Curing a disease that puts your tummy on fire

Commonly known as ‘Amla Pitta disease’ in Ayurveda, Gastritis has become a severe and a common cause of ailment. The Daily Mirror spoke to Ayurvedic Doctor D.D. A Hettiarachchi regarding Gastritis, its causes and the cures.  

 “Pancreatic juice produced by the pancreas for digestion is called ‘Amla’ in Ayurvedic terms and is highly acidic. This juice is a combination of various enzymes. The gallbladder holds the bile produced in the liver for digestion and the bile is called ‘pitta’ in Ayurvedic terminology. Both these juices ‘Amla and pitta’ are vital components of digestion and are being secreted into the stomach. Sometimes these juices don’t help digestion, but blows up causing nausea, vomiting and pain.   

The stomach is busy during the night and upon waking up in the morning, the enzymes in the stomach are craving for food. Having a glass of water in the morning as the first thing helps mixing those enzymes in the bloodstream and the powerful enzymes, meant to digest food, gets filtered by the body and the majority of it is released out from the body as waste, without harming the body. Having a glass of water upon waking is crucial, therefore. Usually, no one has a full meal soon after waking up. Having a hearty breakfast is not that good to the stomach either. Since it is the beginning of the day, the organs, especially the stomach, need to prepare for the heavy workload ahead and therefore needs a light breakfast for the body to function better. The perception the society has on the intake of food is misguiding. This shows when people have meals fit for a  king during breakfast, eat like an average person for lunch and what a beggar has for dinner. Breakfast should be light and it is not advisable to have a full meal. Lunch should be heavy while an intake of less food is advisable for dinner. If dinner is heavy, the digestion process might disturb the quality of sleep. Hard working individuals are permitted to consume heavy meals.  

 There are many other causes of gastritis. Human food patterns and lifestyles have contributed largely to this. Fast food, instant food - (especially the packets of noodles with artificial flavouring) and bakery products are some of the questionable foods. ‘Instant’ food is flavoured with chemicals harmful to the human. Consuming them and bakery products quite often seems to be the easiest option for people who lead busy lifestyles, but over a period of time the chemicals in these food damage the physique.  
Stress is also connected to gastritis because much indulgence in negativity and worry changes blood circulation patterns in the body.  

Tips to follow 
Have several small portions of nutritional food throughout the day.  
Avoid spicy and acidic food as much as possible. Avoid having tomatoes, Pickle (achcharu) and vinegar as well as ‘heaty’ fish like Herring, Skipjack Tuna, and Cuttlefish.  

Have fruits like banana and homemade rice flour rotti or hoppers when you feel hungry between the meals.  

Have at least a 20-minute break after lunch and the meal also should be taken without a hurry and being conscious of it. Heavy activities are not permitted soon after meals. The alcohol in the food causes a certain sleepiness and the recommended rest should be taken till this alcoholic effect fades away and makes room in the stomach. This is caused by digestion.  

Avoid the consumption of heavy meat like mutton and beef.  

Eat Snake gourd, Sponge gourd, and Lambkin Melon to cool your body.   

Herbal treatment  
 Cut a fleshy aloe vera leaf, keep a day to reduce the bitterness and cut to chunks carefully. Without chewing put the contents directly into the throat and gulp. Aloe has a miraculous power in healing wounds and soothing inflammation.  

 Cook ‘Aththikka’ using some coconut milk and less spice and have it 4 to 5 days regularly.  

 Heat fresh milk with raw ginger and a few nut grass (Kalaanduru) bulbs which adds a zest to the milk. This saves the stomach from bad bacteria.