Kick-start digestion

If digestion is slow and difficult, practicing regular physical activity may be the solution.

If digestion is slow and difficult, practicing regular physical activity may be the solution.

Everyday life subjects the body to various pitfalls. The stress for an important appointment, the anxiety of not being able to do everything perfectly and on time, the worries for growing children.

Here the day can become a succession of anxieties and nervousness. And without a moment’s breath. If, in addition, everything is done in a hurry, our digestive system is almost certainly affected.

Yawns and shabby after eating, feeling of weight, bloating, burning, headache, nights disturbed by stomach acid, bad breath in the morning upon waking. Just to mention the most frequent.

They are the signals that our stomach sends us to make us understand that we do not put it in a position to work well.

Small or large disorders that with the passage of time, if neglected, can only worsen. Therefore, before being forced to consult the doctor, it is good to get busy.

Moving well is good for the stomach

First, let’s start moving more. A little motion dissolves tension and stress. And this alone exerts a positive effect on digestion.

Doing regular physical activity then helps to keep body weight under control, and this is also good for the stomach.

It also accelerates gastric emptying and normalizes acid production. Banning laziness and putting on sneakers is in the long run the best solution for those suffering from poor digestion.

Of course, physical activity must be done without excesses. The very intense ones, due to the high tension of the abdominal muscles, could even have an opposite effect, inducing the reflux of food from the stomach to the esophagus.

Choose the activity according to your training

First of all, it is good to keep in mind that those who are not trained, because they move only on Sundays and during the summer, must start physical activity in moderation.

A walk that is not too long or too tiring after eating is the best solution for everyone and for all ages.

To do every day and weather permitting. Because when the days are too hot or when it rains or it is very cold it is better to avoid walking immediately after eating.

It only takes 30 minutes of good pace, and then return home after a short stop. After that, the little ones and the oldest are also allowed to take a relaxing nap.

The classic afternoon nap immediately after eating, in fact, does not help digestion at all. The lying position favors the reflux of acidic digestive juices that go up from the stomach to the esophagus and mouth, giving burning and pain.

For those who are trained because they already do movement at least two or three times a week, there are still some rules to be respected.

For example: you should never have a meal right before going to the gym or pool. Instead, you can drink abundantly, but not too much at once, neither before nor after training.

Mistakes that remain on the stomach

Many leave the house in the morning without having had breakfast, and the first thing they eat, then, is a sandwich consumed standing and not before one thirty. Wrong. Especially if you then come home late at night and swallow a few bites before bedtime.

Unfortunately, however, this is the typical day of many Italians. Studded with repeated mistakes that make digestion laborious and difficult. And, in fact, digestive disorders are on the rise, especially in Western lifestyle countries.

Instead, you should eat several times a day, including among the main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) a light snack mid-morning and one mid-afternoon.

In this way you will face dinner a little less hungry to the advantage of weight, shape and even digestion.

To promote digestion, moreover, there are foods to be preferred and others that should be avoided.

Preferred foods Foods to avoid (or limit)
White meat Red and fatty meats
Lean fish Fatty or preserved fish
Lean and fresh cheeses Fatty cheeses, especially fermented ones (gorgonzola, pecorino cheese, etc.)
Vegetable Elaborate desserts (with cream, creams, etc.)
Fruit Sauces
Raw extra-virgin olive oil Butter, lard
Water Alcohol, carbonated drinks

Finally, we should try to plan the main meals always at the same time: in this way the functions of the digestive system are regularized and the metabolic ones are activated that serve to obtain energy and nourishment from each food consumed.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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