Improve Digestion Without Changing Indian Diet
Do you feel extremely heavy after having your meal? Does eating tempting Chole-bhature or binge eating make you feel overly stuffed or full? But you don't want to give up on your favourite food? Then keep reading to explore useful tips to support your gut health.
Indian diet and Digestive concerns
Indians have a diverse cuisine and celebrate every occasion with a variety of meals. Fasting and feasting is a part of Indian culture and tradition which can affect overall health, especially digestion. If we consider an Indian meal plate, the major portion is covered by carbohydrates - we just can’t give up on carbs, and it is difficult to miss out on fat coming from deep-fried snacks, or drizzle oil/ghee in every dish. And nowadays, most consumed foods are processed, junk, and convenience store foods.
We can’t blame one specific food or eating pattern that is capable of putting digestive health at risk. The eating preferences that might give rise to digestive issues could be:
- Overuse of spices and fat
- Inadequate intake of water
- Too much consumption of processed and carbonated beverages
- Excess intake of simple carbs, fat, salt and sugar
- Less intake of fruits and veggies
These can aggravate digestive issues giving rise to inflammation, acidity, bloating, gas, etc. Hence, for improving your overall health and digestive functioning, the first step would be correcting above eating habits and choosing food wisely.
Tips to improve digestion without changing your diet
Digestive functioning can be improved with better food choices. Few people find it hard to shift their traditional eating patterns and adopt a new one, while some individuals are moving towards convenient food due to time constraints. Lifestyle changes and modifications will work for them to ease and improve digestive health without actually shifting their eating pattern. Let us look at a few tips:
1. Add herbs to your meals: Herbs and spices add a mouth-watering taste to meals. But overuse of these can cause digestive issues, acidity, burps etc. Correct use of herbs/spices will also work to calm digestive concerns. Use a variety of herbs like jeera, saunf, hing, mint leaves, etc. to add a soothing effect.
You can also start with jeera / saunf water (1 tsp seeds + 1 glass water) on an empty stomach or at bedtime (avoid if it doesn't suit you). Chewing saunf / mukhwas (unsweetened) post meals will help to digest your food better.
2. Healthy modifications: Most of the meals are loaded with fats or a major portion comes from carbs, which can make you feel uneasy after a meal and cause burps, acidity, or bloating. It is good to modify ingredients or cooking methods so that you can enjoy your favourite food with a healthy twist. Replace maida with whole wheat, millet, or multigrain flour for wholesome preparation. Instead of choosing deep-fried foods, go with shallow-fried, baked, or steamed food options.
If you feel bloated after having legumes, beans, or after having salads, then try soaking legumes/beans overnight or at least for 30 minutes and replace salad with steamed veggies, stir-fried veggies, or veg soup (unstrained).
3. Stay hydrated: Proper hydration is the key to smooth digestive functioning and skin suppleness. Ensuring water intake of about 2-3 ltr per day will surely help to relieve constipation, bloating, acidity, etc. Choose infused water, coconut water or herbal drinks instead of sugar loaded or carbonated beverages.
4. Add Pre and Probiotics: Probiotics are gut-friendly live microorganisms that aid digestive health while prebiotics feed these healthy bacteria, thus both are required to maintain gut microbial balance. It's good to include fermented foods, yogurt, onion, garlic, etc, in your meals to boost digestive health.
5. Nap/bedtime schedule: Most individuals have a habit of taking afternoon naps or scheduling bedtime immediately after dinner. This mostly brings a concern of acidity, heartburn, bloating, and other digestive issues. It is advisable to keep at least 2-3 hrs gap between last meal and bedtime for better digestion.
6. Healthy snacking: Long meal gaps might also cause acidity, flatulence, or lead to overeating. Having small healthy snacks will surely help improve digestion. Make a habit to keep healthy snacks handy like makhana, fruit, khakara, etc. to avoid last minute hunger rush and cravings.
7. Lifestyle modifications: Digestion starts from the mouth; hence, chewing food thoroughly and slowly will help in better food digestion. Being physically active throughout the day or going for a slow walk after a meal will also work.
Conclusion:
Digestive concerns mostly acidity and bloating are common in Indians due to their eating pattern. Small dietary and lifestyle modifications will help to improve digestion. You can also consider supplementation and seek expert advice if you have underlying health conditions or are on medication.
