What happens when you have too much spicy food? Or when you go through a stretch of time when your meals are irregular and when you eat outside food often? Chances are that you suffer from pangs of acidity that cause burning sensations in the throat, sour taste in the mouth, gas formation, fatigue and many more unpleasant feelings.
Acidity is one of the most common problems faced by us, but is also one of the simplest to cure! Acid that is produced in our stomach helps in digesting the food we eat, but when there isn’t enough food to digest, or if this acid is produced more than the required quantity, it leads to acidity pangs. Among others, belching, nausea, vomiting and mouth ulcers are common symptoms of acidity.
More often than not, onset of acidity is triggered by the foods we eat and our eating habits. Fatty and spicy foods are harder to digest and prompt the cells that pump acid to produce more acid than is necessary. The most common causes of acidity are having outside food regularly, skipping meals, irregular meals, and having too much of spicy food.
Stress, experts say, is also an important cause of acidity. Too much of work pressure or family tensions over a long period of time can lead to the body systems reacting adversely and excess amount of acid being produced.
Here are the ten easiest ways, in which you can say goodbye to acidity forever, and you don’t even have to visit a doctor. Here we go:
Water: Drink water the moment you get up in the morning. This would flush out, the excess acid in the stomach and other unwanted material that would have accumulated during the night. Also, coconut water taken at least thrice daily helps in fighting acidity.
Tulsi: Consuming a few tulsi (basil) leaves will give you instant relief from acidity. Just like tulsi leaves, sipping water boiled with chopped mint leaves proves to be the best bet against acidity
Sauf or Aniseed: We, Indians have the habit of chewing some sauf after meals, this is a good practise since sauf helps in digestion and thus is good for those who suffer from acidity says Dr. Kiran Ambekar who is an Ayurvedic practitioner. For quick relief, add one teaspoon of sauf to one cup of boiled water and keep overnight. In the morning, strain the water and add a teaspoon of honey and drink this liquid throughout the day.
Milk: Milk taken either hot, cold or warm, is the best acidity buster as it completely neutralizes the acidic effect of the food thereby giving relief to the body. But not every one gets relief from acidity by drinking milk, Dr. Kiran says " There are two types of Acidity, one which is soothed by milk while the other is aggravated by milk." Take the doctor's advice before drinking milk as a remedy.
Jaggery: Keep a small lump of Gur (jaggery) in your mouth and keep sucking onto it slowly. The sweet juice of jaggery will subside acidity completely.
Nuts: Almonds (badam) dried figs (anjeer) and raisins (kishmish) help in easing the burning sensation in the stomach.
Fruits: Bananas, papayas, watermelons, and cucumbers are famous as curatives for acidity.
Clove: One piece of clove (laung or lavang) if kept in the mouth for some time can help in reducing acidity. Clove juice that goes into the system with saliva eases the abdomen and stomach greatly.
Ginger (adark): If ginger is used in meals, it provides better digestion and prevents occurrence of heartburns.
Besides the nine takeaway tips, do remember that regular exercise and meditation would keep the stomach, digestive system and the nervous system in balance. As depression and anxiety are also known to contribute in creating that extra ounce of acidic juice in your body, try to be calm and composed while dealing with difficult situations.
Besides the above, avoid doing the following to keep acidity at bay:
- Avoid eating fried, fatty and junk food and excessive chocolates.
- Have more of carbohydrate rich diet – example: rice - as there is much less acid formation caused by such food in the stomach.
- Have dinner two to three hours before sleep, it would ensure food is digested completely and keep you healthy.
- Maintaining the right body weight helps in controlling acidity.
- Say ‘no’ to cigarettes, alcohol and aerated drinks.
- Try to eat more homemade food and avoid eating foods from outside.
A simple and healthy lifestyle can keep your stomach and you happy. With little changes in your daily routine, you can achieve an entire age of health. Go for a neutral not an acidic life!
