Grandma's Remedies for Digestive Issues

Digestive System – Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, and Stomach Viruses

In this article, I will detail common digestive system issues and explain how to alleviate each case and what is recommended to eat.

Nausea

Nausea is an unpleasant sensation in the upper stomach area, often accompanied by the feeling of wanting to vomit. The origin of nausea comes from the 'brain stem,' a region in the brain that controls our automatic responses. The mechanism of nausea is a type of reflex aimed at preventing danger from poisoning. There are many factors that can cause nausea:

• Spoiled food

• Stomach viruses

• Stomach infections

• Hormonal changes

• Stress and anxiety

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• Dizziness

• Side effects of medications, and more.

So let's answer some important questions...

How to Quickly Alleviate Nausea / What to Do Against Nausea?

It depends on the cause of the nausea!

However, there is a quick solution worth trying – a third of a teaspoon of baking soda with half a cup of water.

What Generally Relieves Nausea?

As mentioned – drinking soda water with baking soda, or soda as a beverage.

Herbal Teas That Work Like Magic!

The first one:

• A tablespoon of fennel seeds

• 3-5 slices of fresh ginger

• A handful of chamomile flowers

• Simmer on low heat in a pot for 10 minutes.

For those who want less effort – a herbal tea in a cup of one of the plants 😊

• And this one is also recommended when the nausea is caused by stomach upset or a stomach virus:

• A tablespoon of fennel seeds

• A handful of spearmint leaves

• Mint can also be added

Simmer the herbal teas in a pot, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

You can sweeten with a bit of honey.

For the lazy – you can prepare a herbal tea in a cup each time and reduce the quantities.

Sucking on a lemon or half a cup of water with squeezed lemon

Eating a handful of almonds

Eating a cucumber with/without peel

What to Eat When Experiencing Nausea?

First of all – I recommend eating a little food every few hours.

It is recommended not to drink and eat at the same time.

Crackers without spread or with a neutral spread like jam/honey

Banana

Rice

Fennel

It is recommended to combine one of the herbal teas between meals.

What is Allowed to Eat When Vomiting?

First of all – avoid spicy/seasoned/oily foods and stimulants like coffee, alcohol, food coloring. It is advisable to avoid smoking.

It is recommended to eat dry and neutral foods!

Crackers (preferably without spread)

Rice

Cooked potatoes without seasoning

What to Eat After Vomiting?

It is recommended to return to eating small meals every few hours, so as not to burden the stomach.

And it is recommended to eat cooked food and actually not to eat a raw vegetable salad.

You can start with chicken soup or another soup that is not overly seasoned.

Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash cooked/baked.

Drink herbal tea with honey

Porridge made from oats / flour on a water base with cinnamon powder, 2-3 dates, a bit of honey.

Constipation and Diarrhea

What to Eat When Constipated?

It is important to understand the cause of constipation – laziness of the intestines, lack of fluid intake, overeating, lack of fiber-rich foods, and here are some magic solutions:

Water, water, and more water!!

(It is recommended to drink water at room temperature and/or herbal teas (such as chamomile, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, sage, ginger slices)

If winter – soups are excellent!

Prune tea – 3-4 prunes in boiling water. Soak overnight or for several hours and drink on an empty stomach in the morning. It is also recommended to eat the fruits themselves.

Consumption of probiotics - (friendly bacteria for the intestines) which assists in normal digestive processes.

Fruits and vegetables - contain a high percentage of dietary fibers that help the activity of the intestines.

Vegetables can also be eaten baked, steamed, and more.

Olive oil and lemon – a tablespoon of olive oil and a squirt of lemon mixed in half a cup/cup of water and drink on an empty stomach in the morning. You can drink the olive oil and lemon even without the water.

You can drink chamomile tea which can contribute to the calming and regulation of digestive system activity.

Quaker oats (preferably from whole oatmeal).

Foods to Avoid During Constipation

Bananas

Persimmons

Sorbs

Passionfruit

Bananas (especially those that are not ripe)

White rice (whole rice is recommended to eat during constipation)

Pomegranate

Chocolate

Coffee

White flour – such as borekas, croissants, and replace them with whole flour foods

Industrial/junk food

What to Eat When Experiencing Diarrhea?

It is also important here to understand the cause of the diarrhea, especially if the diarrhea lasts for a day or two since the body processes a lot of vitamins, minerals, energy, and water.

Diarrhea can be due to several reasons: weakness of the digestive system, stomach virus, intestinal parasite, poor diet, allergy or sensitivity to any food, and more.

Diarrhea from a source of stomach upset usually lasts between half a day to a day in which the body cleanses from the spoiled food.

Symptoms of diarrhea, weakness, thirst, lack of appetite, gas, nausea are very expected.

What to Avoid?

Excessive seasoning in food, it is recommended without any seasoning at all

Fried, fatty, spicy, excessively sweet food

Industrial foods

Fruits and vegetables are preferably not.

It is recommended to eat vegetable soup that contains fluids and cooked vegetables to restore the lost fluids, but of course with the foods written below.

How to Support?

Cooked and warm food. Homemade food.

Rice! 😊

Slices of bread/crackers/toast, preferably without spread (especially not dairy products)

Herbal tea infusions with honey to restore our body's energy

Banana (do not overdo it lest the opposite effect occurs – constipation or increased diarrhea)

Drink lots of water

Cooked potatoes

It is recommended to support with herbal teas of cinnamon/chamomile/ginger.

My favorite infusion is 2 slices of ginger, a slice of lemon, and a teaspoon of honey.