Your stomach doesn't feel good. It's not heartburn, but it is food-related. Occasionally, the discomfort begins during a meal, and occasionally about a half-hour later. You experience bloating, fullness, or a burning pain. You feel nauseated and may even vomit. You might refer to it as "stomach upset" or "indigestion." Doctors call it dyspepsia. Functional dyspepsia is diagnosed when standard diagnostic tests fail to identify a cause. When there is no clear medical solution, a healthy diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and stress reduction can be beneficial.
Eat the right foods.
Avoid eating foods that cause symptoms. Caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, and spicy, acidic, or fatty foods are typical offenders.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals to prevent stomach distention and facilitate rapid emptying.
Chew your food thoroughly and slowly.
If you want to avoid swallowing too much air, don't eat quickly, chew gum, drink carbonated drinks, or smoke.
Two hours after eating, avoid lying down.
Maintain proper weight control.
Utilize strategies for stress reduction, such as relaxation therapies.
Exercise. In addition to being beneficial for your overall health, it has been shown to reduce stress.
Consider cognitive behaviour therapy.
- Reduce fatigue
- Get adequate rest.
- Consistently adhere to the same bedtime and wake time.
- Avoid consuming caffeine after noon.
- Exercise
Try to do three to five 20- to 40-minute sessions of aerobic exercise per week.
Do not exercise immediately following a meal.
Read The Sensitive Gut, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, for more information on the connection between brain and gut health.
