This entry was posted 13 years, 3 months ago.
March 1, 2010
The importance of a proper function of digestive system for effective weight management and good overall health is indisputable. However, very frequently our life-style, bad habits, food preferences and unhealthy nutrition harm our digestive system to a great extent. This can be very dangerous and can jeopardize our chances to achieve a healthy weight. That is why prior to starting any weight management program, it is essential to get rid of bad habits and eliminate all the factors that affect our digestion. Below, you can see a list of the most powerful enemies of your digestive system.
1. Tobacco smoking. This is the main negative factor since smoking affects not only oral mucus membrane, but also irritates those membranes in your stomach causing gastritis and other digestive system disorders. Also, smoking is linked to increased risks of having colon and stomach cancer.
2. Great amounts of coffee. As a matter of fact, consuming small doses of coffee is considered to be useful for digestion as coffee stimulates gastric juice production. However, drinking more than 3 cups of strong coffee a day can cause bacterial imbalances in the stomach and lead to various diseases of the digestive system.
3. Carbonated drinks. It is strongly recommended to avoid consuming carbonated drinks for the people who have sensitive stomach and to those who already suffer from various ailments connected with poor function of digestive system.
4. Alcohol abuse. Those people who drink too much of alcoholic beverages usually have problems with liver, pancreas and digestive system. Alcohol affects bacterial balance in our bowels and causes colon cancer, it is high in calories and slows down metabolism, that is why it is impossible to use alcoholic drinks in the framework of any weight management program.
5. Too spicy foods. Most of spices are irritants and can cause stomach burning and even ulcers. However, such spices as anise and dill are quite useful for our digestion: they stimulate and improve our digestion function.
6. Medications. Most of the medications are irritants and are harmful to our digestion. That is why it is vital to consult a medical specialist before using any medications, even the ones that you have already used earlier.
7. Sedentary lifestyle. An excellent digestion function needs motion, and sedentary lifestyle causes stagnation of bowel activities, as well as strictly linked to constipation and flatulence. Therefore, to help your digestion, be active and keep your muscles in tone.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
April 2nd, 2010 at 4:51 pm
attention-grabbing topic, i never seen one thing about this before