One thing you should do is find out what foods or combination of foods gives you indigestion and heartburn. There are common foods that will bother more people than not. Cheese or dairy, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage can do it as well, not to mention the entire legume family of foods like beans. So can too much coffee and alcohol.
Usually people think of indigestion and heartburn as a too much acid problem in the stomach when many times it is a lack of digestive acids that causes indigestion, these digestive acids that are lacking are called hydrochloric acid.
Herbs that can help
Dandelion and other bitter greens such as watercress, arugula, chicory and radicchio can all be used in salads along with some lemon juice to help the digestive system and relieve bloating and indigestion.
Peppermint tea is known to help gas and the bloated feeling. Peppermint has menthol in it, and this is known to promote digestion and relieve stomach cramps. Drink it shortly after a meal. You can also try drinking a cup before your meal, for some people that works better. Peppermint helps to stop the gastrointestinal spasms as well.
Herbal bitters are a combination of herbs. They contain artichoke, dandelion and other bitter herbs that improve liver function and digestion. How and why this works, is the tongue has four types of taste buds, and for the most part in our lives anymore, we hardly ever use the bitter taste bud. As soon as a bitter taste hits the taste bud, it starts the stomach digestive acids to working. This might sound like something not worth drinking since it would be so bitter, but these drinks are not bitter like that.
Swedish bitters, is another name for herbal bitters. Several companies have bitters in liquid form, Floradix Gallexier Herbal Bitters and Swedish Bitters. Some companies have pills you can take, at this time though I prefer the liquid.
These herbal bitters are non-alcoholic.
Ginger is mainly thought of as something to relieve nausea during pregnancy and motion sickness. But it is also a great digestive aid helping with the bloated feeling and burping.
Tea – 3/4 teaspoon of grated ginger (root) and steep for 10 minutes in hot water.
Chamomile, A calming tea and is very soothing to the stomach lining and stops the stomach spasms.
Cinnamon is a strong digestive aid, it stimulates the digestive enzymes that break down food. I have seen several different recipes for homemade tea, some say to use powder and others say to use cinnamon sticks and crush them using a mortar and pestle or blender because the power will make an over spiced tea, or put a cinnamon stick in a cup of any kind of tea.
Note: if you’re pregnant, ask your doctor if you can have cinnamon tea, some say it induces labor.
Beano ® is made of natural enzymes as well to help in digestion.
Books about making herbal tea:
- Healing Herbal Teas: A complete guide to making delicious, healthful beverages by Brigitte Mars
- Herbal Tea Remedies by Jessica Houdret
