There are a few things that will turn me into an absolute baby. The first is stubbing my little toe on anything. The second is the thought of my kids growing up. The third…
A stomach ache!
That horrible twisting, knotted feeling in your stomach. You’re not sure if you’ve got to go to the bathroom or if you’re going to do anything except stay in bed all day because of the pain.
I’ve spent a lot of time on the couch writing in pain with my wife, that’s why I generally have most of the following items on hand:
A Pillow
If you don’t have any of the items (below) yet and you currently have a stomach ache, grab a pillow. Lay on your belly and stick the pillow under it. Putting pressure on the pain can help relieve it some, but it’s definitely not a cure. While you’re lying there though, figure out how you’re going to compensate the amazing person you just sent to the grocery store.
If you’ve got a heating pad or a hot bottle of water, you can put that on your stomach instead. Just be careful with the hot bottle of water. It’s probably a good idea to keep it outside your shirt until it cools off a bit.
Did you know that studies show that 74% of Americans deal with GI tract discomfort? Try our Premium Grade Digestion Support formula today. 60% off from this link today >>
Peppermint
I love peppermint. Besides being delicious, it’s got a quite a few uses because it’s a natural analgesic. Analgesic is just a fancy word for something that relieves pain without putting you to sleep. So it’s super handy if you’ve got kids.
To relieve a stomach ache, brew some tea or try chewing on the leaves (no need to swallow them). If you’ve got some spare candy canes or mints around the house, those are OK too, but the real stuff is always better.
Ginger
More tea. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Your stomach is already protesting, so don’t shove anything down your throat that will turn it into an angry mob. Ginger tea can help calm your stomach down and quell the riot. Though, ginger is best suited for stomach aches associated with nausea and vomiting.
BRAT
An abbreviation for Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. These are bland foods that are best eaten when you’ve got nausea or diarrhea. Yes, bland means “no sugar added” for that applesauce.
They’re all foods that are binders. No one likes unbound poop. I haven’t had much success with rice. My usual go-to is a well done peanut butter and banana sandwich. One or two of those and I’m usually good to go.
Lemon Water or Apple Cider Vinegar
If you’ve got indigestion, these both do pretty much the same thing. Obviously though, one tastes better than the other.
There’s a reason there’s a song about a teaspoon of sugar. If you have trouble downing a tablespoon of ACV though, don’t add a teaspoon of sugar. Add some water to dilute it. Either that, or just squeeze a lemon into water and drink that instead. These two drinks will help stimulate your stomach acid (which is probably the cause of your stomach’s discontent).
You don’t need to have all of these handy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of them were in your house already. They’re much better solutions than that stuff that comes in a pink bottle. Plus you won’t find yourself wondering what you ate the day before.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694755
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10793599
What did you think about this article?