This article is an excerpt from a manual that was given to my father at work. A lot has been said on Habré about a healthy lifestyle, dumbbells and how to keep yourself in shape. I suggest you read the nutritional guidelines.

General data on the digestive system

The digestive system includes a number of interconnected and interdependent organs that ensure the continuous and well-coordinated work of the gastrointestinal tract.

The functions of the digestive system include mechanical and chemical processing of food, the absorption of nutrients and water into the blood and lymph, the formation and removal of undigested food residues, and participation in the body’s immune defense.

Stomach

The stomach is a muscular organ with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters, intended mainly for mechanical processing of food and the breakdown of certain proteins with the help of hydrochloric acid and enzymes secreted by it. Depending on the nature and method of preparation, food can be in the stomach from 4 to 10 hours. The longest time in the stomach is fatty food and less liquid. Stomach likes: Regime. At least three, and preferably four meals a day in small portions at about the same time. This allows the stomach to tune in to the rhythm of food intake and to produce the required amount of gastric juice in a timely manner. Ritual. It is important to treat food intake carefully, without haste and in a good mood. This will improve the digestive process, and attention will allow you to monitor the amount and quality of food you eat. Measure. An extra piece will not be good for him. Getting up from the table, you should feel a slight feeling of hunger, which in a few minutes will be replaced by a feeling of fullness. The stomach does not like: Overeating. The stomach does not like it when its owner constantly overeats, swallows food in huge chunks or has a hearty supper right before going to bed. A stomach filled with food does not physically have time to process gastric juice and digest a large amount of food, especially taken at night. Unprocessed food enters the small intestine, but since the digestion process did not have time to complete, the food cannot be absorbed in full and half of it goes to waste. If such gluttony is repeated from day to day, the ligamentous apparatus of the stomach does not withstand the load and stretches to incredible sizes. Thus, a person becomes a slave to his stomach. For food lovers, it often stretches up to 10 liters or more! It is possible to force the muscle apparatus of the stomach to shrink only by incredible efforts of will, and often this problem requires medical intervention. Stress. As a rule, in response to strong excitement in our body, adrenaline is released, which has an inhibitory effect on the center of hunger in the brain. But if this system malfunctions or weakens, then a reverse reaction occurs and the slightest excitement only stimulates the person’s appetite. In a hurry. Eating on the go does not provide the necessary satisfaction and satisfaction. Snacking along the way, a person, as a rule, ceases to control not only the frequency of meals, but also its quantity. Hunger strike. Starving yourself is as undesirable as overeating – any extremes are harmful to a balanced system. If you do decide to starve, it is advisable to do so under the supervision of doctors. Smoking. The stomach will react negatively to a cigarette after dinner, but smoking in the morning on an empty stomach can seriously harm health, provoking a whole range of diseases.