– Overeating or binge eating: One of the major causes which tax the digestive fire to work more than its capacity

– Undereating or excess fasting: This leads to the extinguishing of the digestive fire in the absence of the fuel (food)

– Untimely food: Confuses the digestive system regarding the time of production of the digestive enzymes

– Frequent night outs: Keeps your nerves at the edge and in a state of constant

Hence, the food that is eaten is not digested properly

– Unsuitable food:

➔ Eating not in accordance with the seasons

➔ Excessively dry food

➔ Foods heavy for digestion

➔ Excess trans fats

➔ Exotic fruits and vegetables

➔ Raw sprouts and raw salads; using cruciferous veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc)

➔ Acidic food: Alcohol, vinegar, sauces, ketchup

➔ Inflammatory foods: The Four Big Whites!

– White flour (Maida)

– White sugar (table sugar/refined sugar)

– White salt (table salt)

– White of the egg

➔ Nightshade fruits and vegetables: Potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, brinjal, blueberries; these contain a plant alkaloid, “SOLANINE” which causes gastric irritation

➔ Excess dairy products: raw milk, curds, paneer, and cheese

➔ Wrong food combinations: Mixing sour fruits with milk, namkeen with dairy products, heating curds, mixing eggs or green leafy vegetables with milk, etc

➔ Drinking water in excess quantity: It is a myth that the more you drink water,  the more healthy you will be! Avoid drinking more than 2 litres of water/day; also avoid drinking water forcefully when you are not thirsty.

➔ Eating under the influence of intense emotions: Emotions like anger, fear, guilt, jealousy adversely affect the enteric system (that part of the nervous system supplying to your guts) and thus cause indigestion.

➔ Suppression of urges: Forcefully controlling natural urges like hunger, thirst, burps, gas, urine, and stools also have a negative effect on the gut leading to indigestion.