Nausea. It can strike when you least expect it. It is a primary symptom of early pregnancy, though it can strike at any time during the nine months. It can also be a side-effect of certain cancer treatments like chemotherapy.
Nausea can also accompany certain illnesses, like gastroenteritis, which some call the ‘stomach flu.’ Whichever reason you have nausea, there is relief to be found from simple recipes made from holistic ingredients.
Ginger Ale and Ginger Tea
Ginger is a wonderful and long-used ingredient to quell nausea. This root promotes the secretion of saliva and other digestive enzymes which neutralizes stomach acids. It also contains phenols that help to relax stomach muscles.
Ginger also contains chemicals which react with your nervous system, stomach, and intestines to help lessen the urge to vomit.
Ginger ale and ginger tea are two popular recipes to help reduce the feeling of nausea. While you can buy both in stores, they are also easily made at home.
Ginger Tea
- Wash a 2-inch ginger root before peeling and cutting into several small pieces
- Fill a saucepan with 2-3 cups of water and boil for a few minutes
- Add ginger and simmer for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and strain solution into a cup
- Add honey to taste if desired
Alternatively, you may prepare your ginger tea as above and add one regular tea bag along with the juice of one lime.
Ginger Ale
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil
- Add 1 cup of peeled ginger, finely chopped
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes
- Remove from heat and cool about 20 minutes
- Strain the solution into a glass container
- Add 1 cup water with 1 cup water to separate saucepan and boil until dissolved
- Allow this sugar syrup to cool
- Mix ½ cup of ginger water with ½ cup club soda and 1/3 cup of the syrup
- Stir well and add a few drops of lemon or lime juice
Peppermint Tea
Both the leaves and the oil of the mint plant are long-used holistic ways of fighting indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome.
A study published in 2018 suggests that the smell of peppermint oil can relieve nausea. The calming and numbing effect of this herb relaxes your stomach to help aid in digestion.
Mint tea is probably one of the more popular remedies, but you can also suck on a piece of peppermint or chew a piece of mint gum. However, this is all about recipes, so here’s one for an iced mint tea.
Ingredients:
- 8 cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon loose Chinese green tea
- 25 fresh mint sprigs (approximately 1 ½ ounces)
- ½ cup sugar
Combine water and tea in a medium bowl, then cover and steep for 2 ½ minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, then add the mint. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved.
Allow to cool completely and then pour over ice and enjoy.
Cannabidiol Oil or CBD Oil
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting. It activates the cannabinoid receptor CB1 in the endocannabinoid system, which reduces the urge to vomit.
Not only has CBD been shown to reduce the nausea that comes as a side-effect of certain cancer treatments, it has also been shown to help to reduce the anticipatory nausea some cancer patients experience.
While CBD’s headline-grabbing sister, THC, also helps to reduce nausea, you can count on CBD to help reduce it without the psychoactive effect that accompanies THC.
Vaporizing CBD oil is the best way to experience the nausea-relieving effects, particularly if you are so nauseated that you do not believe you can hold down liquids such as ginger ale, ginger tea, or mint teas.
Lemon
Lemons are a time-honored and tested way of reducing nausea. Freeze sliced lemons and suck on them, or suck on them fresh.
Even simply cutting a lemon and breathing in the scent can help to quell an upset tummy. Not just lemon, but lime and other tart-flavored foods are easy on the stomach, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Here’s a simple lemonade recipe.
Ingredients:
- 6 Lemons
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 6 Cups Cold Water
Simply juice the lemons and combine with the sugar and the cold water. Stir well and pour over ice – chilled foods have been shown to help reduce nausea. Garnish with a mint leaf and enjoy!
Adding lemon to tea may also help to prevent and quell nausea you may be experiencing.
Nausea can make you feel awful and lethargic and is just simply no fun to experience. No matter the reason that you are experiencing nausea, these simple recipes can help fight the urge to purge.
From teas to lemonade to vaping CBD oil, these are just a few ways to help relieve nausea.
