Healthy recipes for nourishing and protecting the stomach, gentle and non-irritating

The first is to avoid irritants that will make you feel uncomfortable after eating, the second is to choose food that matches the current state of the stomach, and the third is to ensure sufficient nutrient density to help repair the mucous membrane. It is definitely not as extreme as everyone thinks.

Don’t believe it, Sister Zhang, who came to me for dietary management before, was diagnosed with superficial gastritis with erosion. She heard others say that she drank porridge to nourish her stomach. She drank it for three months in a row. As a result, her acid reflux became more frequent, she lost almost 10 pounds in weight, and she was completely weak when she came here. In fact, Chinese and Western medicine have always had different opinions on whether porridge can nourish the stomach: Chinese medicine believes that porridge is moist and can strengthen the spleen and stomach, and is suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach. ； Western medicine believes that if you eat liquid porridge for a long time, the peristalsis function of the stomach will deteriorate, and the digestive ability will become weaker and weaker. Both statements are correct, but they are applicable to different scenarios: if you are in an acute gastritis attack, with vomiting and diarrhea and gastric mucosal edema, then drinking white porridge/millet porridge for 2-3 days can indeed reduce the burden on the stomach, which is appropriate. ； However, if you have already reached the recovery period and still drink porridge every day, your nutrition will not be able to keep up, the mucous membrane will be repaired slowly, and the function of your stomach will not be improved, which will lead to chronic stomach problems.

Let’s talk about breakfast, which is the most troublesome thing for everyone. Many people are in a hurry, grab iced bread and iced coffee and stuff it into their mouths. Their stomachs have just woken up and are so irritated, so they will lose their temper. If you are really in a hurry, make a reservation for steamed pumpkin and boiled eggs the night before, grab them before going out and eat them while they are warm at work, it is better than anything else. If you don’t feel bloated after drinking milk, a cup of warm pure milk is also good. If you are lactose intolerant, switch to sugar-free warm yogurt. Probiotics can also help adjust the intestinal flora. By the way, don’t listen to others who say that you have to drink millet porridge to nourish your stomach. I myself suffer from acid reflux when I drink millet porridge. I feel much more comfortable if I switch to steamed iron bar yam. This really depends on the person. There is no need to copy other people’s recipes.

Let’s talk about lunch, which is the most common thing for office workers. Many people order takeaways that are high in oil, salt and spicy food, and their stomachs will burn all afternoon after eating them. In fact, it is easy to bring rice. Soak the multigrain rice for an hour in advance and cook it until it is soft. Don’t make the hard multigrain rice that will upset your stomach. Choose steamed fish, stir-fried green leafy vegetables, or soft stewed lean meat. Don’t add too many irritating seasonings such as pepper, chili, and raw garlic, and don’t bring hard-to-chew items such as fried foods and crispy bones. Let me also say here that many people say that you should not eat whole grains to nourish your stomach. This is actually not true. If you have gastric ulcer or gastric bleeding during the active period, you must eat refined rice noodles first. However, during the recovery period, eat a small amount of cooked whole grains. The supplemented B vitamins can help repair the mucous membrane, and you don’t have to kill them with a stick.

If you feel hungry and want to eat a snack, don’t stock up on those soda crackers and Hericium biscuits that are said to be “stomach-nourishing”. Take a careful look at the ingredient list. You’ll find that it contains more trans fatty acids, added salt, and white sugar than anyone else. Eating it will stimulate gastric acid secretion. If you are really hungry, eat three or four steamed red dates, or a handful of unsalted roasted peanuts, or half a steamed yam, which will be both filling and mild. Oh, by the way, soda crackers are not completely useless. If you suddenly suffer from acid reflux and heartburn and have nothing else at hand, eating 1-2 pieces can temporarily neutralize stomach acid, but don’t eat them as daily snacks. The sodium content is too high and eating too much is not good for the stomach and blood pressure.

Don't mess around at night. Don't eat until 11 or 12 o'clock at a dinner party. Make hot pot, barbecue and cold beer, and then fall asleep after eating. It's weird if you don't have reflux. If you eat at home, don’t eat too much. Just be 70% full. People who are prone to acid reflux should drink less liquids such as soup and porridge. It’s good to eat some soft rice with stir-fried broccoli and steamed chicken breasts. After eating, stand for half an hour before sitting or lying down. This can save you a lot of trouble with acid reflux. If you don’t usually have reflux problems, you can cook some yam, lotus seed and lean meat porridge and drink it. Just don’t add too much sugar.

Finally, I would like to say that many people do not dare to touch anything irritating when nourishing their stomach. They do not touch anything sour, sweet or spicy. In fact, it is really unnecessary. As long as you don’t experience any uncomfortable reactions such as pain, bloating, or acid reflux in your stomach after eating something, you can eat normally. Complete taboos will lead to nutritional imbalances, and your stomach’s tolerance will become lower and lower. If you eat something wrong later, problems will occur. When I had a bad stomach before, I didn’t dare to touch anything cold or spicy. After half a year of treatment, it’s okay to eat ice cream or a mildly spicy hotpot now and then. The core is to heal the gastric mucosa first, and then slowly try to add different foods to slowly increase my tolerance, instead of being a “stomach nourishing ascetic” all my life.

By the way, if you already have long-term stomach pain, acid reflux, and bloating, go for a gastroscopy first to check for problems. Don’t just rely on food for treatment. It’s not worth delaying your condition.