Using the best tips to prevent stomach pain is very important. In fact, stomach disorders are becoming a big problem of late.
They can happen occasionally, due to poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle.
For instance, upset stomach, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea may be as a result of an unhealthy diet. When this happens concurrently, it can cause major side effects to your living.
The fact is, you can improve your digestion naturally by eating natural foods that act as medicine.
What is a Stomachache?
Waking up in the middle of the night may be normal, but when you wake up with stomach cramps, it is abnormal.
You may clutch a pillow to reduce the pain and continue to sleep. However, if the pain persists till morning that is a stomachache.
In other words, stomachache is long-term severe pain in the stomach or belly.
Why Does Stomach Pain Happen?
Belly pain or stomach pain takes place as a way of alerting us that something is abnormal and we need to take action.
We can notice the reason for some belly pain, especially when we notice that we had eaten spoiled food or unsafe water, in which we can experience stomach pain within a few minutes after taking the food or water.
Typically, when one experiences pain in the stomach, it might be an actual problem right in your stomach, but not necessarily.
This is because a person’s abdomen is more than just your stomach alone, but it is more than your intestines.
It is the whole area between your chest and your pelvic bones, with innumerable organs in the abdomen. Therefore, different problems can have similar symptoms.
Types of stomach Troubles
The types of tummy troubles can be categorized based on the causes of such pain.
Diarrhea is often caused by an infection that some people call “the stomach flu.” When you have diarrhea — runny, watery bowel movements — you may also feel sick to your stomach. The pain is one way your body tells you to stay near a bathroom.
Constipation is a top reason most people get belly pain. If you have not had a bowel movement (poop) for a while or if it hurts to go to the bathroom or your bowel movements are hard, you are probably constipated.
Urinary tract infection– Stomach pain also can occur with a urinary tract infection or a blocked intestine, especially when your urinary tract is infected by bacteria or a parasite, heartburn, irritable bowel disease also can cause it.
Something you eat. A common cause of stomach trouble is the food we eat. Some people get belly pain because they ate too much food that was too spicy or greasy, or food that sat around in the fridge for too long and went bad.
A food allergy or food intolerance. Another cause of stomach pain is a food allergy. Some people have foods that are hard for them to digest.
This is called food intolerance. For instance, individuals with lactose intolerance have difficulties in digesting lactose. A food allergy is different, and some can be very serious. Food allergies can cause immune system reactions that can harm the body. Someone with a food allergy must always avoid that food.
An infection someplace else in your body may cause belly pain too. For instance, a sore throat, pneumonia, ear infection, or cough can sometimes cause stomach trouble.
Appendicitis. If the pain starts by your belly button and then moves to the lower right side of your belly, it might be appendicitis. Signs of appendicitis includes fever or vomiting, along with the pain that gets worse and worse and a loss of appetite.
Stress, anxiety, and Depression. Many people often develop a “nervous stomach,” especially when they are worried or stressed.
Related: 12 Major Foods To Avoid If You Have Anxiety
After knowing the cause of stomach pain and what stomachache is, it is important to know how to prevent it, therefore;
Here Are How To Prevent Stomach Pain Naturally
Eat whole food to prevent stomach pain
Eating natural foods that heal is the only ways you can use them to prevent stomach disorders.
They improve your digestive tract and general health life.
For instance, whole food help prevents health complications such as diabetes, constipation, heartburn, cancer, blood pressure, and many other chronic diseases.
Did you know that the typical western diet can increase the risk of developing stomach disorders?
This food contains a lot of saturated fats, trans fats, and addictive substances that can cause gut inflammation that may develop to leaky gut.
To prevent stomach disorders and other health complications, avoid eating excess processed foods and refined flour.
They might cause digestive disorder and other chronic illness such as ulcerative colitis, cancer and many others.
Eat foods high in fiber to prevent stomach pain
Based on science, insoluble fibers are the best foods that prevent constipation.
Actually, Soluble fiber absorbs water and adds bulk to your stool. In addition, foods high in fiber may prevent stomach disorders including ulcers, reflux, haemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and IBS.
Furthermore, foods rich in fiber help reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel conditions.
They also provide food for gut bacteria. The gut bacteria help to breakdown soluble fiber since the body cannot digest it without the bacteria.
However, gut bacteria has no side effect rather a symbiotic relationship with human.
Here are natural foods that are rich in fiber to prevent stomach pain
- oat bran
- legumes
- nuts and seeds
- Vegetables
- whole grains
- wheat bran
- Flaxseeds
- sweet potatoes
- fruits like apricots and oranges, Brussels sprouts, and apple
- legumes
- Popcorns
Related: Top 15 Foods to Avoid With Ulcers | Prevent Ulcerative Colitis
Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to prevent stomach pain
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the healthy fats that help you feel satisfied.
It has several health benefits including protection against chronic diseases like cancer, blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases.
It also helps prevent stomach disorders like constipation, nausea, heartburn, and upset stomach.
Omega-fatty acids may decrease your risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis.
It is recommended to eat fish at least two times in a week to improve your digestion system.
Example of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include;
- fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
- Flaxseeds
- chia seeds
- nuts (especially walnuts)
Include monounsaturated fats to prevent stomach pain
Monounsaturated fats help prevent stomach disorder as they improve the absorption of some fat-soluble nutrients in the body.
They reduce inflammations and protect against inflammatory bowel diseases.
Examples of healthy fats are avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, omega-3 fats,omega-6 fats. Avoid saturated fats and trans fat.
Intake foods rich in zinc to prevent stomach pain
Food rich in zinc is very essential for a healthy gut. Zinc helps to prevent stomach disorders such as diarrhea, colitis, leaky gut and other digestive issues.
It is one of the most important minerals required by the body. Its deficiency can lead to various gastrointestinal disorders that can result in cancer.
The recommended daily intake (RDI) for zinc is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men.
Note that too much zinc can lead to other complications, therefore strict to the recommendation.
Foods high in zinc include
- shellfish
- beef
- sunflower seeds
Avoid alcohol to prevent stomach pain
The fact is, alcoholic drinks increase acid production in your stomach and may lead to heartburn, acid reflux and stomach ulcers.
Furthermore, too much alcohol consumption may lead to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
It can also increase your risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases, leaky gut, and harmful changes in gut bacteria.
By avoiding alcohol can help you prevent stomach disorders and improve your overall life.
Quit smoking to prevent stomach pain
Smoking increases your risk of developing stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and gastrointestinal cancers.
In addition, smoking increases the risk of developing acid reflux.
If you have digestive issues ensure you stop smoke cigarettes to improve your digestive conditions.
Smoking Cigarettes is harmful to your health and can cause several health complications that cannot imagine.
Stop late-night eating
Late-night eating and then sleeping can lead to indigestion and heartburn.
Note that gravity helps keep the food you eat moving in the right direction and when you eat and sleep, you lose the gravity that is required for proper digestion.
This can as well lead to an increase in reflux symptoms.
In any case, you have a stomach problem, try to avoid eating late at night.
Eat early enough before going to bed in order for food to move from your stomach to your small intestine.
Eat mindfully
This is very important. Some people hurry while eating for no reason.
This can cause bloating, gas and indigestion.
Mindful eating is the practice of paying attention to all aspects of your food and the process of eating.
This can help prevent digestive symptoms such as ulcerative colitis, bloating, and IBS
How to eat mindfully
- Eat slowly and chew your food properly
- Focus on your food by turning off your TV and putting away your phone.
- choose each bite of food consciously
- Pay attention to every aspect of your food like taste and texture
- Gasp the smells of your food
Chew food properly to prevent stomach pain
Improper chewing of food can lead to bloating, upset stomach, constipation, and gas in the stomach.
Therefore, you need to chew your food properly to give the stomach an easy task and process food to the intestines.
In addition, proper chewing of food in the mouth enables saliva helps to digest other food nutrients such as glucose.
It also enables the saliva to lubricate food for easy swallowing and digestion. This may prevent stomach disorders.
Start Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your digestion and general health life.
It helps improve the digestion of food along the tract.
For instance, exercise such as walking, cycling, and jogging improve the movement of food along the digestive tract.
This helps prevent chronic constipation and reduces inflammation that might cause inflammatory bowel diseases.
In any case, you have digestive issues, get some exercise to curb the disorders. This is very important for the overall health condition.
Related: How To Start a Realistic Fitness Program
Stay hydrated to prevent stomach pain
The truth is, low fluid intake is a common cause of constipation.
Therefore, you need to drink enough water. Water has several health benefits including body temperature regulation.
You need to drink 8 to 12 glasses of water in a day to prevent constipation.
You can also eat fruits high in water content such as tomatoes, strawberries, cucumber, grapefruit, and peaches.
Manage anxiety and stress
Several causes of anxiety and stress that you need to avoid at all time. Being that stress can wreak havoc on your digestive system.
It can cause stomach ulcers, diarrhea, and constipation. Furthermore, stress hormones can negatively affect your digestion.
Therefore, managing your stress such as deep breathing, meditation, staring exercise, may improve your digestion.
A word from Tannos
Concurrent stomach disorders can result in other health disorders that can lead to death, therefore, eating natural food and a balanced diet can help prevent stomach disorders.
Avoiding consumption of alcohol, quitting smoking, eating mindfully, and managing stress is all you need to do.
Health is wealth, therefore, take full charge of it by practicing healthy lifestyle habits.
Visit the doctor in case your stomach disorders persist.