How to deal with a 'food baby' or Dyspepsia

People are gearing up for the weekend and that could mean splurging on a delicious meal.

We've all experienced moments after a large meal that can give you the appearance of looking pregnant.

The term “food baby” gained popularity and now every aching, stuffed, bloated feeling that has nothing to do with pregnancy is referred to as such.

“In the medical field the term for the food baby is dyspepsia,” Jouvonna Gray, nurse practitioner at Get Well Clinic in Humble, said.

Gray said eating less will help, but more importantly, eating slower will eliminate the “food baby.”

“If you're eating your food very fast and you're not chewing and taking time to break that food down then it's going to sit in your intestines until it has a chance to do the job of actually breaking it down. So, meanwhile, you've got the added pressure and bloating and belching and things like that because your body needs time to break it down,” Gray said.

If the damage is already done, she recommends try walking and moving to ease the pressure.

The easiest thing you could do every day (all day) is drink lemon water.

“Some slices of lemon with some warm water. It stimulates the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid which helps to break down food,” Gray said.

Water alone will help to detoxify your system and the acidic lemon can add a bonus. The same bonus can be felt with tea, she recommends peppermint tea.

She said sodium, sugar and alcohol are the foods most likely to create the “food baby.”