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Tips for Coping with a Hiatal Hernia or Problems with Sluggish Digestion

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Hiatal Hernia Tips

Eat Slowly if You Have a Hiatal Hernia!

I’ve written about coping with a hiatal hernia before on Self Help Daily (I’ll link to each of the articles below this one) and as I find new things that help me with my own hiatal hernia, I’m sure I’ll be writing more.

As I often say with anything that involves health issues, the tips and advice are only for those who know for certain that their problem is a hiatal hernia. If you do not know for sure, please check with your doctor. Asking a professional if you could have a hernia frees you to know that it isn’t something else (which could be worse OR better than having a hiatal hernia) and it gives you a clear path to take to help yourself.

Something else to keep in mind is that everyone’s experience with their hiatal hernia can be very different.  Many suffer from a lot of heartburn with their hiatal hernia. I, however, seldom have heartburn. I do have the frequent feeling that I’m full sooner than I should be, hiccups (usually from eating too fast or not chewing well enough), and… the worst thing, a feeling that food is stuck in my esophagus which leads to pain and, usually, having to “expel” it – and we’ll just leave it at that! No one enjoys talking about upchucking or hearing about it either for that matter.

My hernia also causes me to have more indigestion and to suffer from acid reflux at night. REALLY hate that one!

Most people’s symptoms and experiences with their hiatal hernia aren’t as bad as mine. Heck, a lot of people don’t even know they have one! It all depends on the size, apparently. If you’re one of the ones who has similar symptoms, a few tips for coping that I’ve learned are:

  • don’t lift heavy objects – doing so is asking for a flare up
  • don’t do any activity where you hang upside down
  • don’t eat dense meat, such as steak or chicken
  • bread (all types of bread) often spells trouble
  • eat small meals, frequently, instead of a few large meals

Another simple (and we’re talking painfully simple) trick I’ve learned that has helped me a great deal is this: I chew to the count of 33 with each and every bite. Depending on the size of the bite, sometimes I have to go back to one and start counting again. When this happens, I always remind myself to take smaller bites!

Counting reminds you to slow down and chew. Since I began implementing the tips above along with the “Chew to the Count of 33” trick, I have had incredibly few issues. A while back I had a case of the hiccups and it was entirely my fault. I had forgotten to count to 33 and, basically, must have inhaled the entire waffle fry! The pain and hiccups reminded me to never, ever… under any circumstances forget to count and chew.

It will help you slow down and enjoy your meal if you think of it as an experience to be enjoyed rather than something that has to be done. Sometimes I see people inhaling their food like it’s a chore – “Gotta fill the tank and keep going!” This isn’t a healthy habit for anyone – whether they have a hernia or not. We should look for more times in our day when we can relax and enjoy the moment… I can’t think of a better time than when we’re enjoying a meal, especially if we’re in the company of someone we love.

A quick word about taking longer to eat than everyone else… so what?! It’s much better than having pain or getting hiccups. My family never complains, I think they just take it as a cue to eat slower, themselves.

A Few Other Hiatal Hernia Coping Tips

  • I am not even remotely a doctor, so I can’t explain the whys of it, but drinking incredibly cold drinks often aggravates the problem. Less ice or even drinking room temperature drinks leads to less issues for me.
  • Frequently drinking warm drinks seems to also help the issue.
  • Anything you can do to lessen inflammation will help you. Because of this, cutting back as much as you possibly can on sugar will do you a world of good. Also, researching foods and drinks that naturally reduce inflammation will serve you very well.
  • Anything you add to your diet that aids in digestion will help you. Healthline has an excellent article on foods that improve digestion and, after you’re finished here, I hope you’ll read it. A few of my favorite digestion-helpers (some are on their list) are pickled ginger, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and chia seeds. Again, when choosing foods, keep in mind that harder foods (apples, grapes..) can be problematic for you… find softer alternatives when possible.
  • Keep a food journal (Amazon link to the best one I’ve ever seen)! Whether it’s to keep track of food that causes symptoms or keep track of how well you’re doing cutting back on sugar, a food journal will help you so much. It was journaling my food/symptoms that helped me find the foods that caused problems AND pinpoint the meals that gave me zero issues (such as bacon and eggs, chili, soup, flat burgers…). Food journals have also helped people discover food allergies and intolerances they didn’t know they had. Trust me, food journals are one of the smartest things you can do for your health, you just have to be diligent about keeping up with it!
  • Don’t put too much into a bite at once! A few days ago, my husband took a bite of a big beautiful burger and all I could think was, “I’d be in pain for three hours and in the bathroom for two of them!” When you have a hiatal hernia, overloading it at once is begging for trouble. You’re simply better eating your meat off of bread, your tossed salads one vegetable at a time, etc. Once you begin eating this way, it becomes second nature quickly and the payoff will make you never fall off the bandwagon again.

Finally, I have notice such a huge improvement in my hiatal hernia in the past year and one of the biggest reasons is I lost a little weight. I weigh less now than I have in many, many years and it has helped my hiatal hernia greatly. Carrying less weight around the middle is one of the best things you can do for your hiatal hernia health as well as your overall health.

I’m not trying to be preachy, just trying to help anyone who is in the same boat as me. Whether your hiatal hernia causes similar problems or if you’re one of the ones who suffers mostly from heartburn or reflux, if you could stand to lose even as much as 10 pounds, I’m certain you’ll see a difference.

I, personally, have found that intermittent fasting and cutting way back on sugar and carbs (not all the way out, mind you… just back) has helped me tremendously. On top of my other hiatal hernia issues, I used to frequently wake up chocking on reflux – often it would feel like I couldn’t get a breath. Talk about scary!

I stopped eating at least three hours before I knew I’d be lying down and that took care of waking up chocking on a nightmare. My “cut off” for eating ANYTHING and for drinking anything with calories is 5:30 pm. It is absolutely worth it, trust me. I enjoyed snacking while watching tv in the evening as much as anyone but it simply isn’t worth it.

One other “trick” I did to cut back on empty calories AND cut out inflammatory sugar was switch from sweet tea to drinking tea sweetened with Stevia (something that is naturally anti-inflammatory… win/win).


More About Coping with a Hiatal Hernia:

Tips for Living with a Hiatal Hernia

Learning to Handle Your Hiatal Hernia Naturally

Tips for Controlling Your Hiatal Hernia

How to Get More Done in the Morning!

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Morning Cat and Coffee

What My Mornings Look Like: Cats and Coffee!

About two years ago… after months of looking for more time in the day and being unable to uncover any… I decided to simply start getting up 30 minutes earlier. After a few months of seeing that, not only was getting up before 6:30 am not fatal, it was downright productive.

I was blown away by what the humble little 30 minutes added to my day. It suddenly seemed as though the day wasn’t sneaking up on me as much as I was sneaking up on it. 30 minutes may not seem like much at all, but when you uncover extra time to be used as you choose, it’s a gift.

Guess what. I got greedy.

I saw that this extra 30 minutes meant I could ease my way into my morning and, when ready to get busy, I was more of a mind to do so. Over the course of a few months, I thought of other things that could be accomplished by another 30 minutes. Greedy… yes… but also ingenious because it has meant the world to my morning routine and daily routine.

I get up at 5:30 each morning and ease my way into the day. Having extra time to sit, drink my coffee, talk about sports with my husband, and do my morning devotions and Bible reading starts the day off on a beautiful note instead of a sour note. Bonus to a better morning and better day…. you’ll sleep better at night!

The infographic below gives a lot of wonderful tips for making your mornings more productive. Starting the day off with less stress means you have less stress to carry around with you throughout the day.

Ingenious.

Stay well, stay safe… stay happy!

~ Joi

Productive Morning Routine
Source: 15 Tips to Help You Structure a Productive Morning Routine

 

Reasons Why People Try New Products

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by Amanda Green

The market continuously produces new products that come with better features. Customers always want to experience the latest developments in the market. There are different reasons why consumers always want to try new products in the market. Their reasons vary with their tastes and preferences. Some of these reasons include the following.

Targeting Better Prices and Offers

Some of the new products in the market come with added advantages. Some of the benefits included discounted prices and gifts. The added advantage are meant to attract new customers who are always ready to try the latest products. For example, if the market dealing with bathroom products like a bathroom sink had a new dealer who offers free installation for every purchase, consumers would generally go for them.

Acquiring More Information

However much customers can get information about products from the internet, they still crave more information. Customers always refer to getting first-hand knowledge from the retailers. They always believe that such information is accurate than that acquired from print media or the internet. Whenever there is a new product in the market, customers will always try to purchase some part of it and learn the latest information it offers.

Testing the Difference in Quality

Products of the same design always come in different qualities. Consumers tend to believe that a new product in the market has some added advantage to the previous version released in the market. Their urge to have a taste of the new product drives them to needs. For example, cleaning products brands announce new developments in their markets occasionally. Consumers always believe that the newly announced product is superior to the current one in the market. They will end up chasing the new product to try out its level of quality.

Replacement

You will get over your old products at home and will develop the urge to replace them. In the process, some consumers prefer trying out new products with their unique experiences. Some will try the new products that they feel fit them. For example, when your clothes no longer fit or become out of date, you will try new options that work. Another example is moving from a VCR to a DVD player.

Prestige

Whenever there is a new exciting product in the market, consumers rush to acquire it for different reasons. Some consumers receive new products for an esteem-related reason or personal enrichment.

Brand Recognition

Branding plays a significant role when purchasing products from a category that you are not familiar with. Some consumers try out new products because of the brand. Big brands that are widely recognized attract new customers daily. For example, if you had to buy body lotion for yourself for the first time, you may pick a widely recognized brand. Brands also attract customers who are curious to know what the company offers and the level of their services.

Ego Stroking

Sometimes you purchase a new product to impress someone or to have something bigger and better than others. The desire to meet a standard of social status or the desire to make it seem like you’re operating on a higher level may influence you to try new products.

Addiction

Sometimes you may end up buying a product without a good reason. This habit contributes to our love for new products. Some consumers love trying out new developments in the market. The continuous act has made them get used to new products to the point that they will go for it whenever there is one available in the market. By doing this, they get some form of satisfaction.

Peer Pressure

The people you associate with can influence you to try out new products. You may find yourself trying out new products because the people around you do the same. For example, if your peers love trying on new clothing, you will get used to new clothing brands.

Different reasons make us fall in love with trying out new products. Some of them are personal reasons, while the people around us influence others. These reasons will always vary with the product in hand. But before you decide to change a product, try to find the purpose for switching.

Try to Have a Sleep-Filled Lifestyle

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Tulip and Huck

We all love to sleep. Most often, no matter what time the alarm goes off in the morning, we aren’t ready to get up because we just love sleep. But sometimes we view sleep through a negative lens too. If we sleep too much, we think we are being lazy and need to get up to get things accomplished. Yet we still can’t help but love sleep.

For all you sleep lovers out there who wish you could have more, there is good news. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation done in 2018, most young adults (ages 18-25), and adults (ages 26-64) need on average seven to nine hours of sleep per night. The bad news though is roughly 50% of people report less than seven hours of sleep per night. If we love sleep and are often tired because of a lack of sleep, why don’t we sleep more?

Why don’t Americans sleep more?

One big reason why Americans don’t get more sleep is because of having poor quality beds and or pillows. Believe it or not, your sleeping equipment makes a drastic difference in how you sleep. Choosing a proper mattress and bed base can make a world of difference. Knowing which pillow supports your head and neck affects sleep too.

However, it’s more than just the bed and pillow you sleep on. Selfhelpdaily.com also reports that using digital screens with SWL illumination one hour or less before bedtime could drastically hurt your sleep quality and quantity. As tempting as it is to watch YouTube in bed, browse Facebook and Instagram, or beat the next level on Candy Crush, resist the urge and put the phone or tablet away.

Many sleep researchers and scientists suggest keeping all electronic devices out of your bedroom for just such a reason. They suggest having a charging station outside of the bedrooms for all devices to help ensure you don’t get on them during the night. If you are one of those people who use your phone for an alarm clock, you can find one for as little as five dollars online to solve your problem.

What should I do to help improve my sleep?

Believe it or not, sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is when your body does the majority of its healing and growth. If you don’t sleep, your body can’t repair itself. If you are a fitness fanatic, or you just want to maintain your health, sleep must be included in your regiment for overall well-being.

The first thing you need to do is make sleep a priority. We all have busy lives; we have chores that need doing and things that need to be taken care of. But if we aren’t well-rested and alert, we won’t be as effective and efficient as we could be. So prioritize your healing time.

The National Sleep Foundation also suggests taking some time and experimenting with amounts of sleep. Pay attention to your mood, your energy, and how you feel overall with each amount of sleep time until you find what works for you. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine the exact time for each age group since we are all different. So you have to do a little experimentation on your own to find out what’s right for you.

Here is a small list of other things you may want to consider to help you prioritize your sleep.

  • Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends
  • Have a bedtime ritual that helps prepare your body for sleep
  • Exercise every day, even as late as three to four hours before bedtime
  • Make your bedroom a “sleep temple.” Design your room for sleep with the proper bed, dark curtains, and make it distraction-free
  • Avoid acidic and spicy foods, caffeine, sugary drinks, and even alcohol and nicotine two to three hours before bedtime
  • As we’ve already stated (but it’s a hard one for some of us to do), turn off your electronics

Sleeping your way to better health

Try out some of the suggestions above if you find yourself struggling with feeling sleepy and lethargic all the time. If you continue to struggle to get better sleep and feel better throughout the day, consult your doctor to help you get to where you need to be. No matter the case, prioritize your sleep. Make sure you have an emphasis on letting your body rest and recover. There is no way to better improve your health. If you’re looking to become the next great Olympian, or if you’re just trying to live a healthier lifestyle, don’t diminish the importance of a good night’s rest. Sleep your way to better health.

Reducing Fear Around the What Ifs in the World

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If you are naturally a fearful or anxious individual, finding a moment of calmness in your own mind can be difficult as you are always wondering or worrying about what-if scenarios, even if they seem quite outlandish even to our own rational brains. Once you have a fixation on a circumstance or situation, it can be difficult to let go, relax and in so many words – get over the feeling of what’s bugging you.

Luckily, we don’t have to let fear and anxiety drive our lives and we have more control over our thoughts, feelings and reactions than we initially realise. Of course, you shouldn’t ever withhold or prevent a feeling – it’s natural to have emotions and feelings, even if they are quite strong compared to those around you – it’s how we act on these feelings and emotions that summarises who we are.

Gaining Control

Control is something that can make us feel confident but can quickly be pulled out from underneath us. When we lose this control, we feel suitably out-of-control of our own lives which naturally causes feelings of anxiety and fear. While we may not always be able to control the situation, we are able to control our reactions to it and work our way through the fear and nerves.

For instance, online security can be a fear for many people who have moved their important accounts online and are using smart devices to log into their sensitive inboxes and bank accounts. While you cannot control if and when a hack might occur, you can be sure to implement multi-factor authentication on all your accounts and practice safe browsing by never opening or clicking untrustworthy links.

Trusting in Others

The beloved people in our lives, be they friends or family, can be a huge source of anxiety and fear for people as they worry what could happen to these people and the impact it will have on our lives. Parents in particular can be a group that is hugely affected as they place their trust in schools and day-cares to take care of their young children while they go out to work and provide a comfortable lifestyle for their family. Trust in others is built over time, we cannot be expected to trust everyone as soon as we meet them, and it can be easily to become overwhelmed with the sheer amount of news stories regarding untrustworthy people. It’s becoming gradually easier, with the addition of smart technology that allows us to keep an eye on our homes by monitoring securely protected CCTV and other home or commercial surveillance devices.

However, we also need to remind ourselves that the true world isn’t full of monsters hiding around every corner and that news and social media platforms benefit from only releasing and reporting the bad stuff. Social media and online news platforms and blogs have made it easier than ever before to see the horrors going on around the world but just because we hear about it more frequently, doesn’t mean it’s happening more frequently, in fact, in many western countries, the world is the safest it’s ever been.

Confidence in Feelings

Sometimes fear and anxiety can be caused by doubting our own feelings or denying emotions to situations out of our control. Rather than immediately taking action against these feelings, make a record of them, take a moment to read what you’ve written and include details about the situation.

– What has happened to make you feel this way?

– How do you feel?

– Was this your initial feeling or have your feelings changed and developed in reaction to your first response?

Once you’ve got this on paper (or typed up in front of you) it’s easier to step back and look at the situation as a whole, address the feelings you had and what caused them and work out what you need to change about the situation in future to make you feel better about it. Our brains work in interesting ways and sometimes, the first thought we have in regard to a situation is simply what we’ve been conditioned to think or feel, it’s what we do next that decides the type of person we are and how much control we have over ourselves.

The world may seem like a scary place at first glance, full of what-if situations and terrifying news stories but take a closer look at your immediate world, your family, your neighbourhood, your local community – you might quickly find many smiling faces and supportive networks. We are the ones in control of ourselves, don’t let your emotions override your thoughts and instead, learn to let go of the little things that worry you and live a more peaceful, fulfilling life.