Foods for Indigestion

Everyone knows that feeling of eating a certain food and then suffering with indigestion. It's that uncomfortable feeling or pain that seems to radiate through your upper abdomen or chest. Many people have even mistaken the symptoms of indigestion for that of a heart attack. By making some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, you may be able to alleviate indigestion symptoms. Here are some suggestions that might help.

Causes

• The cause of indigestion can be one or a combination of several things. You might notice after eating a particular food that your symptoms seem to be worse. Of course, one option is to avoid the food entirely, or limit your intake of it. Still, there can be many other things that cause the condition, such as eating too quickly, overeating, spicy or fat laden foods, alcohol, smoking, caffeine, anxiety and certain medications.

Symptoms

• When you've eaten something that gives you indigestion, you might feel symptoms such as a pain in your abdomen or chest, constipation, burping, gas, nausea and sometimes a loss of appetite. If you begin vomiting, vomiting blood, or start losing weight, you definitely need to check in with your doctor. These could be the signs of a more serious problem such as cancer, ulcers or gastritis. If changing your diet doesn't seem to help your symptoms, there are over the counter medicines designed specifically to ease the symptoms of indigestion. If all of these steps don't seem to work, check again with your doctor. He will run some tests and evaluate your diet and lifestyle to see which plan of action is best suited for you.

Prevention

• There are always those people who seem to have an iron stomach and can eat anything without suffering indigestion. Unfortunately for many, this is not usually the case. There are several things you can do to try to prevent the onset of indigestion. Besides avoiding food you know will make you sick, avoid as many fried and fatty foods as possible. Citrus and certain juices are high in acid, which can also bring on the symptoms of indigestion. Unfortunately, even too much chocolate can cause it. Besides lowering your alcohol intake and quitting smoking, there are steps you can take when you go to sleep to help ease the condition. Try not to lay down for at least two hours after you've eaten a meal. This will help the digestive juices work properly. Also, raise your head by adding more pillows. You can also place blocks of wood or bricks under your bed to raise the head. You can also purchase special designed elevated pillows. These will keep the acids in your stomach from moving up and into your esophagus.

Food to Choose

• Many people's diet are very low in fiber. By adding this, not only will it be beneficial to your body as a whole, it will aid in your digestive tract doing what it's suppose to do. You can get more fiber in your diet by adding legumes, raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. Additionally, beans are not only high in fiber, but they're rich in protein too. As your mother use to say, "Roughage is good for you." She was right, because roughage keeps the whole digestive tract functioning like it's suppose to. Adding rice to your diet is also a good idea. It's a food that is easily digested. The proper amount of acidophiles is important for the digestive system to function correctly. Many antibiotics clean out the body of this important bacteria. Adding cultured dairy products such as yogurt to your diet is a great source of acidophiles. There are now pro-biotic yogurts on the market that are targeted directly to your digestive system, helping them remain healthy.

Remedies

• Other than over the counter medications or prescriptions, there are remedies for indigestion you probably have in your kitchen. That old wives cure of mixing a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water and drinking it really does work. Ginger has been know for centuries to treat nausea and stomach problems. Drinking a cup of ginger tea after eating will help in stopping the symptoms of indigestion. Mixing 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into a glass of water, will also help. Herbal teas are good for many things but mint, peppermint, chamomile, blackberry or raspberry tea have been know to alleviate the symptoms of indigestion.

Benefits

• There are many benefits to changing your diet to one that reduces indigestion. The addition of fiber alone into your diet, will not only stop the symptoms of indigestion, but keep your digestive tract functioning properly. By switching to a diet high in fiber and raw fruits and vegetables, you'll be well on the the way to a healthier you. Not only will you be treating the symptoms of indigestion, you'll be enjoying a healthier body and possibly a longer life.