You may suffer from slight indigestion problems that cause discomfort at times, or you may suffer from severe indigestion that keeps you awake at night. Either way, there are remedies to do from home that is a whole lot safer and better for your health in the long run than taking something like the “purple pill”.
What Causes Indigestion?
The overall cause of indigestion is an unhealthy lifestyle and/or eating habits, and can include:
- Too many spicy foods
- Eating too quickly
- Eating too much
- Fatty foods
- Smoking
- Inadequate rest
- Stress
- Consuming alcohol
- Carbonated drinks
- Eating processed foods
- Eating too many foods without living enzymes
What are the Symptoms of Indigestion?
Common Symptoms
- Feeling too full after a normal size meal, or feeling full for too long
- Burping
- Burning in the abdomen
- Abdominal pain
Serious Symptoms
- Chest pain, pressure or tightness
- Breathing is difficult
- Pain running down shoulder and arm
- Burning in your chest
Home Remedies for Indigestion
- Sip hot water
- Mix 1 tsp. of lemon juice in a glass of hot water and drink before you eat
- Boil peppermint in a cup of water and drink 4 times a day. I would make this tea strong by steeping it longer than the normal time. Click here to read how to make tea from loose herbs. You can also use peppermint essential oil in water.
Buy organic peppermint leaf here.
Buy peppermint essential oil here.
- Eat an orange after you have a meal
- Slowly chew pineapple when you experience indigestion
- Apple Cider Vinegar is very good for digestion. Raw, organic apple cider vinegar is the best! I use it on my salads and for herbal vinegars.
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water has helped many with instant relief
A good way to avoid digestion problems is to eat healthy! Fast food, carbonated drinks, “boxed” food, unhealthy lifestyle habits, will only contribute to digestive problems.
Drink lots of water, get plenty of rest, exercise, choose healthy, homemade foods (and chew slowly when you eat). These all go a long ways in keeping those digestive troubles at bay. These healthy lifestyle practices will help with many other problems also!
I highly recommend these remedies to pregnant ladies too! Most women expecting babies only experience indigestion during their pregnancies. Hopefully, one of these suggestions will help you get a good night’s sleep, instead of sitting upright in a chair – if you’ve ever been there, you know what I mean!
How do you naturally deal with indigestion? I would love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below!
This post was originally published August 3, 2011.