The incidence of stomach cancer in my country remains high, with 400,000 new cases each year. In recent years, the incidence of digestive tract tumors has remained high, which is related to unhealthy lifestyles, such as a preference for smoked, high-salt, and pickled foods, as well as a fondness for smoking and alcohol. These factors can disrupt the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract, severely damage the gastric mucosa, and lead to diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers, thus increasing the probability of developing stomach cancer.

Regular consumption of pickled vegetables and fish sauce may increase the risk of stomach cancer.

While people's living conditions have improved, many unhealthy eating habits remain difficult to change, such as a preference for strong flavors and a fondness for pickled foods. Residents of Changle City in Fujian Province in southern my country have a habit of pickling seafood and particularly enjoy condiments like fish sauce and shrimp paste. This area is a nationally "notorious" high-incidence area for stomach cancer. In addition, residents of Zhuanghe City in Liaoning Province, Linqu County in Shandong Province, and Zanhuang County in Hebei Province share a common dietary habit-the long-term consumption of salted pork.

Pickled foods contain a lot of salt, which can directly damage the gastric mucosa. In addition, the nitrites they contain can be converted into nitrosamines under the action of gastric acid and bacteria, which can easily lead to stomach cancer.

How to maintain gut health and prevent cancer?

1. Eat some whole grains

In the days following the holiday, staple foods should mainly consist of whole grains, with an appropriate increase in corn, oats, and other ingredients. It is also important to increase the proportion of dark or green vegetables.

At the same time, drink more porridge and soup, such as fresh leafy green vegetables, millet porridge, noodle soup, dumpling soup, etc. You might as well add some pickled vegetables. These soups and broths have a good "cooling" effect, allowing your "overburdened" gastrointestinal tract to rest and adjust.

2. Drink plenty of water

Take two or three days to reduce your intake of refined rice, flour, candy, and sweet pastries, and force yourself to drink more water, especially boiled water. This can speed up gastrointestinal metabolism and reduce the harm to the liver caused by large amounts of meat and alcohol.

If you find boiled water tasteless, drinking tea can also clear away the greasiness in your gastrointestinal tract and help it return to normal as quickly as possible.

3. Eat some fruit

Fruit is quite effective in helping to balance digestive function during the holidays. Orange juice and papaya are great for regulating digestion, as they both have the effect of clearing heat and stagnation. You might as well drink more orange juice or eat papaya these days, but wait 1-2 hours after eating before drinking them. Otherwise, drinking them immediately after eating will only increase the burden on your stomach.

Eating more apples and guavas can alleviate symptoms such as chest tightness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and cold hands and feet caused by sweets. Eating a moderate amount of guava or drinking half a cup of guava juice can also effectively control diarrhea. Eating apples with the peel on also has an anti-diarrheal effect.

4. Have a bowl of stomach-soothing porridge

During the Spring Festival, families gather together and it's inevitable to raise a glass in celebration and drink heartily. However, alcohol irritates the digestive system and can especially damage the liver and stomach.

Recommendation: It's best to drink some porridge for a few days after drinking alcohol. A bowl of hot porridge can nourish the stomach and intestines and replenish nutrients. Pumpkin porridge and yam porridge are good choices.

5. Adjust meal times

Visiting relatives and friends, going out for entertainment, it's hard to eat on time, and overeating is common. After 7 days, some people's eating habits were completely disrupted, skipping breakfast in the morning and eating dinner until the early hours of the morning.

Recommendation: After the holiday, start adjusting your meal times to match your regular lifestyle. Eat meals at fixed times, with the portion sizes of the three meals in a 3:4:3 ratio. If you get hungry in between, you can have a snack around 10:30 am and 3:30 pm. You can eat nuts, fruit, or yogurt to relieve hunger and avoid overeating.