What is acidity?
Food needs to be softened & digested & process of digestion starts from mouth which is rich in saliva.
Softened & well chewed food goes to stomach where soft food gets mixed with acids present in stomach along with bile secreted by liver.
Acid and bile are responsible for food to be churned softly in stomach for about 4 hours.
Why should acids be produced more to make us feel nauseous and bitter?
Either stomach is overfull due to Feasting or empty due to Fasting.
1) Be cautious about eating regularly and Do Not take Cold water with food.
If need be warm water/green tea or clear soups can be had along with food.
Drink lots of water anyway. The liquid diet washes away collected acids in stomach.
2) With age the process of digestion slows down. Count calories, stay healthy by eating a balanced diet, listen to body language and eat right without comparison with others of same age group or the younger and active lot.
3) Fennel seeds-or saunf -it is a common practice in our households to have fennel seeds at end of every meal. Seeds are source of minerals like Copper, Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, Manganese, the age old practice does much more than simply help counter acidity and bad breath.
4) Ajwain-seeds do help indigestion and flatulence. How to take seeds to get best benefits?
Soak a spoonful in a glass of water for overnight. Boil the same in morning, drain & drink water as it is preferably on empty stomach.& mix the soft seeds with vegetables/dough for chapatis/besan to make chilla along with diced vegetables using little oil/pure ghee/butter.
This treated ajwain water helps to lose weight, remove swellings due to water retention and has No Side Effects.
5)Mint-Pudina leaves helps to better digestion and to reduce feeling of acidity.
Mix Mint and Coriander leaves with green chilies and Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
Make a Chutney in a grinder.
Have few spoons of this natural chutney with every meal.
6) Lemon + fresh lemon juice, a spoon each added to warm water.
Ideally this should be taken empty stomach but for people prone to acidity, it helps both ways ,before or after a meal but make sure that the water is warm.
7)Be on liquid diet minus fats for a day- If prone to acidity after a party, keep away from solid food for a day. Get nourishment through diluted toned milk, diluted curds ,clear soups, green tea or regular ginger tea.
Every fruit and vegetable used in salads is rich in fibers.
It is Not a Bad idea to munch an apple or chew cucumber just after eating a Pudding.
The fibers absorb fats in the food and indirectly reduce the load on stomach to digest heavy foods which are responsible to produce acids leading to Acidity.