Overeating may also contribute to gastritis. When your stomach is too small for such a large portion, the highly acidic contents in the stomach are shoved into the duodenum prematurely. The duodenum doesn't have time to neutralize the acid which then burns the lining in the duodenum. Stress may aggravate gastritis because it increases acid secretion while at the same time inhibiting digestive function.

A common instigator of gastritis is a bacteria called H. pylori. As many as one-half to two-thirds of the world's population are infected with H. pylori. Many people walk around without knowing these critters are gnawing away at their gut lining. To boot, only about 20% of those infected experience symptoms. H pylori are adapted to live in highly acidic environments and even have the capacity to change your stomach's chemistry. They may live inside you for years without causing symptoms or damage.

I contracted H pylori from traveling overseas in the early 2000s before I studied Ayurveda. During this time, I had burning sensations in my intestines. The burning was so painful it would wake me up at night. Gut pain that wakes you up at night is actually a serious condition. But I was ignorant of the importance of this sign. I also didn't know that chronic gastritis may eventually lead to ulcers. Or, that gastritis can erode the acid producing cells of your stomach, leading to permanent loss of stomach function (gastroparesis). My digestion was very poor at the time due to the inflammation.

First, I followed some general guidelines to improve my digestion. Bacteria feed off undigested food. Indigestion also saps your body of energy. Improving digestion increases your body's strength and resilience to fight disease. To improve my digestion, I made sure all my food was easy to digest. I ate my meals on schedule, the same time each day. I regulated my portions and stopped overstuffing myself with food, which was overwhelming my digestive tract. I kept myself well-hydrated. I also relaxed after each meal for fifteen minutes.

Second, I worked hard to release the tension I was carrying in my solar plexus (a collection of sympathetic nerves & ganglia in the epigastric area). Through my yoga practice I started to notice the tension whenever I felt criticized or threatened. I would tighten up my abdominal muscles, squeezing the organs of my upper GI into my chest. Belly breathing helped me loosen up that area with immediate results. Not only did I feel more grounded emotionally, but the pain reduced overnight. As I did these exercises, I could even feel stagnant food move out of the area.

Third, I addressed the gastritis directly by reducing the amount of burning spices I ate like chili and cayenne. I removed all digestive irritants from my diet. Then, I specifically added cooling, pitta pacifying foods like coconut water, pomegranate, cucumber juice, cabbage juice, and pear juice.

Finally, I took an antimicrobial formula called Parasite Flush Drops. And after two weeks, I was pain free. By strengthening my digestive tract using Ayurvedic principles, and taking an herbal microbial, I kept my H pylori infection at bay.

Western doctors recommend antibiotics to eradicate H pylori. However, learning how to keep H. pylori at bay may be as important as eradication because the likelihood of re-infection is high. You can manage H pylori by following the techniques listed above. Regular consumption of aloe vera gel and turmeric may be useful for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well. Check with your medical doctor to determine what course of action will be best for you.