ONE WAY TO HEAL YOUR STOMACH NATURALLY. By: Francis Owusu-Banahene (T/Dr)
What is the stomach? While some people mistake the stomach
or the entire digestive system for the stomach, the stomach is actually a
portion of the entire digestive system or gastrointestinal (GI) tract (i.e.,
the gut). As a muscular organ (sitting on the upper abdomen on the left side of
the body), the stomach, through the secretion of gastric acid and digestive
enzymes and contractions, breaks down food for further digestion in the small
intestine.
Healthy Stomach and Your Health
According to Dr. Alberto Gonzalez, each portion of the
digestive system and its related organs play one or more roles in the digestive
process. Abusing any of these organs (such as the stomach) in any way impairs
(decreases, increases, or distorts) their functions, paving the way for related
disease symptoms such as heartburn, colic, esophagitis, diverticulitis, nausea,
bloating, migraine headache, sensation of fullness, etc. These symptoms either
localize (at the location of impairment) or are generalized throughout the
entire body.
Factors that impair the stomach
Poor eating habits, especially distractive eating, are a
notable factor among the various factors that impair the digestive system (and
hence the stomach). Distracted eating is when one engages in other activities
alongside eating a main meal or engages in practices that obstruct his or her
full attention while eating. This includes:
`
Eating and watching screens simultaneously: e.g., watching TV, scrolling phones
or tablets, and working on the computer.
2.
Walking/standing whilst eating
3.
Engaging in excessive talking whilst eating
4.
Intermittent eating:
Prevalence of distracted eating and stomach health
Proper digestion and absorption, and hence a healthy stomach, require mealtime to be just mealtime and nothing more. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle has made it almost impossible to dedicate ample time to even main meals without engaging in other things as well. It has almost become a custom for most people (especially the youth) to eat while looking at screens at the same time. Others, due to their busy schedules, barely sit to eat and mostly prefer to stand, eat while walking, or eat while driving. In Ghana, it is normal to see peers enjoying their usual Sunday special, TZ or Emotuo (rice balls), amidst heated arguments over whether Messi or Ronaldo is the best player.
Distracted eating and stomach health
Proper digestion (and absorption) is a wholistic act, requiring perfect cooperation among the digestive system and the brain. Hence, any major activity that distracts the brain lessens its ability to provide the necessary assistance for proper digestion and absorption. Likewise, distracted eating, as implied in the name, impairs the digestive system, including the stomach, in the following ways:
1. Inadequate digestive juice secretion:
2. Undermines proper mastication: proper digestion begins in the mouth with the proper chewing of food, termed mastication. Proper mastication introduces adequate saliva to the food, which aids in proper digestion through the digestive tract. Failing to masticate food properly, as is mostly the case with distracted eating, deprives it of the necessary saliva and hence impairs the digestive process. Distracted eating.
3. Leads to overeating:
4. Encourages frequent snacking and junk foods consumption:
Proper care for the stomach means proper care for the entire
digestive system, and one of the best ways to do this is to avoid distracted
eating by giving ample time for meals. Evidence suggests that just avoiding
distracted eating coupled with other proper eating habits can save one’s
stomach from further deterioration, correct related complications, and restore
total health as far as possible.
Very educative.Thanks for putting in the work.
ReplyDeleteWe are grateful
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