enzymes. This slows the digestive process, leading to heartburn and indigestion.
4. Avoid Antacid Overuse
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.
Antacids are pretty effective in neutralizing stomach acids, but overusing them might cause more harm than good. Excess antacids will cause your stomach to lose acidity, impairing its ability to digest your food properly, and increase your susceptibility 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 are in poor health, or have an unhealthy diet, you likely do not have adequate amounts of digestive enzymes. Even otherwise healthy people can benefit from digestive supplements, especially if they are experiencing heartburn or indigestion.
While these five steps certainly aren't the only things you can do to avoid heartburn and indigestion symptoms, they will start you on the path to better digestion, and a healthier lifestyle.
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. Increase the Fiber in Your Diet
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.
In addition to improving digestion, a high-fiber diet can also aid in preventing heart disease, diabetes, colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and a host of other diseases. To increase the amount of fiber in your diet, add more fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals.
Drink more water, as it will lubricate the digestive tract, and make it easier for your body to absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. If you suffer with frequent symptoms of acid reflux, try to avoid foods that cause gas, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carbonated drinks, and of course, baked beans.
2. Make Sure You are Chewing Your Food
Proper chewing may be one of the most forgotten of all the habits for good digestion. Chewing helps to break down your food, and the motion signals the body to begin to release digestive enzymes. Take the time to ensure that you chew each bite well.
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. Exercise Regularly and Eliminate Stress
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.
Stress increases digestive issues. Excess stress reduces the flow of blood to the abdomen, and reduces the production of digestive enzymes. This slows the digestive process, leading to heartburn and indigestion.
4. Avoid Antacid Overuse
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.
Antacids are pretty effective in neutralizing stomach acids, but overusing them might cause more harm than good. Excess antacids will cause your stomach to lose acidity, impairing its ability to digest your food properly, and increase your susceptibility 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 are in poor health, or have an unhealthy diet, you likely do not have adequate amounts of digestive enzymes. Even otherwise healthy people can benefit from digestive supplements, especially if they are experiencing heartburn or indigestion.
While these five steps certainly aren't the only things you can do to avoid heartburn and indigestion symptoms, they will start you on the path to better digestion, and a healthier lifestyle.
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For a FREE guide to acid reflux, click here. It's packed with acid reflux information, including the causes and treatment options for indigestion.
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