Food Therapy for Stomach Health: Which Body Symptoms Indicate Stomach Problems
Food therapy, also known as dietary therapy, is a method that utilizes food to influence various functions of the body to achieve health, cure diseases, or prevent illness. It is generally believed that food is an edible substance that provides the body with various nutrients needed for growth, development, and healthy survival. In other words, the primary role of food is its nutritional function. However, this is not the case. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognized long ago that food not only nourishes but can also treat diseases and eliminate illnesses. For example, the modern physician Zhang Xichun, in his "Medical Records of衷中参西录," once pointed out that food, "when consumed by patients, not only cures illnesses but also satisfies hunger; not only satisfies hunger, but is also palatable. When used correctly for the condition, the illness will gradually heal; even if used incorrectly, it will not cause other harms." This shows that food itself has both "nourishing" and "therapeutic" effects. TCM places even greater importance on the characteristics of food in terms of "nourishing" and "treating."
Food therapy is a traditional custom for Chinese people, aiming to regulate the body and strengthen physique through diet. The culture of food therapy has a long history and is a long-term approach to health preservation. In the past, people used food therapy to regulate their bodies; now, people use it for weight loss, skincare, and hair care. Food therapy is a healthy way to strengthen the body.
Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to stomach health. They eat healthy food but find their stomachs are still not well. The main reason is that they have not grasped the essence of stomach nourishment. In fact, stomach health requires two things: first, choosing the right diet; a good diet is crucial for stomach health. Second, choosing the right cooking tools and methods.
Which Body Symptoms Indicate Stomach Problems
Experts from a gastrointestinal hospital point out that office workers have stressful jobs. They skip breakfast to sleep in, order takeout for lunch, and come home exhausted in the evening, just eating something to get by. Every weekend, they go out with friends and inevitably indulge in excessive eating and drinking. Over time, their stomachs are bound to become uncomfortable.
1. A bloated abdomen
After-meal fruit is a habit for many, but this habit can cause your abdomen to bloat, creating an unsightly "potbelly." Fruit takes only about 20 minutes to digest and reach the small intestine, while meals containing meat and starchy foods take much longer to digest. If you eat fruit after a meal, it will mix with other food in the stomach, prolonging the digestion time. This confusion in the fruit's digestion process can lead to fermentation, causing the abdomen to bloat. Therefore, doctors suggest that the best time to eat fruit is when you feel hungry and before consuming any other food.
2. Mouth ulcers
If you frequently get mouth ulcers, this indicates that you need to supplement with large amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and iron. Experts recommend eating yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables to supplement Vitamin A, and dried apricots and wheat germ to supplement Vitamin B. Since acidic foods can irritate mouth ulcers, they should be avoided as much as possible, such as pineapple, tomatoes, oranges, and other fruits.
3. Abnormal tongue color
The color of your tongue is directly related to your dietary health. A healthy tongue should be slightly pink, uniform in shape, and have a moist white coating.
If your tongue is too red, it means you have consumed too much alcohol. The tongue is sending a "red light" signal that your body is overheated, and you must stop drinking immediately. A pale tongue, on the other hand, indicates that you have eaten too much fatty food, slowing down your digestive system, or it could be due to an iron deficiency.
Since the tongue is an indicator of health, it is advisable to check it regularly for any abnormalities and adjust your diet accordingly.
4. Declining memory
Aging is not the only cause of memory decline; dietary habits can also affect the brain's cognitive abilities.
If you are malnourished, your brain's abilities will also slow down, affecting memory. Women who diet and do not evenly ingest nutrients from food will have weaker brain function than women who do not diet. Various vitamins can help improve declining memory, especially Vitamin B1.
5. Itchy eyes or red veins
Most people go to the pharmacy for eye drops when their eyes are sore, but changing your diet might be more effective. Itching, redness, or red, cracked corners of the eyes can be a sign of riboflavin deficiency. You should drink more milk, eat more cereals and organ meats, or have a bowl of fortified vitamin cereal porridge every day. Recurring styes or small blisters near the tear ducts on the eyelashes are often caused by a Vitamin B deficiency, possibly due to recent high stress.
6. Depression
Many people complain about their poor living environment, but sadness is often caused by malnutrition. If you feel down, in addition to a lack of Vitamins B and C, you might also be lacking essential minerals for life, such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium. The exact relationship between nutrients and brain chemical reactions is still being studied, but it is clear that a poor diet affects our mood. Eating more grains and legumes, lean meats, oily fish, shellfish, and eggs for Vitamin B will make you feel better. Eat more dried fruits, as they contain large amounts of potassium and iron; berries, broccoli, and melons are rich in Vitamin C; and dark green leafy vegetables are high in calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Too much caffeine can also make you more depressed because it can cause insomnia, and lack of sleep is often associated with depression. Some people also have food allergies, which can also lead to depression. Try eliminating certain foods to see if your mood changes.
7. Irritability
According to the Women's Nutritional Advisory Service (WNAS), food is directly linked to irritability. Caffeine, complex methylxanthines, and theobromine found in coffee, tea, and chocolate can cause irritability, especially in the two weeks before menstruation. Eating nuts, seeds, and fish rich in essential fatty acids, or grains rich in Vitamin B, can help alleviate symptoms. You can also take supplements daily.