How to Settle a Stomach Naturally

No matter how hard we try to eat well and take care of ourselves, we all experience stomach problems occasionally. While there are plenty of over the counter medications available for stomach discomfort, an upset stomach can often be settled with natural remedies you probably have right in your kitchen. Here are a few of the many ways to settle your stomach naturally.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fennel tea or fennel seeds
• Ginger tea, ginger ale or pickled ginger
• Peppermint tea
• toast or rice
• papaya fruit, tea or juice

1. Boil a cup of water and add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to make fennel tea; it's one of the best things you can take for your stomach. Let the mixture steep for around five minutes and then strain off the seeds and sip slowly. You can purchase fennel tea bags in most health food stores, but it is just as easy to make your own fennel tea from the fennel seeds you probably have in your spice collection.

2. Use ginger to settle your stomach, relieve nausea and stimulate the appetite. Ginger tea is a soothing and delicious way to help settle your stomach. You can buy ginger tea in most supermarkets. And good old fashioned ginger ale is a remedy popular with children. Pickled ginger is also an effective way to relieve an upset stomach, especially if you are feeling queasy. You can find pickled ginger any place you buy sushi and many supermarkets are beginning to carry it.

3. Peppermint is a fragrant and tasty way to settle your stomach. A hot cup of peppermint tea, available from almost any supermarket will relax your digestive system and relieve stomach upset.

4. Don’t forget about the old fashioned remedies of burnt toast and plain rice. The charcoal in burnt toast helps absorb gas to relieve pain and pressure, and the bland, easily digestible carbohydrates in both toast and rice will help your stomach to feel more settled.

5. Consider papaya. It contains enzymes which help digest food. A few slices of papaya can get your digestion going and help your stomach to feel more settled. You can also sip some papaya juice or tea for the same effect.

6. Relaxa. So many digestive discomforts are either caused or made worse by stress. Try to sit quietly and breathe deeply and fully, or listen to some quiet music. Take a moment to snuggle with a person or animal you love if they are nearby. Or watch a bird or squirrel from your window. Sometimes a calming break is enough to help your stomach feel better.

Tips & Warnings

• While natural remedies are safe for almost everyone, there are a few individuals who do not tolerate ginger or peppermint very well. If ginger or peppermint bother your stomach, do not use them as a remedy.

[abbeyvg]

on 1/6/2009 Meant to give you five stars!

[abbeyvg]

on 1/5/2009 Thanks for the advice, especially the fennel seed. I also love the flavor of fennel, and tried chewing on it, which worked like a charm.