natural remedies for sore tummies and bad bellies

Keeping off the gluten is no guarantee that you won't find yourself with an occasional digestive upset. I thought I'd share a list of the remedies I'm quite partial to.

Tea: 

• peppermint tea alleviates nausea, dizziness, sore stomach and gas.
• chamomile relieves tension and soothes sore stomachs.
• ginger eases nausea and aids in digestion. Hot water over grated ginger root works best.
• fennel relieves gas and bloating. You can buy tea bags or pour water over fennel seeds and let steep.

Edibles: 

• Lemon stimulates and cleanses your system, in Italy they eat entire lemons to stop diarrhea.
• For something more exotic, why not chew on some aromatic seeds like fennel, caraway & anise. These are often offered at the end of an East Indian meal to aid digestion and freshen your breath.

Actions: 

• breathing - remember to breathe before you eat to help switch gears and relax your system.
• chewing - digestion starts in the mouth... more work here means less for the stomach.
• water - sip room temperature water vs very cold which is harder on the stomach and avoid large amounts with meals which dilute digestive enzymes.

To keep your digestive tract happy, consider taking acidophilus to balance out the healthy bacteria in your system with some high quality unsweetened yogurt. You can also take acidophilus in capsule form (dairy free). This is an especially good idea after taking antibiotics which wipe out both the bad and the good in your system.


If you have other tips and tricks for a happy belly please do share them with the rest of us in the comments!