Eating with a Stomach Ulcer
Get on a Schedule
Your stomach already has an internal clock that secretes acid according to when you typically eat. Even if you don’t eat, your stomach still does its job and secretes these digestive fluids. Normally, it’s not a huge issue, but when you have a hole (ulcer) in the protective mucus membrane of your stomach lining, then you’re basically digesting your own stomach (weird, I know) and it’s going to be painful. Pick 4 or 5 times throughout the day for a small or medium meal/snack (8:30am, 12:30am, 3:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:30pm), and stick to it!
2. Chew Your Food!
Chewing is the first stage of digestion. You’re physically breaking the foods down in preparation for your stomach to chemically break it down with digestive acids. That’s not all though; when you chew, the saliva that you produce contains sends to your stomach to produce specific enzymes based on what you’re eating - pretty amazing right?
3. Eat Thoughtfully
Don’t shovel it down while stressing about that deadline due tomorrow. Your body need to be in a state of ‘rest and digest’ order to successfully digest your food. When you eat slowly and thoughtfully, you allow your entire body system to relax, which send the signal “I am safe to take in nutrients now”. Without this message, your muscles are tense, your body is stuck in fight or flight, and digesting food becomes infinitely more difficult… even painful!
4. Stick To Real Food
This is going to be a tough one for my snackers, but I promise you you’ll feel better physically, emotionally, and mentally in the long run. Eating real foods not only provides you with the nutrition your body craves, it also keeps unwanted chemicals, preservatives, oils, fats, and other unsavory items out of your damaged stomach. Whole foods include any fruit, vegetable, legume, nut, or grain that hasn’t been preserved, fortified, or modified for flavor or otherwise in any way. Get creative! Get new herbs, new spices, explore the beautiful variety of natural flavors this plant has to offer.