Posted 2018/10/31
Also, cold food should be avoided to reduce stimulation of gastric fluids, especially at breakfast. As most of the organs are still in a state of sleep, eating cold foods may result in contraction and poor blood circulation in the digestive system, leading to indigestion.
Warm or relatively hot foods, however, can help stimulate blood circulation and wake up the organs. Wearing a belly belt, or nuan bao bao, can also help protect the stomach from the cold.
Dr Wang also suggests warming fruit with hot water, or briefly boiling it, before eating. Generally, the antioxidant like polyphenol in fruit won't be damaged at 100 degrees Celsius. Boiled fruits will effectively nourish organs, move bowels and promote digestion, as well as reduce possible stimulation in the stomach.
But foods rich in vitamin C, such as kiwi, orange, pomelo and strawberry, should not be boiled for long, as the temperature may destroy the vitamin. Dr Wang advises not to heat these fruits for more than five minutes.
"Adding a little spice in food can help warm up and improve the appetite, but too spicy foods will only arouse too much stimulation to the stomach and cause problems," says Dr Wang.
For those who rarely eat spicy foods, digesting a large amount at once may lead to acute stomach inflammation.
And since immunity decreases with cold temperatures, we should also be aware of infectious digestive ailments with typical symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Uncooked foods are the first group recommended to be crossed off the menu.
Hot pots, many people's favorite in the season, are also not advisable because dipping the food in boiling water may not be enough to kill off any germs.
"Most people prefer tender meats without long heating but the cost may be high as they are much more dangerous than well-cooked ones," says Dr Wang.
"Warm" (yang energy) foods like mutton, beef and jujube are more recommended in the season. It is also advised to add spleen-benefiting herbs, like yam, pearl barley, dang shen (radix codonopsitis) and bai shu (atractylodes macrocephaia) to food, especially in soups.
As for patients with chronic stomach problems like inflammation or ulcers, it is essential to quit smoking, drinking and eating other stimulating foods as well as avoid bad moods and fatigue. It is also advised to take precautionary medicine to stop relapses of stomach problems, according to Dr Wang.
See a doctor if you have stomach pains as taking medicine without professional advice may aggravate the problem, she says. For example, people may take painkillers for stomach pain but some could cause adverse reactions or even ulcers and bleeding.
