Digestive disorders hit us very often, but we rarely talk about them. Not even with our doctors. However, nutrition experts can guide you on how to prevent a troubled stomach from affecting you.
Let’s be realistic. 100% of humans have had, in some moment, stomach problems such as acidity, gassing, and bloating. But a very few of us talk about that; statistics indicate that 1 out of 4 people suffers from digestive disorders severe enough to ruin the day.
And everything seems to indicate that women are more likely to suffer from this disease than men. In fact, we are 6 times more likely to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome -a serious intestinal disorder- and twice as much as suffering from constipation.
To add insult to injury, other ailments seem to be increasing among females, including acidity and Crohn’s disease -another variety of intestinal disorder.
Unleash stress knots
The stomach is an organ especially sensitive to stress. And as several studies have shown, women suffer more from stress than men. It is not surprising that we spend hours and hours in the WC the entire night just before an important job interview, or after breaking up a relationship.
The reaction to stress is that our body drives more blood to the muscles and less to the intestines, which slows digestion and can cause pain and, sometimes, nausea.
To prevent stress-related stomach problems, it is recommended to sleep well and avoid the ups and downs of sugar that are caused by consuming sweets in excessive amounts. The drop in sugar consumption brings, as a result, the adequate regulation of epinephrine, a chemical substance related to stress.
During times of intense stress, one can wake up with a knot in the stomach, probably caused by some gases. In this case, it is recommended to practice some relaxing techniques like for example sitting in a quiet place and breathing deeply for a while.
Change your eating and drinking habits
In general, women’s diets are too rigid. We consume a lot of protein and this can cause a malfunction of the intestines. It does not do us any good either to fill ourselves with processed foods, because they could remain stagnant in the intestines and cause swelling.
Unfortunately, some healthy foods including broccoli, beans, lentils, cabbage, cauliflower, and whole-bread can also cause gas due to their high carbohydrate content that the body cannot break down properly.
Do you think the solution is to erase them from your diet?
Not necessarily. These foods are not always damaging to your health. What you can do if you have a romantic date or a meeting in the next four hours, is consume them in smaller quantities, so you allow enough time for it to reach the colon.
Apart from these preventive measures, there are other foods that you should avoid, like those that contain a lot of fat, such as fried chips, which stay in the stomach up to twice as long as the less fatty ones and that cause heartburn and bloating. The same applies to the excess of sugary drinks such as fruit juices, sodas, and even beer.
So… What can a woman eat?
Actually, almost everything but in moderate amounts. The secret is to consume enough fiber that acts as the body’s vacuum cleaner and, of course, drink lots of water. Both of these basic recommendations accelerate the course of food through the intestinal tract, by reducing the chances of suffering from stomach disorders.
Make sure you drink at least 64 ounces -which equals 8 cups of water daily- and eat at least 24 to 30 grams of high-fiber cereals, brown rice, pumpkins, and pears.
Do not drink your food!
Your grandmother was right when she told you to eat calmly. It means chewing your food slowly, apart from avoiding to skip meals. Maybe you should get used to eating in the style of the 3 folk-tale bears; nothing excessive but, instead, just the right amount.
On the other hand, consuming too many kinds of foods in a single meal may cause distension and heartburn. All that food could cause the muscle of your esophagus to open slightly, letting the acids rise, and this causes an unbearable acidity.
Eating slowly avoids in-taking excessive air into the intestinal tract during meals. After all, this will mean less gas trouble for you!
