Dyspepsia Diet

Dyspepsia is the term used for indigestion in the medical parlance. Those experiencing the discomforts of this condition often refer it as upset stomach. Dyspepsia is caused due to various factors but basically it is related to the eating and drinking habits of a person. Eating rapidly, eating too much, consuming spicy foods, consuming caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, chocolate, etc,. disproportionately or excessively, excessive smoking and drinking are the major causes of dyspepsia. The other possible dyspepsia causes include infection (bacterial infection), gastritis, infection and peptic ulcers. In dyspepsia, the person experiences pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen. This problem of constant indigestion is caused when the stomach acid comes into contact with the mucosa or the protective and sensitive lining of the digestive system. The stomach acid tends to break down the lining and causes inflammation and irritation, triggering the indigestion symptoms. When the pain and discomfort remains for a longer duration it's called chronic disorder and it's referred as functional dyspepsia. Before prescribing any medication, the person suffering from this condition is advised to follow a dyspepsia diet. Diet in dyspepsia mainly involves bringing dietary changes along with minor changes in the lifestyle.

Functional dyspepsia diet is also called non ulcer dyspepsia diet. This diet is similar to the peptic ulcer diet where the main focus remains on consuming foods that are light and easily digestible. In this section of the article, we are going to mention the foods to include and foods to avoid.

Foods to Eat

Stage 1 - The first few days (2-3 days) of the diet requires the person to remain on vegetable and fruit juice diet. In this initial stage, fresh fruit juice or vegetable juice should be consumed every two hours. The vegetable juice can be diluted with water, if the concentration seems to be too thick. Frequent intake of warm water is also suggested here in this stage.

Stage 2 - After being on the liquid diet for a couple of days, shift to all-fruit diet for 3-4 days. All-fruit diet involves eating fresh and juicy fruits such as oranges, apples, pears etc. Avoid tinned fruits as the nutritional value is far less than the ones in the fresh fruits. Eat any of the fresh fruits three times a day.

Stage 3 - In the third stage, you may shift to the diet that can be called the normal diet or a well-balanced diet. This stage involves eating three proper meals in a day. Take a look at what those three meals include:

• Breakfast - Breakfast should consist of a glass of unsweetened milk. If you like to sweeten the milk, add some honey instead of sugar. Other than milk eat some fresh fruit.
• Lunch - The middle meal of the day should consist of two-three whole wheat tortillas, a portion of steamed vegetables and a bowl of yogurt or a glass of buttermilk.
• Dinner - The last meal of the day should consist of bean sprouts, vegetable salad with no dressing or only with lemon juice dressing, a small portion of cottage cheese and a glass of buttermilk.

Besides these three proper meals of the day, one can have a glass of coconut water or carrot juice in the evening. As bedtime snack, an apple or a glass of milk is also permitted.

Foods to Avoid

Foods to avoid basically includes spicy foods, pickles, vinegar, refined foods, potato, pulses, cheese, rice, tinned foods, highly seasoned meat and rice. Mustard, pepper and other such condiments should also be avoided. Besides these foods, the intake of strong tea, coffee, tobacco and alcohol should also be completely avoided for the aforementioned diet to be effective in treating the condition.

As you may have noticed, it is all about eating light and easily digestible food and living a healthy lifestyle by avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. One also should try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Maintaining good digestive health is the key in treating dyspepsia. So be on a healthy diet and you should get rid of it soon. Take care.