Upset Stomach? Simple Steps to Better Digestion

Rising prices, the real estate meltdown and global warming - it's all enough to give anyone indigestion. But financial and environmental concerns aside, if you suffer from chronic digestive problems, you're not alone.

About 70 million Americans experience digestive diseases and 14 million are hospitalized for digestive problems every year, according to the National Institute of Health's National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Even if your digestive problems aren't severe enough to require hospitalization, they can greatly impact your overall health and quality of life.

From simple indigestion and heartburn to chronic reflux and ulcers, a wide range of digestive problems all stem from the same source - our body's difficulty in properly digesting food. After all, with an average 25 to 30 feet of "piping" between entry and exit points, there's a lot of room for error.

Fortunately, there are also many ways you can help your body do its digestive job. Some basic steps include:

* Stay hydrated. Your digestive tract needs plenty of fluid to help process food and move it through the system. Dehydration can contribute to constipation.

* Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber helps flush waste naturally and gently. Choose foods rich in fiber, like whole grains, green vegetables and some fruits and nuts. If you can't get enough fiber from your diet, consider taking a supplement.

* Limit your intake of foods that are difficult to digest, like spicy or fatty foods and red meat. And be sure to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.

* Engage in regular exercise. Along with all its other health benefits, exercise helps improve digestion and regularity.

* Ensure your body has the right balance of digestive enzymes.

Different kinds of enzymes drive practically every biochemical reaction in our bodies, including digestion. Studies show that many people experiencing digestive problems can benefit from improving the balance of enzymes the body uses to process food. While it may be hard to know how far out of balance your digestive enzymes are, it's easy to set things right and keep them that way, thanks to supplements that can ease your body's digestive burden.

Choose a supplement, like Nu-Zymes, that uses all-natural enzymes to help your body break down fats, proteins, sugars, carbohydrates, fiber, starches and lactose. Each capsule contains a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes, including amylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulose, acidophilus and CereCalase, a blend that contains three types of enzymes. You can take the supplement before, after or between meals to help ward off heartburn, bloating and other symptoms of indigestion.

Purchase a bottle of regular Nu-Zymes capsules online at www.mpdirect.com, and you'll also receive a free bottle of chewable Nu-Zymes, a unique tablet that combines a fast-relieving antacid with a patented digestive enzyme formula that keeps working after antacids stop.

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