HEALTH TIPS, GUIDES AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE

Digestive Remedies

Mornings are a tough time for marketing executive Nitin Soni. It isn’t the waking up that’s thr problem. It’s the daily visit to the loo.

No,Nitin doesn’t suffer from serious constipation. Nor does he have a chronic lifestyle disease. He’s just of of many people whose digestion doesn’t seem to function as smoothly as it should, leaving him uncomfortable and ill at ease. “Perhaps I don’t eat the right things,” he says. “Or don’t exercise enough. I don’t really know.’

It”s a common problem, says Dr.Meenakshi Jain, senior consulting physician, Max healthcare, Delhi. And it could be caused by anything. “From an improper diet to lack of mental peace, anything could affect the functioning of your digestive system,”she says.

But that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be eased. Here are some diet essentials suggested by expe

rts, that will keep your stomach healthy and you happy.

WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT: Abadon Corn flour and stick to Wheat flour, bread, noodles or even pasta made of whole grain wheat. The fibre available in whole grain atta helps your digestive system stay in shape.

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES: There are high fibre vegetables and are great for the digestive system, whether cooked or eaten as a salad. Veggies like carrots, cucumber and radishes are helpful too. Sprouts can also make a clear difference.

FRUITS: Apples with their peel, oranges, papaya, pomegranate, ripe bananas and pineapple are just some of the fruits that are good for digestion. They cool the stomach and their fibre content activates the digestion process.

GINGER: Traditionally ginger has been known to be a “heating” food that stimulates the gastrointestinal tract. Add it to all meals, says naturopath Mallika B Gupta.

ALOE: A bitter herb, aloe is a powerful laxative when used internally and so is occasionally prescribed for stabborn constipation, says Gupta. Because the plant takes between 10 to 15 hours to work, aloe is best given in the early evening to assure early morning elimination. It can be taken as juice.

MINT: In contrast to ginger, peppermint is cooling and relaxing. Peppermint has three principal activities.

1. It anaesthetises the mocus membranes, reducing nausea and vomiting.

2. It encourages the liver and gallbladder to produce and release bile.

3. It disinfects the stomach in cases of improper or imbalanced flora. Peppermint taken after a rich meal reduces gas and indigestion.

DALIYA (CRACKED WHEAT): Easily available, easy to cook and very effective, daliya could be easily(and healthily) replace chapatis and rice in your diet. It can be cooked in a variety of ways – as porridge, pulao or khichdi, complete with green veggies, says Gupta.

GHEE: This might be no-no for fat conscious, but ghee is a great laxative. Add about half a teaspoon’s worth to your meals.