Of late, many people are facing acidity issues due to their bad lifestyle, improper eating habits, lack of sleep at night, not enough movement, etc. But what is acidity? It actually is a set of symptoms caused by excess production of stomach acid by our gastric glands. Hydrochloric acid is processed by our stomach to digest and break down the food that we eat. Acidity issues arise when there is excess production of this stomach acid, which could be triggered due to several situations such as—eating acidic foods, skipping meals, late-night dinners, long gaps between meals, frequent food intake, stress, and dehydration, and so on.
Since the reason for acidity can be anything, it should be treated with a sense of seriousness. Nowadays, instead of fixing the root cause, we focus on popping pills to get instant results. That is why antacids are popped like candy today. Regular use of antacids will make your gut health worse in the long run. Many studies that are coming out are linking every possible disease to an acidic body—right from metabolic disorders, cancers, and blood pressure to kidney issues, brain function, etc.
We need to understand that ‘excess acidity’ is not normal for our body and we should not be okay with it. Certain functions performed by some organs require acids. For example, the stomach requires an acidic medium to digest food, kill bacteria, etc. But, when the acid levels increase or decrease, it can lead to problems. Just as an increased amount of acid affects our body, too little acid may create issues and allow bacteria to thrive in the system—for example, H Pylori and the breakdown, as well as absorption of protein too, is hampered, which can lead to further digestive issues.
The body has its own mechanism to balance the pH naturally, we just have to follow the basics of providing good nutrition, adequate activity and quality sleep to enhance its effect. Let’s learn about the easiest lifestyle changes you can make to deal with acidity:
Avoid skipping meals as it creates an acidic environment in the body and affects overall digestion.
Set a proper body clock and align your eating timings accordingly. Long gaps between meals in an irregular pattern can lead to acidity, so eat at the same time on a daily basis to avoid these issues.
Our digestive system is designed to rest and digest at night. But, due to social commitments or odd working hours, we end up eating late and that is when the body cannot break down food at night, which creates acidity. Try and have an early dinner at least five out of seven days to set a proper routine for the body.
Overeating or under-eating, are not good for your body. The more you eat than is needed, the more acid is produced by the body or the less you eat your body stays undernourished with
high stomach acids. Due to hectic schedules, we tend to eat our food without chewing it well and these larger chunks of food are passed on to the stomach. To digest these larger chunks, more stomach acid is released to break it down properly, which can lead to acidity. So slow down and take your time to finish a meal.
Too much tea or coffee—especially on an empty stomach—can create acidity. So it is better to avoid tea or coffee first thing in the morning. It should be had two hours after waking up. Not enough time between a meal and sleep time can affect digestion and create acid reflux. Keep a gap of at least two to three hours between your dinner and bedtime. Activity is very important—move around throughout the day to improve blood circulation and your overall digestion to control acidity.
Deepika Rathod
Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems.
The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.