Thread by @ShreyaShah22

Acidity!

1 in 4 Indian is living with Acidity.

What is the cause of Acidity?
Most people think it's normal to have acidity or to be dependent on antacids

A thread🧵 on a why regular dependency on antacids is not good,dietary&lifestyle changes to manage acidity.

Lets go👇

🔸What is Acidity?
Acidity, is a condition that is characterized by heartburn. It is a common condition that occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe.

Acidity causes signs such as burning sensation in the stomach, gastric inflammation, heartburn, and dyspepsia.

🔸Causes of Acidity
▪️Overeating/large meals
▪️ Irregular meal timings
▪️High stress levels
▪️Diet high in refined carbs&sugar
▪️Oily&spicy food
▪️Irregular sleep patterns
▪️Excessive consumption of tea/coffee
▪️Medications
▪️Sedentary lifestyle
▪️Alcohol & smoking

🔸Why Antacids are not a good solution?

Antacids provide temporary relief. Most of these antacids are almunium hydroxides, calcium carbonates or magnesium carbonates. These antacids on regular consumption leads to below mentioned sets of side-effects 👇

🔸Dietary management of Acidity
Dietary management of acidity is easy but takes time.

▪️Regular meal timings:Plan your meals better&stick to that schedule.keep fixed times so that your body&stomach remembers,they will get food at these particular times &produce acid uniformly

▪️Mindful eating:
✅take deep breaths prior to meals
✅chew thoroughly
✅Eat without any distraction (gadgets)
✅Listen to your hunger& fullness cues

▪️Avoid processed foods

▪️Avoid irritants like tea, coffee,sugar alcohol, cigarettes & packaged& processed foods

▪️ Avoid using refined oil for cooking instead shift to cold pressed/filtered oil or home made ghee.

▪️Avoid diet heavy in refined carbs&sugar
Refined carbs are primarily white flour products including:
🔹Breads, biscuit, cookies
🔹Crackers
🔹French fries
🔹Sugary cereals

▪️Drink enough water:Drink adequate liters of water and keep a track of Water helps your body flush out the extra acid that remains in the stomach post digestion.

▪️Maintain a Food log: keep a note of food eaten,timing along with water intake to understand the triggers better.

▪️Sleep:Yes, sleep and circadian rhythm are linked with your digestive function. Sleep disturbance or late night shifts can make you vulnerable to acidity.

Keep a gap of min 2hrs between the last meal and bedtime.

🔸Lifestyle management
Overall lifestyle can be the only real issue that can be causing acidity
Here are few changes that you must make👇

▪️Exercise regularly: moderate& low impact exercise can be quite beneficial for acidity. Activities like walking, very light jogging, yoga

▪️Post meal relaxed walk: take a 15-20min of stroll Post meal or sit in vajrasana for 10min

▪️Deep breath: Practice yoga, pranayamas, and certain breathing exercises to reduce acidity. Also 5 deep breath prior to meals can help the body digest food better.

▪️Maintain healthy body weight:Having excess weight increases abdominal pressure. This cause stomach acid leaks and increase the chance of acid back flow.

▪️Sit less, take a stroll every 30min/1hr for 2-3min

▪️ Manage stress&sleep: practice mediation &deep breathing exercises

🔸Some simple remedies to manage acidity!

▪️Fennel seeds(saunf): chew them post meals or you can soak 1tsp of fennel seeds overnight and drink the water(if you like the seeds,you can chew them too)

▪️Black raisins(munaka): soak 4-5 overnight, eat them in the morning.

▪️Cumin seeds/powder: Cumin seeds work as a natural neutralizer and therefore can be chewed raw to alleviate acidity. Drink cumin seed water (made by boiling one teaspoon cumin seeds in a cup of water till the quantity of water reduced to half)or consume it in the morning.

▪️Sabja seeds: they're coolant for the body&excellent to overcome acidity. Just add 1-2 tbsp to water.Let it soak for at least 15 minutes. Once it swells up, becomes transparent, drink it.

You can also add this to your water bottle and keep sipping on it all through out the day

▪️ Buttermilk: Have a glass of buttermilk after meals it aids in digestion. Drink it 2-3 times a day to get relief from acidity.

▪️Ajwain seeds/powder: u can add ajwain along with small pc of Ginger&boil it on slow flame for 5-7min,strain it,this provides instant relief as well

🔸Conclusion:
Acidity is a common problem that most of us face, some on a day-to-day basis.

Acidity not a severe condition.
But chronic acidity can cause other health issues like ulcers.

Acidity can be confused with other chest-related problems that can be fatal.

I have highlighted the remedies and lifestyle changes for managing acidity.

But if the problem continuously persists...one must see a Doctor!!