May 20, 2016

Stress can cause more than just butterflies in your tummy. Chronic stress can lead to indigestion problems, including constipation and diarrhea. Fortunately, with a few mindful tips, you can improve the health of your digestive system.

Studies show that stress can trigger or worsen a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. Stress can also disrupt the body’s natural gastrointestinal secretion balance, which contributes to infections and ulcers. And the stomach pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome can also be caused by stress contracting the colon. Other gastrointestinal disorders are also triggered by the stress “flight or fight” response. It decreases blood flow in the central nervous system and shuts down the digestion process.

If you are experiencing stress and tummy troubles, you’ll need a few mindfully remedies to relieve the effects. Listed below are a few suggestions.

5 Mindful Tips for Your Indigestion

• Lower your stress. It’s an obvious solution. Reducing stress can positively impact your digestion, so try taking more stress relief breaks during the day. Quiet meditation, breathing exercises, or daily exercise can help. 

• Eat the right foods. A well-balanced diet with the right food is the proper remedy for gastrointestinal disorders. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables as well as lean meat and fish. As an added bonus, be sure to eat yogurt, ginger, and coconut oil. The healthy bacteria in yogurt and the fatty acids in organic, unrefined coconut oil can help with digestion. And ginger, a common ingredient in Asian cuisine, has compounds that help with stomach irritation and bile production.

• Avoid the wrong foods. You’ll also need to avoid the wrong foods to improve your digestion. Fried, hot spices (such as chili peppers), and acidic foods (such as tomatoes and citrus fruits) will only increase your irritation and stomach pains. Also, be careful of artificial sweeteners, which are hard to digest and may cause bloating.

• Eat mindfully. Rushing to eat your food will increase your chances of indigestion. Instead, try to eat mindfully. Eat your food slowly and chew thoroughly. Focus on your food only and make eating an experience. Turn off the television and pay attention to what your taste buds are experiencing.

• Have the right hydration. Alcohol and caffeine (coffee, tea, and soft drinks) will not help your digestion so try to avoid them. Keep to water instead, but be sure to drink the right type of water. The body has to work harder to warm cold water and it can irritate the bowels.