11 Superstar Stomach Soothers
Check out these tips for all-natural digestion aid and relief.
Bruce and Jeanne Lubin
Skip the pale pink bottle. These cure-alls are proven to relieve stomach symptoms naturally.
Settle The Queasies
1. Pep Up with Peppermint
Peppermint contains menthol, which is a digestive aid. Try peppermint tea to ease nausea and vomiting. It’s simple to make your own pure cup (no sugar or other artificial flavors!) by steeping 1 tablespoon peppermint leaves in 1 cup hot water and then straining.
2. Rein It in with a Rub
Gently rubbing a point on your wrist has been proven to work as well as some drugs designed to fight nausea! To find the spot, turn your hand so that your palm is facing up. Measure three finger-widths down from your wrist. The spot is between the two tendons. Apply gentle downward pressure as you massage for 5 seconds.
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3. Can the Nausea
You may be able to settle an upset stomach with canned pear juice. Honestly, there is no scientific reason that has been uncovered as to why this trick works, but tons of people swear by it! Some doctors suspect it’s similar to the old-time remedy of cola syrup.
4. Stop Olive the Rumbling
Feel the pits due to motion sickness? Bring some olives along next time! Motion sickness causes you to make excess saliva, which can give you a gaggy feeling. But olives contain tannins, which dry out your mouth. Munching a few when you first start to feel the queasies may settle the nausea. Sucking on a lemon can produce the same effect.
5. Night Moves
If you’re prone to motion sickness, try to travel as much as you can at night. You’ll be less likely to feel sick when you can’t see the motion as well as you would during the day.
Relieve Gas
6. Send Gas Away with Caraway
End your meal with a cup of tea to head off any after-dinner grumbling. Simply sip 1 cup hot water steeped with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Caraway can improve digestion and relieve intestinal spasms. For gas relief on the go, carry sugar-coated fennel seeds. In fact, many Indian restaurants server sugar-coated fennel seeds instead of after-dinner mints.
Stop the Bathroom Runs
7. Save Those Pomegranate Peels
From trash to a digestive treasure! Tea made from pomegranate peels can appease your belly and help healing start to happen. Next time you enjoy the fruit, grind the washed and dried peels in a blender or coffee grinder. The resulting powder will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. Then when you need relief, steep a teaspoon of the powder in a cup of boiling water for 3 minutes, strain, add a bit of honey, and sip slowly.
Help Heartburn
8. Grab Some Gum
Chewing gum boosts saliva production, and that saliva neutralizes acid and helps push digestive juices back down where they belong.
9. Adjust Your Sleeping Position
If you sleep on your right side, roll over! The esophagus enters the stomach on the right side. Sleeping on your left side prevents food in your stomach from pressing on the opening to the esophagus, a good bet to bring on reflux.
10. A Legit Reason for More Bed Pillows
Sleeping with your head elevated prevents stomach acid from flowing into your esophagus.
11. Soothe with Juice
Sure, aloe is soothing for your skin, but can it really help your digestive tract? Some people with acid reflux swear it relieves heartburn symptoms. Backing up the claims, a study found drinking about an ounce of aloe vera syrup could safely relieve reflux symptoms. Run the idea by your doctor to see if it could work for you.
About the Author
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends’ refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.