08 January,2009 11:14 AM IST | | Soma Das
On December 25,u00a0 Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was hospitalised due to a gastric infection. He said in an interview that after returning from a long shoot in Philadelphia, he ate spicy Bhel, and started throwing up soon after.
Recently, spicy Bhel landed Saif Ali Khan in hospital with a stomach infection. It's not just street food you need to stay away from. iTALK tells you how easy lifestyle changes can strengthen your digestive system
If you are an urbanu00a0 professional, chances are you eat at odd hours, skip meals, make do with junk food,u00a0 and are a frequent patron of happy hours.
Your body often bears the brunt of your lifestyle choices. It's not just street food that you need to steer clear of, but alter the way you eat, and when you eat.
Food poisoning is different
"There is a difference between food poisoning and gastric infection. When you are hit by food poisoning, a pre-formed toxin is present in the food, and it leads to an immediate reaction. With a gastric infection, the bacteria or virus present in the food attacks your body, and may take some time to manifest," says Dr Viral Patrawala, Gastroenterologist with Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital.u00a0
What you can be hit by Patrawala says street food leads to an infection because of unhygienic preparation. It could give you Hepatitis A and E or Gastroenteritis, Colitis and Typhoid.
Oily and spicy food cannot cause an infection, but it creates more acid in the tummy and affects the lining of your stomach. This can contribute to acid peptic disease or peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease, when it is coupled with irregular eating hours, stress, and lack of sleep.
What you can do
It's best to eat before or around 9 pm, so that there's enough time to digest your food. Sleeping on time helps the body heal.
Simple attempts at cutting down on tobacco, alcohol and spice can work wonders. Make sure you drink boiled water and eat well-cooked food, and wash vegetables and meats with care.
Your liver could shut shop
Dr SK Mathur Senior Consultant Surgeon, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, Wockhardt Hospital
>>Street food could lead to Amoebiasis. The contaminated blood is carried to the liver via the intestine, and this leads to a liver abscess. The parasite multiplies and attacks the liver cells, killing healthy cells, leading to formation of pus.
>>Oily food coupled with no exercise leads to obesity and deposit of fat in the liver. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease causes inflammation and formation of fibrous tissue leading to cirrhosis or liver cancer.
>>Over-consumption of alcohol can lead to acute Alcoholic Hepatitis. A fever, jaundice and loss of appetite are symptoms, since the liver cells are being killed. Alcohol consumption needs to be stopped completely, since it can lead to Cirrhosis, an irreversible disease, whose only solution is a liver transplant, a complicatedu00a0procedure that costs a fortune.
Ayurveda boosts your digestive system
Dr Ravi Kothari Ayurveda practitioner
>>Have small, regular meals so that food is digested faster.
>>Have sweet or heavy food at the start of the meal, since when you are hungry,
digestive juices are concentrated and aid faster digestion. This is also applicable to diabetes patients.
>>Before eating, have a small piece of ginger soaked in lime or sprinkled with lime and salt, to boost digestion.
>>If you do not have mouth or gastro-intestinal ulcers, sprinkle black pepper on whatever you eat. It aids digestion and reduces acidity.
>>Have salads and raw foods only if your digestive powers are strong.
>>Water can be sipped throughout the meal, but if you are drinking a glass or two, avoid doing it an hour before, and 1.5 hours after your meal.
>>Have a cup of buttermilk at the end of lunch.
>>Walk 100 steps after a meal.
>>After meals, lie on a relaxing chair rather than lie down flat on a bed. If you must to lie down, lie on the left side than on the back or the right hand side, as it activates the Surya Nadi on which
digestion depends.
