Best and worst foods for your Mighty Tummy
Stop being a tummy-bully by stuffing all the bad unhealthy food in your stomach and making it suffer. Stop treating it like a garbage can wherein you dump things recklessly. You have to be supremely cautious of what you feed your stomach because your body reflects what the stomach feels. Various skin problems like acne are many a time the cause of a bad and unhealthy stomach. Treat your stomach as the temple of your body and it will always throw its bright light of benefits on you.
Read on to know how you can actually keep your tummy in a good shape. We have assimilated the foods that you should eat and the foods you should not along with some insightful tips that will prove to be a great guiding light for you.
Foods to eat for healthy stomach And Improve Digestion
Enlisted below is the list of foods that should definitely, without a doubt make a part of your everyday life if you are serious to keep your stomach smiling.
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Eat an adequate amount of Green vegetable
Go green for your gut! Green vegetables are a must on the top list to improve stomach health as it is an excellent source of insoluble and soluble fibres. They are packed together with full of minerals, vitamins and iron and is also a good source of magnesium and of course green vegetables are high in fibres. This helps the food easily to move within the digestive track without making it less likely constipated. Plus, their health benefits are supreme. So, what are you waiting for? Go grab green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and other leafy vegetables from your near grocery store and toss any of them in a pan, sauté it or steam them or if your wish simply just grate and pile them on the top of your salad. The regular consumption will improve your overall intestinal health.
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Add yogurt in your healthy stomach plan
Stomach grumbling or blood sugar level is a bit low? Then grasping tub of yogurt from your fridge and sipping it till the end is a solution to all your glitches. The live and active cultures known as pro-biotics in yogurt will improve bulk to your stool, speeding up its pace through the digestive track which aids in digestion and reduce bloating and other digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhoea. Not just this, it protects our stomach from chronic inflammation but also safeguards our stomach from harmful bacteria and infections. The yogurt is compounded as a cooling agent that will also give you a soothing effect in your stomach.
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Apples a day keeps the doctor away
If you are looking for a healthy stomach plan, nothing but apples will make your way and will keep indigestion away! The apples work incredibly well if you just add this in your daily regime and you will abstract a ton of benefits. Apples have soluble fibre and contain pectin, which acts as a prebiotic. The Pectin fibre evades digestion in your small intestine and then cracked down by the friendly bacteria in your colon. Consequently, it will improve the overall gut health and resolves problems like constipation and diarrhoea or intestine infections.
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Have chia seeds in the morning
Chia seeds are teeny tiny bomb of enriched nutrients and way full of fibre content which encourages stool frequency only to prevent the disturbing problem of constipation. The fibre surprisingly also acts as a prebiotic to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut and to reduce inflammation. No halting and only consuming chia seeds is your way to good bowel movement and healthy stools.
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Whole grains to improve digestion
Whole grains are not only essential for losing the belly fats but they are also super insightful for overall stomach health as it comprises all portions of the grain kernel including bran, germ and endosperm. In fact, popular crammed are richly packed with oats, quinoa and other goods made from whole wheat. However whole grains support you in couple of ways in which firstly the fibre extent in it adds bulk to your stool and can also reduce constipation. Secondly the good bacteria in the gut improve digestion and make your stomach healthy like never before.
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Papaya is the way to go
Papaya is your Knight in Shining Armour! It is already a well-known name in the health circuit known to keep your stomach mighty and healthy. The tropical fruit papaya holds a digestive enzyme called papain along with this it is also high on water content, which aids during the digestive process and keeps the body hydrated. What else? It also relives you from constipation and bloating and other intestinal issues.
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Ginger for all your stomach complications
Ginger is your little secret to healthy living and healthy stomach! it is an outmoded element mainly used in India and other parts of the world for its astonishing properties. So, next time if you are having troubles with any gastrointestinal complications including vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, gas or heartburn or stomach ache or cramps. Don’t you worry ginger is here to the rescue! It will pace the process of the food from your small intestine quicker. There are abundant of evidence which demonstrated that ginger aids digestion and increase the saliva flow in the body. Plus, many pregnant women prefer taking this on their morning sickness.
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Kimchi
The last one in the list is epic in its own unique manner. Incorporate this in your dietary regime to see impeccable results. Kimchi is basically made from fermented cabbage and at times also comprises of other fermented vegetables. They too contain probiotics which aid in digestion and boost the growth of good bacteria in your colon. The longer the duration for which kimchi ferments, the higher will be the concentration of probiotics within it. it possesses hefty fiber which can add bulk to your stool and will in definite sense promote bowel strength.
Worst foods for your stomach
Enlisted below is the list of foods that you should completely refrain of having in order to keep your stomach hale and hearty at all times.
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Dairy products
Seems like a shocker doesn’t it? I am sure it does reason being that throughout our childhood we have been preached to gulp down milk. Let me clarify this for you that dairy products like milk contain sugar called lactose which is a reason for a lot of stomach aches. It’s not like that you have to avoid all dairy products because not all are bad. Yogurt and cheese like cheddar and Swiss is good for your stomach. Just chose wisely.
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Spicy food
Who doesn’t like having spicy food? Most of us love eating spicy food. Spice is a constant when it comes to cuisines like Thai and Indian. Indulge in the delicacies but go for lesser spice. Spice irritates the oesophagus and causes heartburns as well. Don’t cut down on your food choices but cut down your spice intake.
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Chocolates
I know you feel sad, broken and disheartened even at the thought of not being able to eat chocolates. But if you want your stomach to stay healthy and fit then you will surely have to bye to excess chocolate. Chocolate contains both milk and caffeine which are equally bad for your tummy. They can cause chronic constipation, diarrhoea, cramps and bloating.
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Tea, Coffee and Soft Drinks
Excess of everything is bad, this is something we all know and must abide by even when it comes to the most addictive things. Yes, you got that right, I actually am asking you to control your fetish for coffee, tea and all sorts of carbonated beverages. They make the oesophageal sphincter lethargic, which keeps the stomach acid confined to the four walls of the stomach. These drinks can also act as diuretics that lead to diarrhoea and cramping. Caffeine is a strict no especially for those suffering with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
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Alcohol
Drinking is super injurious to health. Its not just about the damaging of the lungs but also of your mighty stomach. Most people tend to consume alcohol when they want to party or they are stressed out. Alcohol relaxes the body and does the same to the oesophageal sphincter which can in turn lead to acid reflux or heartburn. Drinking can also lead to the inflammation of the stomach lining and can impair various enzymes and further prevent nutrients from being absorbed. Excessive consumption can specifically cause diarrhoea and cramping. Reports suggest that a maximum of 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women is okay to consume. I will always be a supporter that you must refrain from drinking daily altogether.
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Gluten
We have heard of avoiding gluten when it comes to reducing fat but it is also bad for your overall stomach health. It can cause diarrhoea, cramping and bloating. Gluten is basically a protein found in barley, rye, wheat and many other foods including soy sauce, cheese, pasta, ketchup, salad dressings and many more. Just opt for gluten-free products and they are easily available in markets near you.
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Processed meat
Processed foods are anyway not good for your body and when meat is processed it can be quadruple times more harmful than any other food as such. Lunch meats, hot dogs, sausages and other processed meats are sealed with saturated fat, sodium and nitrates. This kind of meat has been linked to colon cancer because they are cooked at high temperatures which can boost carcinogens. Just glue on to fresh, lean cuts of meat and pick other forms of protein like legumes and grains.
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Unhealthy Fats
Unhealthy fats are a complete no-no for your body. It’s going to make your body from fab to flab. The three types of dietary fat are concurrent to inflammation and thus contribute to excessive belly fats which are Trans fat, saturated fats and omega-6 fats. Not just that they also disturb the working and functioning of your stomach.
8 Tips on how to improve stomach health
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Tip 1 Ingest the above-listed foods:
Obviously feeding on the overhead foods should be your foremost priority as they will keep your stomach in good spirit always.
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Tip 2 Stay hydrated:
Both high fibre and water together will surge the efficiency of your digestion. The water helps in absorbing the nutrients by thoroughly breaking the food. Hence making regular bowl movements easier. Make sure your drink plenty of water in a day. Doctors recommend 8-oz glasses in a day to stay hydrated.
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Tip 3 Add supplements in your diet to do the rest of the work for you:
After consulting yourself with a doctor, choose right supplements for your body to fill those deficient gaps i.e. your body sometimes fails to take a satisfactory quantity of nutrients from your diet. Therefore, your body needs to fill that gap by taking probiotic supplements and vitamins which will alleviate constipation and irritable bowel syndrome and in last promote healthy gut bacteria.
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Tip 4 Don’t smoke:
Though smoking has harmful impact on all over your body but it also worsens your digestive system. You might feel common disorders like heartburn and peptic ulcers or in worst cases it may even cause cancer. So, it’s better to avoid or to quit smoking rather to face the ugly consequences that follow.
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Tip 5 Maintain a healthy stomach plan:
You should always plan your day with a schedule. Maintaining a schedule is always proven to be helpful when it comes to your digestive system. Never skip any of your meal be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Make sure you only eat healthy. Plan a body cycle and ensure you eat strictly according to that.
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Tip 6 Don’t take too much stress:
Taking too much pressure is always bad for health and might take you to the overdrive. Try focusing on stress-reducing activities and indulge yourself in actions like yoga, meditation, massage or bath or whichever makes you better off yet relaxes your mind.
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Tip 7 Exercise daily:
There is nothing healthier than enrolling yourself into a physical activity that constantly pumps your heart and regulates your blood circulation and improves the working of the digestive system along with the other parts of your body. It is suggested that you should at least do 45 minutes of daily exercise for better functioning of the body and for a healthy lifestyle.
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Tip 8 Eat lean meats:
Eating meat is a healthy habit but sometimes it can be indigestive in nature! Thus, if you want to keep your stomach healthy without compromising on taste, you can choose meat which has lean cuts and skinless poultry.
The Bottom Line
This is your complete guide, you can even call this your healthy stomach plan. This sums up what you should opt and what you should completely discard off from your dietary food chart. Swear by this and you will never face the problem of an upset stomach. Your stomach will be proud of you!
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