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After indulging too much, your digestive system can suffer from gas, bloating, and acidity. These digestive issues are common, as overeating or binge eating can upset the delicate balance of digestive enzymes, as your stomach can only metabolise a limited amount of food at a time. For quick relief from these issues, making use of ayurvedic and yoga could prove useful. While certain yoga and ayurvedic remedies may prove useful at easing symptoms of digestive discomfort, they have limitations depending on your body's suitability to ayurveda and your flexibility, as it directly affects your ability to perform yoga asanas. Besides these remedies, if the digestive system persists, then seeking medical attention is also necessary, as it could be related to a medical issue that needs treatment for relief.
Why Overeating Causes Gas, Bloating And Acidity
Eating too much can cause digestive issues such as gas, bloating and acidity, as sweets and oily food could interact with each other inside your stomach. Another cause of these types of issues is the consumption of spicy, oily, and processed foods that could worsen acidity.
And if carbonated drinks and late-night meals are added to this mix, then bloating can be experienced. Indigestion can be hard to deal with. And if it keeps on happening again and again, then it could cause digestive disorders that may have long-term health impacts.
Ayurvedic Remedy 1: Sip Warm Water
An Ayurvedic remedy that could help ease digestive discomfort is sipping warm water, as it provides the hydration necessary for a soothing effect post-meal.
You can sip warm water after consuming a heavy meal, as it has been mentioned in the Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine. Furthermore, the addition of certain natural ingredients in the right form could help provide relief from discomfort.
Ayurvedic Remedy 2: Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
Saunf, or fennel seeds or powder, could be added to room-temperature water or boiled to increase its effect on your digestive tract. Saunf has been clinically proven to reduce gas and bloating, as the Ayurveda Journal describes fennel as having the ability to relieve gas. The quantity of fennel could be approximately added in the following manner:
- Chew 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds after meals for your saliva to activate the digestive enzymes that are needed to facilitate digestion.
- Preparing a saunf tea could prove useful to relieve gas and reduce acidity.
Potential Benefits Of Using Fennel Or Saunf
- It has been documented in alternative medicine journals that saunf could be used as an herbal medicine, as it could effectively reduce bloating and help with these additional benefits:
- Ease digestive discomfort that causes post-meal uneasiness.
Ayurvedic Remedy 3: Ajwain Water
Ajwain is a famous traditional remedy for indigestion and gas that is often used in the form of whole ajwain seeds or ajwain water. The International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences suggests that boiling ajwain in water and having the drink lukewarm can naturally relieve gas.
Ajwain can offer natural gas relief when about 1 to 3 grams of seeds are used, as it contains thymol.
Ayurvedic Remedy 4: Ginger and Honey
The use of about 2,000 mg (2 g) of ginger is clinically proven to work on relieving gas and acidity. The Clinical Nutrition Journal has analysed this dose of ginger for helping improve how your digestive system functions.
A small amount of honey, about 10 g of it per day, could be used to support your digestive system, but be careful with its freshness of it. Infused honey could have varying effects, as the other ingredient could interact with your digestive system, especially when it is upset.
Benefits Of Ginger And Honey
- A small dose of ginger and honey could support gastric emptying, which means that the food could move forward quickly and be digested.
- Both of these natural ingredients could also help ease nausea and heaviness.
Yoga Remedy 5: Vajrasana
A yoga asana known as vajrasana can provide relief from acidity and gas when performed in the right form. The Journal of Gastrointestinal Diseases and Liver Diseases Journal mentions that vajrasana can relieve gas and acidity to a certain extent, but it does have limitations when the digestive issues are persistent.
How To Do It
- First, you need to kneel and keep your knees together, and make sure that your folded knees are aligned with your buttocks.
- Your toes need to touch each other, and place your hands on your thighs and relax your shoulders.
- Keep your spine straight and make sure that your head, neck, and back are aligned.
- Then, you need to breathe slowly and naturally, as you need to take deep breaths and not slouch.
- You need to hold this posture and practise doing this for 2 to 5 minutes, and gradually increase to 5 to 10 minutes post-meal to avoid discomfort.
Yoga Remedy 6: Pawanmuktasana
Pawanmuktasana, or wind-relieving yoga asana, could be used to ease acidity, and it is also called the "wind-relieving pose". The pose involves applying gentle pressure to your stomach, and it could relieve bloating. Here is the exact process:
- This yoga asana for gas relief starts from lying flat on your stomach and making sure the yoga mat is comfortable.
- Keep your legs aligned with each other and your arms beside your legs, and inhale deeply.
- As you exhale, you need to bend both of your knees and bring them towards your chest.
- You should feel a slight pull, but do not strain yourself if this causes discomfort.
- Bring your hands around your shins that are present below your knees.
- Then, you need to lift your head and bring your nose towards your knees.
- This bloating exercise should be held for 20 to 30 seconds while keeping your breathing slow.
- Exhale and lower your head if you can lift it, and release your hands and straighten your legs.
- You need to release and relax and repeat this pose at least 2 to 3 times for quick relief.
Yoga Remedy 7: Balasana (Child's Pose)
The International Journal of Yoga suggests that the child's pose could help with reducing digestive symptoms by reducing stress, regulating the nervous system, and working on the gut-brain axis. This yoga asana is only beneficial for delayed gas relief, not for acidity, as it puts pressure on the stomach.
Note: People who should avoid this yoga pose are those who are actively dealing with acid reflux, experiencing heartburn post-meal, and those who have just eaten.
When To See A Doctor
You need to seek help from a doctor if your symptoms of indigestion are frequent, as they could be related to an underlying digestive issue. Here are the specific instances that warrant a visit to an internal medicine specialist or gastroenterologist:
- When the pain is too severe
- You have difficulty swallowing.
- Sudden weight loss
- Persistent heartburn lasting for weeks
These natural remedies that are proven by clinical research can be safely used if the timing, dose of the Ayurvedic remedies, and the form of the yoga asana are correct. You need to take your digestive health seriously, especially when gas relief and acidity are concerned.
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Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.