Treat Your Stomach With Kindness

Has your stomach been giving you a hard time? Maybe it's just grumpy, or maybe it's paying you back for poor eating habits and lifestyle choices. If you want to appease your tummy and start feeling more comfortable pronto, here are a few suggestions that could make a difference.

1. Eat several smaller meals instead of three large ones. This will make digestion easier for your stomach, and give it time to rest between each meal. Knowing that you can dine every few hours may make it easier to eat smaller portions at each sitting, which is another outcome your stomach will love.

2. Avoid fried or greasy foods. Anything deep-fried or soggy with fat is apt to upset your stomach. If you must have these foods occasionally, eat smaller amounts, and make up the difference with fruits and vegetables or complex (not simple) carbohydrates. Eat a balanced diet to get all the nutrients your body needs and to avoid a buildup of one kind over the others, especially if the one is somewhat negative.

3. Drink plenty of milk products. Stomachs like milk and milk products, like yogurt. Plan to have three or four helpings daily, if your doctor approves and you have no contraindications with your health. Aim for low-fat or skim milk on some if not all of your servings to help control the number of calories you take in.

4. Don't eat after 6 p.m. or at least two to four hours before bedtime. Also avoid getting up at night to eat. Give your stomach a good night's rest, too. If you find yourself burping or experiencing reflux, try propping your pillow up a little more to help keep stomach contents where it belongs.

5. Get adequate fluids. Drink about eight glasses each day to help all your bodily processes, including digestion. Stay away from sugary beverages and stick to clear water or low-calorie drinks. Liquids help your stomach's digestive process.

6. Exercise routinely, and try to get 30 minutes or more every day. This helps to keep your body working as it should, and will aid in the digestive process so that foods don't sit around in your stomach too long.

If your stomach distress persists, or if it is accompanied by vomiting, difficulty in swallowing, constipation, or diarrhea (or alternating bouts of both), let your doctor know. These could be signs of a serious problem, so you will want to have them evaluated. Think of the stomach as a temporary holding and refining area for all the food you take in at meals and with snacks. If too much food goes down, especially quickly, the refining process can't keep up, and you could experience a clog. Treat your stomach with respect, and it should work just fine. But if you eat too much or dine too quickly, or if you consume the wrong foods, you could end up with pain, gastric reflux, or bowel problems.