The hotter summer months often bring about digestive related problems like stomach cramps, bloating, gassy, constipation, heartburns. Here are some tips take care of your gut this summer, keeping your digestive system calm & cool.
1) Eat Lighter & Lesser. Avoid big meals and go with more easier to digest food as well as adding fibers & fruits that contain lots of fluid to help you stay hydrate. E.g.green veggies, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, papaya.
2) Take Probiotic-rich foods & drinks to assist your digestive system: yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, etc.
3) Avoid spicy, fried, fatty, acidic food. Spicy food make your gastrointestinal tract feel the extra heat which may cause burning sensation and may result in heartburn and acidity. Fried, fatty food take longer for your body to digest and often lead to stomach inflammation and heartburn. To worsen it off with reused cooking oil from dinning out which cause more acidity and add up unwanted cholesterol levels.
4) Keep your caffeine in moderation since they are acidic by nature. Hot caffeinated beverage especially, give your body the extra heat and dehydrate it.
5) Stay hydrated. Keep drinking fluid throughout the day, room temperature water works best, not only to keep you hydrated but also they are important for your digestive system. Just because it’s hot, don’t drink cold water all day in hope to cool you down since this will instead create an imbalance environment in your stomach for the enzyme to function properly. Also, highly likely to lead to acid reflux & indigestion.
6) Exercise will aid digestion as well as reduce stress which cause constipation in many people. So whether it's a yoga afternoon, a treadmill run in air conditioning room, a swim, or jogging in the park is up to you.