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Thread: Digestive track disorders

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    Member miss_woot's Avatar
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    Digestive track disorders

    I would be really interested to know how you ensure proper functioning of your digestive process ( ), so as to avoid protruding bellies. Every time I move away from home, it can take me up to five days to get everything back on track, although I do eat enough fiber food and drink gallons of water.
    Are traveling dancers affected by this problem? Any advice, apart from kiwi fruits and figs? I would really like to stay away from any non-natural medication and laxatives.
    Thank you

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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    I've got awful digestion. I swear I have the most sensitive stomach in the world. Here are a list of tips I've compiled from various sources to ensure the smoothest digestion possible. Now, these rules are quite something if you follow them diligently, but when you're at your wits' end over what to do about bloating, these really do the trick:

    First off, the following foods are known to be gas producers, and then can cause serious bloat: cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, onions, cauliflower, whole wheat flour, radishes, bananas, apricots, beans, pretzels, all dairy except yogurt

    Also, anything high in sugar or fat can cause problems. And when your guts are giving you issues, you're supposed to lay off all alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated products (told you this is fun).

    - Eat when you are really hungry. Digestion is strongest when you really need to eat.

    - Chew your food thoroughly. Mechanical digestion is nearly as important as chemical digestion. Your teeth are for cutting and grinding. One of the reasons people suffer indigestion is they eat too fast. That really means they swallow too soon. If food goes down in chunks, it will end up in your colon in chunks. This promotes an overgrowth of certain flatulence-causing bacteria. (this alone has really helped me- I make myself chew forever and really concentrate on not swallowing air- this can happen if you talk to people while you eat, yawn excessively, chew gum, or have carbonated beverages. The result is I take three times as long to eat anything, but I eat much less, and suffer far less bloat)

    - While fibre definitely helps, be VERY careful not to add too much too quickly, as that will cause distress. Also, cook your lentils and beans very well (for a long time) and presoaking them over night will help as well. Make sure things like nuts are diced up or else chew them to mush before swallowing.

    - Eat more rice. While bagels and pizza are particularly "gassy," rice is the opposite.

    - Always eat fruit on an empty stomach, then wait a little while before eating the rest of your meal. Eating fruit after other food makes it harder to digest.

    - Exercise helps get things moving, but in order to not put pressure on the bowels you should wait 3 hours after eating before exercising. (yeah, I know that sounds crazy, but that's why exercising before breakfast is a good idea- this tip has also really helped me because I used to only wait about an hour after eating to go for my run, and I'd really cramp and bloat afterward as a result). Also do not lie down for three hours after a meal (ie- going to bed, or even just lying on the couch or tanning bed). Digestion is better when we are upright.

    - Finally, just in general, eat smaller meals. The more you eat, the harder your guts have to work. And peppermint or fennel tea are real gut savers. Drink lots of these. Oh, and anything ice cold or spicy can also cause problems.

    Ha, yeah that's a lot. And annoying as anything, but believe me they work. I've been suffering gut murder for a year, and when my stomach is in distress, I really have to abide by these rules. That doesn't mean I don't ever drink or enjoy a little bit of 'danger' food- I just have to be careful and respect my guts when they are not feeling their best. Good luck to you!

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    Member miss_woot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Thank you!
    I printed it out, and have already located my faux pas:
    1. I do eat quickly, as if I were hunted. From now on, I swear I will chew until my jaws go numb.
    2. I eat fruits around normal meals.
    I will be back with experimental data!

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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Buy some acidophilis. If you drink caffeine, pop, lots of sugars, etc, it throws off the natural balance of bacteria in your digestive tract that can cause bloating, gas, etc. Taking acidophilis will replenish that bacteria and you'll notice that you are not having problems digesting the foods you once weren't able to.

    BTW...cutting out the refined stuff, pop, caffeine in addition to taking acidophilis will enable your body to more quickly recover.

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    Veteran Member Candy Apple's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    ^^That's what I was going to suggest too. It's actually good for you in several ways (like helping with yeast infections & bv), but the bottle says:

    "Probiotics help to promote healthy digestion, support natural resistance and replinish beneficial, healthy bacteria that may be depleted as a result of poor diet, taking certain antibiotics, food poisoning, travelers diarrhea or poor overall digestive health."

    If you try the acidophilus, be sure to keep it in the fridge after you open the bottle, because it is a bacteria.

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    Member someonesmiles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Metamucil has changed my life! The directions say that you should take one teaspoon three times a day, but that's way too much maintenance for me. I choke down one teaspoon in a pint glass of water before I go to bed and this has done wonders to keep everything running smoothly - and I seem to be less gassy. Daily is key, though.

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    Veteran Member naughty_princess's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Take a digestive enzyme after your meals.

    Processed and any cooked foods have most to all of the enzymes killed (they die at one hundred and 7 degrees) so it is much much harder for you body to digest the food, taking the replacement can help. I recommend that you look up more info on this.

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    Senior Member Sassy~n~Sexy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Fiber can actually CAUSE bloating. Be sure to drink plenty of water! Also watch your sodium intake. Avoid carbonated beverages.

    VenusGoddess also mentioned acidophilis....great stuff! Highly recommend it...try to purchase it form a really good health food store.It is 'active bacteria'...so you need to make sure you by a really good brand.

    Chew your food....I chew each mouth full 10 times! Sip water with your meal....and drink a glass of water before you eat (I mentioned this in an another thread).

    Travelling will throw your system off just try to be consistant with your eating and fluid intake. And avoid alchol!

    Good luck
    Last edited by Sassy~n~Sexy; 05-27-2006 at 03:11 AM.

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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    Hiya

    I have problems with digestion as I suffer from Ulcerative colitis, I avoid eating much fibre and dont eat gluten, wheat, lactose or coloured vegetables. If I eat fruit then its babyfood not whole raw fruit, sometimes have cooked food if I am well enough.

    The advice to slow down eating is good and deffinately dont eat fruit with your meals or close to your meals. ... I'm afraid SexynSassy is right about the alcohol!... it makes your stomach act crazy... so avoid if where possible

    Hope your feeling more comfortable soon

    R xx

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    Featured Member thechaosfairy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digestive track disorders

    There are two types of fiber, soluble and unsoluble. What you want is to increase SOLUBLE fiber -- found in oats and psyllium husks and most things that say "fiber supplement."

    Miss_Woot mentioned specifically having digestive problems when *away from home.* I'd guess myself that this is the water. I attend graduate school in another state, and the first time I visited, I thought I was having digestive distress from eating food I wasn't used to. But the second time, I was more careful about my diet, and I still had trouble -- until I switched to drinking tea and bottled water, NO un-boiled tap water.

    Even if it's not third world country level, every place's water supply has different microorganisms and other qualities and your immune system is only really going to be used to the water where you live. Once I switched to drinking fruit tea, all my problems cleared up!

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