Indigestion

Indigestion is a symptom of insufficient digestive processes and may also be known as an upset stomach or dyspepsia. Impaired digestion is a sign that the processes of digestion, assimilation of nutrients and elimination of wastes is sub-optimal. The digestive system is the hub of the body, it is where we take in vitality and nutrients from the foods we eat and turn it into energy to fuel the body. Poor digestion means that other complications of malnourishment may also arise and that the body is under functioning on many levels.

Addressing poor digestion is paramount to improving health and it is often the first system of the body a Naturopath will work on to improve other areas of the body such as bowel function, immunity, liver health and skin.

SYMPTOMS OF INDIGESTION

  • reoccurring pain in the upper abdomen
  • abdominal fullness
  • belching
  • nausea
  • heartburn

CAUSES OF INDIGESTION

  • poor diet
  • stress
  • unsatisfactory levels of gut bacteria
  • toxic liver
  • nervous system disorders
  • insufficient digestive enzymes
  • pharmaceutical medications
  • constipation
  • ulcers
  • reflux
  • gastritis

DIET TIPS FOR INDIGESTION

  • Start each day with a small glass of warm water with ½ a lemon squeezed in it. Lemon switches on the digestive processes for the day and encourages healthy liver function
  • Reduce the amount of acidic foods such as tea, coffee, orange juice, alcohol, soft drinks, wheat, dairy, sugar, preserved and processed foods as these contribute to an over acidic digestive environment
  • Increase foods which encourage digestion such as ginger, pineapple, beetroot, paw paw, yoghurt, lemon juice, bitter foods, lettuces such as endive, rocket and radicchio
  • Have a vegetable juice each day as they contain essential digestive enzymes and reduce digestive acidity

LIFESTYLE FACTORS FOR INDIGESTION

  • Eat small meals often as this encourages better digestion, reduces strain on the digestive system from eating large meals and ensures that you have enough digestive enzymes to break down all of the food and therefore leaves no food in the stomach to ferment and cause indigestion, reflux, belching, flatulence and bloating
  • Dont eat when you are feeling stressed
  • Don’t eat late at night

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR INDIGESTION

  • Enzyme supplements which contain essential enzymes to help break down food properly if you have hypochlorhydria (insufficient digestive acids)
  • Take Apple cider vinegar 15 minutes prior to eating to encourage digestive processes and optimal levels of digestive enzymes needed to properly break food down
  • Herbs which promote better digestion are Gentian, Ginger, Peppermint, Chamomile, Atractylodes, Bitter Orange, Radish seed, Dandelion and Cardamon