If you find that you are suffering from different belly issues often, and you’ve been to the doctor and they found nothing major wrong with you, it may just be time to change your diet. As you get older it can be common for certain food intolerances to creep up. Maybe you used to be able to eat really spicy foods, but now just one bite gives you diarrhea and leads to hemorrhoids.
Instead of continually suffering through your stomach woes, there are things that you can do to help your gut get healthier, even when your doctor doesn’t have a diagnosis for you. It is literally all about what you eat. What you put in your body determines your health.
Keep A Food Journal
Your first step in dealing with your stomach pains and problems is to start keeping a food journal. This isn’t like a weight loss journal, you don’t need to track your calories or fat intake, you simply need to track what you eat, and how what you ate made you feel. It also helps to start with a general overview of your feels that day.
Stress can cause stomach problems, so if you are extremely stressed that day, your mood may be the stomach ache culprit, rather than the foods you ate. You might find you don’t have an issue with food at all, just stress.
Or, you may find that each time you eat a certain food you get diarrhea or stomach cramps. That is telling you that food needs to go on the no fly list. It’s not fun cutting foods out of your diet that you like to eat, but it’s also no fun needing to know the bathroom is seconds away no matter where you go.
Eat Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that help get your gut back in line. Certain things can kill the good bacteria in your stomach, including antibiotics, so it’s important to replenish that bacteria in order to avoid nausea, diarrhea, and even painful stomach cramps.
One of the most common places to find probiotics is in yogurt. Look for yogurt containers that say they have active live cultures. You can get probiotics in your diet through pills and gummies as well, which is a better choice for anyone with a dairy issue.
Stock Up On Fresh Foods
Simply making healthier food choices in general can make a huge difference in how your stomach copes day to day. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and cut down on things like salt and refined sugar. Shop the outskirts of your grocery store so that you are getting the freshest items to eat, instead of boxed and bagged foods full of sodium.
It also helps to eat by portions. Don’t overeat just because something tastes good. This can lead to an upset stomach and weight gain.