Whether you have a stomach flu, norovirus or indigestion, you can heal yourself with natural remedies for digestive problems. Using herbs, foods and vitamins, many types of digestive complaints can be alleviated, or at least, the symptoms can be reduced. Since ancient times, herbs like ginger, licorice and peppermint have eased tummies. Probiotics, in the form of yogurt and other cultured foods, are also beneficial.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the best of the natural remedies for digestive problems. Ginger can calm nausea, aid digestion, help alleviate motion sickness and even help with the morning sickness of pregnancy. Used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine, ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is a known antiviral. The root is the medicinal part of the plant. Raw ginger can be purchased at grocery stores, as can dried ginger. In addition to fresh and dried, ginger is also sold in health food stores as capsules or chewable tablets. Ginger can even be used as a soothing warm tea.
Licorice
Licorice root from the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant has been used as a healing herb since Roman times. Licorice is known to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Licorice has been used in folk medicine to treat ulcers, liver problems and lung congestion. It can be a mild laxative, so use precaution if diarrhea is a concern. Look for the root in the herb section of a specialty food store, or packaged as tea. Some companies are now making licorice candy with only small amounts of sugar, which are also tasty and can be healing when a person is sick.
Yogurt
Yogurt contains good bacteria that can help heal many an upset stomach. For best results, consume yogurt daily. Use yogurt that contains living cultures. Brands that have sugar and fruit flavorings often do not have enough probiotics to be beneficial. Probiotics have been shown to improve immunity and decrease severity of colds and flus.
Soothing teas
Warm tea can be a healing drink during a digestive crisis. Mint, chamomile and black tea are all useful. Mint tea can act as an anti-spasmodic, reducing cramps as well as gas. It also helps lessen the sensation of nausea and vomiting. Chamomile is also an anti-spasmodic and has also been known to help a person sleep better. Black teas have long been used to treat diarrhea. The tannins in black tea are the active ingredient.
BRAT diet
When a person has a digestive complaint, reducing food intake is a good idea, as is eating foods that are easy to digest. The BRAT diet stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. These are foods that are recommended; however, I would suggest not eating wheat toast when sick, as wheat can be very disruptive to digestion for many people. Organic brown rice contains many nutrients that can rebuild stamina when a person is sick; however, if that is hard to digest, it may be better to start with white rice. If you select white rice, purchase organic if possible. When someone is sick, they need to reduce their toxic load, and obtaining the purest food possible is a good way to do this. Homemade applesauce, or applesauce that does not contain sugar, is also the best way to go. Some people find that boiled or mashed potatoes are easy to digest, as potatoes contain a soft type of fiber that is beneficial to the gut.
Drink plenty of liquids
When your gut is out of whack, be sure to keep an adequate amount of liquid intake going. If a person has diarrhea or vomiting, liquids need to be replaced. Warm liquids, diluted fruit juices and chicken, vegetable or broth soups are all healing. Some may find that bone broth is easy to keep down as well.
