Introduction: The transition from autumn to winter often brings dry climate and frequent weather changes, making it a high-incidence period for various stomach ailments such as gastric ulcers, gastritis, and gastric neurosis. Recently, Zhuang Liwei, Director of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, visited the provincial radio station to discuss the topic of stomach care during autumn and winter.
1. Eat more warming foods. In winter, the body must increase the breakdown of substances like sugar, fat, and protein to produce more energy to maintain body heat and adapt to the body's needs. The diet should be supplemented with heat-producing nutrients such as carbohydrates, fat, and protein to improve the body's tolerance to low temperatures. Additionally, the stomach prefers warmth over cold, so it's advisable to eat more warming and stomach-nourishing foods like beef, mutton, and chives.
2. Eat three meals a day on a regular schedule. With shorter days and longer nights in winter, many people switch from three meals to two and increase the portion size of these two meals. This practice is not recommended, as it can easily disrupt gastric acid secretion and damage the gastric mucosa. Daily meals should be regular and consistent in quantity. The energy distribution for the three meals should be 30%, 40%, and 30%, with breakfast between 6:30-8:30, lunch between 11:30-13:30, and dinner between 18:00-20:00.
3. Eat more stewed foods and fewer cold salads. It's cold in winter, and many people prefer to eat piping hot food. However, the esophageal wall is composed of delicate mucous membrane that can only tolerate food temperatures of 50-60°C. Exceeding this temperature can scald the esophageal mucosa. Very cold food entering the stomach can irritate the gastric mucosa, causing stomach problems, and is also不利于人体保暖 (detrimental to the body's ability to stay warm). Therefore, food in winter should be predominantly warm; eat more stewed and stir-fried dishes, fewer cold salads, and avoid drinking soup straight from the pot.
4. Chew your food slowly. Some people come home from the cold outdoors and immediately start wolfing down a hot meal. However, consuming a large amount of food quickly means insufficiently chewed food cannot mix well with gastrointestinal fluids, directly impacting its digestion and absorption. It also容易吃得过饱而超出胃容量 (makes it easy to overeat and exceed the stomach's capacity). Chewing slowly allows food to mix evenly with gastric juice, promoting digestion and absorption, and can increase the absorption rate of certain nutrients by about 10%. It is recommended to chew each bite 30 times and to spend at least 20 minutes on each meal.
5. Drink a glass of warm water before meals. The best times to drink water are on an empty stomach in the morning and one hour before each meal. Drinking water immediately after a meal will dilute gastric juice, and eating rice soaked in soup will also affect digestion.
6. Take a leisurely walk indoors after meals. In winter, post-meal walks can be moved indoors, and it's best to wait 20-30 minutes after a meal before walking. The saying "a hundred steps after a meal" is only suitable for people who are generally inactive, overweight, or have excess stomach acid. Elderly people with conditions like high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis should not walk immediately after a meal.
7. Wear a cotton vest. Winter cold can slow down stomach activity or cause stomach spasms, and it can also lead to "irritable bowel syndrome," causing diarrhea, fatigue, and general weakness. It is crucial to keep the stomach warm in winter; wearing a thermal vest directly against the skin can provide a warm environment for the stomach.
8. Maintain a cheerful mood. Many people have experienced stomach pain when angry. Depression and anger can harm the liver, and when liver qi affects the stomach, it can cause epigastric pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal problems. Therefore, it is important to maintain emotional stability and a happy mood. With shorter daylight hours in winter, it's easy to feel down. It is recommended to exercise regularly and get as much sun exposure as possible outdoors.
9. Be more cautious with medication. First, many medications can irritate the gastric mucosa, damaging it and even causing ulcers, so they should be taken with caution. For temporary gastrointestinal dysfunction, it is also inadvisable to randomly take antibiotics, antispasmodics, or antidiarrheal drugs. Second, the timing of medication is crucial. Medications that protect the gastric mucosa and promote gastric motility are best taken half an hour before meals. Acid-suppressing drugs like cimetidine are best taken with meals, and antacids like sodium bicarbonate or aluminum hydroxide can be taken one hour after a meal.
10. Pay attention to oral hygiene. *Helicobacter pylori* is the primary culprit behind stomach diseases, mainly originating from an unclean mouth and accumulating in large amounts in dental plaque. When the body's resistance is low, *H. pylori* can easily lead to or trigger stomach diseases. Therefore, it is important to change your toothbrush regularly and rinse your mouth correctly after every meal.