Our digestive system today is greatly challenged.  Thanks to the ever-widening menu of strange foods, colours, food chemicals, processing chemicals, additives and preservatives. To add to this, we often eat irregularly, exercise very little, work till late, sleep for less hours and are constantly stressed. It’s no wonder that most of us have badly maintained digestive systems, a reduced immune response and increased susceptibility to digestive problems like diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is one of the most common problems encountered during summers and if proper care is not taken, it can lead to acute dehydration and even prove fatal.
Diarrhoea is in fact not a disease in itself, but a symptom. It may be caused by an infection in the gastrointestinal tract transmitted through contaminated food and water or dietary factors like faulty food preferences and specific allergies or even emotional factors like stress and anxiety. The digestive system gets weakened due to dehydration in summer. This leads to low digestive power. This is further weakened by vitiation of doshas and dhatus due to high environmental temperature. Hence following diets, which increase the power of digestion and strengthen the digestive system, would be beneficial to prevent and combat diarrhoea during summers.
Acute Diarrhoea is characterized by sudden onset and frequent passage of watery and unformed stools, usually accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, weakness and at times, vomiting and fever. This episode may last for 24 to 48 hours and because of the danger of dehydration, replacement of water and electrolyte attains prime importance. However, try to keep the fibre intake to a minimum (1 to 2 grams per day) to give rest to the intestines. The ideal source of cereals in the diet should be rice, semolina, boiled
The ideal source of cereals in the diet should be rice, semolina, boiled potatoes and pasta. Intake of fats should also be restricted as they might not get digested properly due to the intestine’s increased motility.