Knowingly or unknowingly, people often end up consuming food items that affect their digestive health negatively, instead of providing health benefits. Yes, the majority of people think that they can digest any kind of food and won't suffer from any side effects at all. But in reality, based on the preparation, processing, and ingredients present in them, some foods end up triggering digestive problems. 

Let's take a look at some such foods that can be bad for the digestive health.

Processed Foods: Processed or packed foods are high in carbohydrates, and can cause various digestive issues, such as bloating, cramping, gas formation, hypertension, and diabetes, when consumed in large amounts.
Alcohol: Technically speaking, alcohol may not be a food; but if you consume alcohol every time you eat, it can be counted as a food item. When the consumption of alcohol is moderate to high, it can cause acid reflux or heartburn, inflammation in the stomach lining, stomach cramps, and even diarrhea.
Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners may work great for keeping your blood sugar in control but may affecctyour digestive system adversely. Artificial sweeteners contain ingredients that can increase the chance of bloating, gas, diarrhea, and inflammation.
Fried and Greasy Foods: Fried foods and greasy food are not only difficult to digest but they can also cause minor digestive problems, which later lead to intense stomach conditions such as acid reflux, heartburn, bloating, tummy upset, belching, etc.
Chocolates: Are you fond of eating chocolates? Having a sweet tooth can cost you your digestive health. From heartburn to an upset stomach, eating too many chocolates or candies can result in loose stools and diarrhea.
Foods Rich in Spice: Eating too much of spicy foods and those that contain chili peppers for a tangy flavor can often lead to heartburn and acidity. While you may enjoy eating something delicious with a tangy and spicy taste, the damage it may cause to your digestive health can be a cause forconcern.
Too Much of Caffeine: Drinking too much coffee or drinks with a high caffeine content cannot only irritate the stomach but also damage the smooth functioning of the digestive system. Heartburn, inflammation, constipation, and dehydration are some of the common digestive problems posed by coffee.
Raw Vegetables and Acidic Fruits: While consuming too many acidic fruits can cause acid reflux and stomach inflammation, eating raw vegetables leads to cramps, diarrhea, bloating and gas as they pass through the digestive system undigested.
For those who are concerned about their digestive health, consulting a doctor is recommended. In case you already have a stomach related ailment or disorder or have suffered from any in the past, a doctor can suggest and advice you and what are the best foods to incorporate in your diet.


Digestive Health - 8 Things You Should Just Say 'No' To!

Sometimes, during consumption of certain food items many children get itchy throat, eyes, ears, asthma, sneezing, rashes, diarrhea and eczema. This can be due to food intolerance in children. It is a form of allergic disease in children. Every 1 out of 10 children suffer from food intolerance. These days, food allergies are becoming more and more common in children who are allergic to nuts, milk and eggs. In some cases it can also be life threatening. This condition is known as anaphylaxis. Milk and egg allergies are more common throughout the world.

Symptoms of food intolerance:

Bloating

Your bowels start becoming irritable.

Stomach starts to ache.

Cough and cold is a common symptom.

Itchy skin rash

Causes of food intolerance in children:

There are enzymes in your body, which help you to digest the food you consume. Some enzymes in your body are insufficient; which further causes food intolerance in children. For instance, lactose intolerance causes spasms, stomach aches, diarrhea and so on so forth.

Food intolerance can also be caused due to chemicals, such as chemicals present in coffee, tea, cheese and chocolates.

Some food products can also cause food intolerance such as undercooked beans containing aflatoxins can cause extreme stomach infections in children.

Some children are also intolerant to certain food products which have salicylates such as majority of fruits, vegetables, herbs and also additives. Processed food contains a high amount of salicylates.

Children can be allergic to antioxidants like artificial food coloring, artificial flavouring and preservatives.

What to do if you think your child has food intolerance?

Take your child for a skin prick test. In this test, the skin is pricked with a thin needle and when the blood oozes out, supplements of different food products are put in that area. If that particular area becomes reddish and begins to itch, your child has allergy to that certain food product

A blood test should be done. It verifies the level of lgE present in your blood and finds out if your child is suffering from food intolerance or not. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

Food Intolerance in Children - 5 Reasons Behind it

From our early memories, we would have been drilleed down with the importance of food and the benefits of eating certain foods. We naturally tend to assume that foods make us grow and sometimes we end up gobbling tons of food with a childhood innocence that they are going to make us taller and smarter in a jiffy. Looking back, we tend to smile at those memories nostalgically. However, in some cases, we grow up or we simply ignore one basic rule of eating the right food at the right time. 

Foods are very much related to time and the physics of our body can agree with them only if they are taken for a certain period. For instance, there are some foods that are beneficial to us, but can actually work in a negative way, if taken at a wrong time. For example, there are some foods that should never be taken on an empty stomach. Here are some such foods that you may want to know:

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are no doubt full of vitamins and antioxidants. However, when eaten on an empty stomach, these ingredients combine with acidic nature of our stomach and can result in stomach block. They put unnecessary pressure on the stomach and can cause stomachache. This can be dangerous for people who are already suffering from ulcers.
Citrus Fruits: Though citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, they may irritate your stomach when taken first thing in the morning. The oesophagus lining of your stomach gets enlarged when there is no food to digest and taking these fruits can directly enlarge them even more, causing more friction to your stomach.
Short Crust/Puff Pastry: Pastries can be a good combination for breakfast but it is a strict no on an empty stomach. Pastries and crusts have yeast in them and they simply will not go well for an empty stomach.
Carbonated Drinks: Carbonated drinks are basically bad for health and imagine having them on an early morning. Nothing can be more troublesome for your stomach than having these carbonated drinks first thing in the morning. They up the risk of cancer and heart diseases and can also lead to many other complications. Strictly avoid them on an empty stomach.
Coffee or Tea: Is having coffee the first thing that you do in the morning? You may be unaware but you are actually causing a lot of harm to your body. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase the levels of hydrochloric acid and can lead to constipation vomiting. They also slow the digestion process. Try having a glass of water on an empty stomach; give it some time to settle and then intake caffeine.

5 Things You Must Never Consume Empty Stomach!

The term fast food refers to those particular food items that can be quickly prepared and served instantly. From pizzas to chips, pastries, burgers, candy, soft drinks, fried and salted snacks, everything falls under fast food. There is no doubt that they appear irresistible and are equally delicious. But do you know that they can end up seriously affecting your stomach? Yes, for those who follow a diet, which is based on fast foods, it's time to know the effects of them on your digestive system.

Discomfort to the Stomach and Kidney: As fast food contains various toxic elements, chemicals and high amount of sodium, these naturally increase the risks of developing bloating, stomach ulcers and sometimes even stomach cancer. As more salt is consumed by your body (through fast food), greater amount of water will be held by the sodium, which cannot only result in swelling or bloating of the abdomen but also may cause stomach discomfort.
Fast Food Diet Increases Constipation: Dietary fiber, which is found in fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, and nuts, plays a crucial role in the maintaining a smooth digestive system. Not only do they keep the digestive tract functional, but also helpsin excreting the waste out of the body. But unfortunately, when your diet becomes filled with fast food, you lack the necessary fiber intake as fast food contains little or no dietary fiber. Less fiber means less absorption of water, resulting in constipation, which causes discomfort in the stomach as well.
Peptic Ulcer May Be Next: Continuously having fast food often leads to stomach ulcers. Peptic ulcer disease or peptic ulcer is probably the most common form of ulcer that damages the gastrointestinal tract severely. For ages, intake of excessively spicy foods, alcohol and leading a stressful life have been considered to be the root cause of stomach ulcer. However, scientific studies have highlighted the consumption of fast foods too as a cause of ulcers.
It Invites Liver Diseases: The liver is another victim of regular fast food intake. If you think that the stomach doesn't have to bear the side effects of liver disease due to fast food consumption, then you are wrong. Whether it's liver disease or any kind of liver damage, it may lead to a bloated abdomen, swelling of the veins or bleeding veins around the stomach, the esophagus and even pain in the stomach, interrupting the digestive process.
Those who consume fast food regularly or whose diet comprises of mostly fast food items should consult a medical professional or a gastroenterologist to be more specific, in case they experience pain and discomfort in the stomach. Dependence on a fast food diet for long often leads to life-threatening conditions, which can only be dealt with through medical attention.

Fast Food Diet - How It Affects Your Stomach?

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

When somebody is diagnosed with a short term or a life-threatening disease, one of the main things they are likely to stress over is pain. Though, there are many effective medicines for pain, it is important to realize that medicines are not by any means the only treatment method for pain. For instance, radiation treatment can be very useful in treating pain from cancer and also in facilitating bone pain identified with the disease.

The term "alternative therapy" for the most part is used to describe any treatment or alternative that does not require medicinal attention. Alternate treatment includes a combination of controls, including acupuncture, guided imagery, chiropractic treatment, yoga, hypnosis, relaxation, biofeedback, massage, homegrown cures, aromatherapy and numerous others.

There are various non-medicinal methods for adapting to pain. They can be used all alone or as a part of a mix with medication treatments. Some of the alternatives patients have discovered include:

Massage: Many individuals discover relief from delicate back rub, and some clinics and massage parlors have trained massage specialists. A few studies have found that a back rub is extremely successful in soothing pain.
Relaxation: Guided imagery, spellbinding, breathing procedures and relaxation arts like tai chi are effective and viable, especially when a patient is experiencing debilitating pain.
Acupuncture: A few studies have found that acupuncture can be useful in calming pain for individuals with genuine ailments, for example - cancer.
Physiotherapy: In case a person has been very active before and is currently bed-ridden, even simply moving the hands and feet a little bit with proper physiotherapy movements can offer help.
Pet treatment: If you have episodes of pain that last 5, 10, or 15 minutes, attempting to discover something pleasant - like petting an animal's delicate fur can divert and help in relaxation.
Gel packs: These are basic packs that can be warmed or cooled and used to ease pain.
Chiropractic treatment: It is the most widely recognized non-surgical treatment for back pain. It is usually done by a chiropractor who will tune your nerves and other parts for pain relief. Qualified chiropractors are a rarity and hence one must be careful while dealing with them.
Diet: A few people trust that dietary fat intake and consumption of plants that contain calming operators can ease pain by restricting irritation.
Herbal treatment: The effectiveness of herbs is questionable. Do consult a doctor or a specialist since they could have a side effect of their own. Some of them can interact with the medicines you might be taking. This may cause harm to your health.
Alternative therapies to pain relief are not always harmless. As mentioned above, herbal remedies could have few side effects too. Likewise, one should always take a second opinion or consult someone before taking a decision on the kind of alternative therapy they opt for. It is better if you consult an interventional pain physician first and then follow his advice on how to follow these methods for maximal pain relief.

Using Non-medicinal Ways to Treat Pain

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