How healthy are you? Well the answer to this simple question lies in your lifestyle. Confused? Let us explain. If you lead an active lifestyle you can stay healthy and wise at all ages but if you lead a sedentary lifestyle than you are undoubtedly at a higher risk of lifestyle disorders. And it is not only diabetes and hypertension but also common conditions such as acidity that can occur due to a poor lifestyle. What you eat, when you eat, how you eat, when you sleep and what you drink can all have a significant impact on your gut and overall health. So in this article we shed light on the common everyday factors that put you at risk of acidity and how to deal with it.
5 Everyday Things That Put You At Risk Of Acidity
1. Skipping breakfast cause you are late!
Getting late for office or college? Skip breakfast. A common scenario that you come across in every household during the morning hours. But what tend to ignore is its long-term complications on our health. Skipping breakfast can not only lower blood glucose level but also affects your mood and concentration due to lack of energy. This can make you gorge on comfort food to fill your stomach which can increase the risk of acidity and gas.
Tip: The solution to this is not to have a heavy lunch but to have a healthy breakfast. Make it a habit to not leave your house on an empty stomach because happy stomach means healthy you!
2. Drinking tea/coffee cause it keeps you going!
Getting bored at work? Take a sip of tea/coffee. Rev up your creative juices? Drink tea/coffee. Feeling sleep? Get that cuppa tea/coffee. If you are the one who believe that your body runs on coffee/tea, then it’s high time to change your attitude. The reason being, drinking tea and coffee day and night can keep you alert for sometime but doing so for a long time can impact your stomach leading to acidity. And this may cause you to grab an antacid to get your health on track!
Tip: If you can’t think of surviving without tea/coffee, then limiting it to not more than 3 cups of tea/coffee a day is the key to lower your risk of acidity and other health problems. So choose that cuppa wisely!
3. Surviving on 3-4 hours of sleep is no big deal!
Completing that long-standing project by staying awake all night or watching that web series till wee hours at the expense your sleep is not a wise decision. The reason is simple!. Your mind might be exhausted because it worked all night and didn’t get the much needed rest. So to up your energy levels, you tend to fuel your machine with tea/coffee which in turn can lead to acid reflux. And if this becomes a habit, then you may be at risk of acidity as well as various health problems right from insomnia to lifestyle disorders.
Tip: The best way to stay healthy is to get your daily dose of sleep. So make sure you sleep at least 7-8 hours every day by maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
4. Spicy and oily food equals to tasty food
The spicer the biryani is, the tasty and flavorful it is — it is a common misconception that most Indians believe. And so we tend to load up our food with spices to make it tasty. But little do we think about the effect of that extra spicy food on our stomach and the overall health. So every time we attend a reception, family function or an office party, we gorge on the delicious oil and spice laden food only to end up suffering late at night. Also, eating fried food or overeating oil-laden food on a regular basis can not only up your risk of obesity but also impacts the gut health putting you at risk of acidity.
Tip: If you suffer from acidity at odd hours such as in the middle of a meeting or in the middle of the night, then popping an antacid is the best way to calm your stomach as it helps to neutralize the excess acid and provide quick relief at your place.
5. Exercise but not at the wrong time
Exercising is one of the simple and effective ways to lose weight and stay healthy in the current world. However, bending over at the waist or exercising just after your meals is not a good idea. This is because, exercising right after meals can send the acid into your esophagus which in turn can cause acid reflux. This doesn’t mean eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or snacking close to bedtime is a healthy habit. It is important to maintain a gap of at least 2 hours between meals and sleep.
Tip: Make sure you exercise at regular intervals but avoid indulging in vigorous exercise post meals. You can go for a stroll after dinner but refrain from walking briskly as it may cause more than good.
Acidity is a common health concern that almost every one of us might have experienced once in our lifetime. But keeping a tab on your lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and exercise, you can lower your risk of acidity and the health problems associated with it.
References:
1. Arivan R, Deepanjali S. Prevalence and risk factors of gastro-esophageal reflux disease among undergraduate medical students from a southern Indian medical school: a cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes. 2018 Jul 9;11(1):448. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6038284/
2. Kahrilas PJ. Regurgitation in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2013 Jan;9(1):37-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3975977/