My husband and I went out to eat for breakfast today. He had a mushroom, olive and onion omelet. I had a Philly Cheesesteak, pretty unusual for me. Normally I would have had a salad but the place we went to looked like all they might have is iceberg lettuce.
I usually don’t eat breakfast because I’m not hungry at 6 am when I get up. In fact I usually don’t eat anything until about lunch. Well, except for the triple shot latte my husband makes. Sorry, nutrition folks, I only eat when I’m hungry. Plus I usually play tennis first thing in the morning and doing that on a full stomach is not my idea of fun. Caffeine yes, full stomach no.
Now my normal lunch fare is an apple and a chunk of cheese, maybe some bread if I’m really hungry. So the Philly Cheesesteak was a huge departure and a big mistake. It tasted great going down. Umm, all that grease, cheese and meat. By the time I was done my stomach was churning. All afternoon I could feel the knot in my stomach. Now, mind you I’ve had Philly Cheesesteaks before that tasted great and didn’t make my stomach hurt. This one, though, tortured my stomach from the inside. Plus all I wanted to do was lie down and take a nap. Ugh!
Why did this happen?
Foods high in fat like fried foods, cheeses, and dishes prepared with lots of butter prompt your digestive system to produce higher levels of stomach acids and enzymes in order break them down. Your small intestine releases bicarbonate to neutralize these acids and enzymes, in effect limiting their territory in the digestive system to the stomach, where they are most needed. The bicarbonate turns into carbon dioxide, some of which is released as gas.
Oh, something to look forward to…
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Welcome to Verda Vivo. My name is Daryl Warner Laux.
