Does your stomach hurt? Maybe recently you’ve been having gut problems and don’t know what to do. Don’t worry, I’m here to help! Please read these tips as you learn about what may be the problem and what you can do to solve it. Learn how managing GERD in Japan can be made easier with these 7 restrictive eating tips to improve your gut health.
I’m not claiming to know what may or may not be the problem if you are having continuous stomach pains, I’m just trying to help by giving information on what could potentially be the problem and what could potentially help you. Based on my experience with my own stomach problems, I think I may have some information that is beneficial for you to survive in Japan.
Personally, after doing a lot of research, I think that what I have is GERD. I have to specify that this was not diagnosed by a doctor, but that I have been given prescription medication to aid with what would be associated with GERD. Plus since taking care of myself as if I have GERD, my symptoms have improved 85%! Make sense? I don’t think the doctor diagnosed me with GERD (we speak in Japanese every time, so I don’t think he did, he could’ve though(?)), but the medication that he prescribed for me is what a doctor would give for GERD and other stomach problems.
At this point, you must be asking, what is GERD? As defined by Mayo Clinic, GERD is gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a condition in which stomach acid repeatedly flows back up into the tube connecting the mouth and stomach (which is the esophagus).
Some common symptoms that you may experience could be pain after eating, not being able to swallow, constant acid reflux in your throat, constipation, fatigue, chest pains, IBS symptoms, dizziness, and more. I highly recommend that you look into more of the potential symptoms that are associated with this. I only listed some that I have experienced.
I will not be the first or last person to say this, but it can make you very depressed. Being in constant pain every day could make anyone want to cry. Mentally, it’s a bit difficult to understand what’s going on with your body and what all of the symptoms mean. Especially here in Japan where it’s hard to communicate what is wrong unless you speak Japanese very well. Even in English, when you don’t fully know what’s wrong, it’s difficult.
At one point, for years I had constant stomach pain EVERY DAY that I never told anyone about (except for 1-2 friends later on). My stomach hurt every single day and it was very unbearable at times to the point where I wouldn’t want to eat and just wanted to curl up in a ball and lay in bed.
Just earlier this year, I was in the hospital twice in January due to what felt like 2 near-death experiences. In the end, I was fine, but many people with GERD also have pains that can feel about as close to a heart attack as one can get without actually having a heart attack. That in and of itself was extremely taxing on my mind and my body and was a real eye-opening experience that really made me want to change my health situation
Now 8-9 months later, I can say that I can eat almost anything I want, though I am mindful and very cautious of everything I put in my body and I make sure to take my medicine when I’m eating certain foods.
I want you to do what I did and get yourself checked out by an intestinal clinic or a doctor in your area. At the time that I was having these problems, I was in a very rural part of Japan so I was surprised that I was actually able to find someone who could help me and currently still is. I’m sure there’s a doctor that is out there that will listen to you. If not, it’s a matter of searching for one.
Here are four clinics in the Kansai area that may be of help to you!
This has been extremely important for me as of January. There are times when you don’t realize how stressed you are until your body forces you to acknowledge it. Please take your levels of stress into account and do your best to reduce it. You can check out my article here on some stress-relieving activities that you can do in the fall to help you relax.
Check out this article for some self love: Fall Self-Care Activities in Japan
This one is kind of obvious, but I want to stress it. I’m still terrible at this as someone who has gone a good week without water and survived on juice. (I HATE the taste of water!) Trying to drink water has been extremely difficult for me and I don’t always drink it every day, even now (I’m working on it!). That is the wrong thing to do, especially if you have GERD. But I will say to be mindful of how much water you drink and try not to drink water too late at night before you go to bed because that can lead to stomach pain.
As I said before, I lived in a rural area for a while, which was right around the time my stomach problems started. Just in case, I switched from my water purifier to store-bought water. The water in Japan is very clean, but try switching to the 2L jugs of water and that may help too.
I was going to leave a list on here, but this picture pretty much sums it up. Of course everyone is different and I know it sucks to cut out some food, but I promise if you start off cutting out some things that you love to eat or some of the foods on this list, after you get your stomach into better condition, you can slowly start adding these foods into your diet again and your body will have a better reaction to it. One step at a time, and sometimes those steps are baby steps. I’ve had to do it, and many others have had to as well~
There are different medications that are available to people who have problems with their gut. My doctor prescribed me medication for anxiety as well as medication to help with the gut problems. Again, talk to a doctor~
I also wanted to suggest a medicine you can buy at the store for acid reflux. I never really had a problem with acid reflux until after everything that happened in January and by summertime it became extremely unbearable. I had to run to the store to get this medicine because it was keeping me awake. I ended up buying this:
https://dokodemo.world/en/item/213962/
(Make sure to research it before buying it!)
It’s also good for heartburn!
I’ve suffered through this, and if you’re reading this article, you’re most likely suffering through this too. I’ve already said it, but you’re not alone. There are so many people that are going through this and feel a bit hopeless. But all hope is not lost, and you will be OK. What’s important is that you manage your stress, and try to think about things positively so that you can create good hormones in the body and lower the cortisol levels (stress hormone) that negatively impact your gut.
Within reason, try to live your best life and be as happy as possible. It’ll make you happy and it’ll make your gut happy. 🙂
Like I said, January was life-changing! After that, I started to heavily educate myself and binge watch different documentaries on health and the body. If it isn’t obvious, I love studying the body and learning about the mind. So I’m always studying about health and the mind like crazy. I’m going to link some articles and documentaries below.
(If you don’t have Netflix, don’t worry. There are so many Youtube Girlies that talk about this and have really great tips!)
Join the GERD community and you’ll see just how big of a community we have. There are so many people that are helpful there and that also have many tips that are great to use.
I’ve never tried this, but I thought this was so funny. Someone commented about how McFlurries actually eased their symptoms a little bit. I don’t know the science behind it and I haven’t had a McFlurry in years, but the next time I have a bad flare-up, I definitely want to try a McFlurry at McDonalds haha. I really wonder what the science is behind it.
I might have mentioned it before but I am addicted to amazake. I usually drink it every single morning. It is so good for your health. Anything that is fermented is really good for your gut, so think of things like miso soup, natto, yogurt, etc. Personally, I love sweets, so drinking amazake every day is like a treat for me and makes me super happy (insert the start of happy hormones for my gut when I talk about amazake haha. I’m always talking about its benefits as if I’m sponsored to talk about it lol)! I sometimes drink it more than once in a day. If you don’t know what amazake is, try it, and thank me later. You can get it at your local store or at a shrine during winter/spring.
I really hope that these tips helped you and that they can put you at ease a little. I’m sorry if you are experiencing any stomach problems, but I promise it does get better and that you just have to find a routine that works for you. I wish you so much luck and I hope you can feel better!
