How Food Choices Can Relieve Frequent Nausea
It could be the result of an illness, food poisoning, or even just morning sickness. But the fact remains no one enjoys feeling nauseous, regardless of the reason behind it. But what many individuals may not realize is the food they eat while experiencing nausea can genuinely have a significant effect on the amount of nausea they feel as well as how long it will last.
With this in mind, here are some essential diet tips to follow when nausea is on the table.
Eat Smaller Meals
Larger meals put more strain on the digestive system, which is not what an individual needs when they are feeling nauseous, as strain increases the risk of more nausea, both in intensity as well as for the duration of the illness. Additionally, nausea can be aggravated by an empty stomach and eating smaller meals more frequently helps reduce the chances of dealing with an empty stomach. It also reduces the drop should an individual get hungry, thus putting less strain on the body. So instead of eating large meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, individuals should reduce their portions for these meals and add a few snacks in between.
Continue reading to learn about which foods to avoid when experiencing nausea.
Stay Away From Dairy, Grease, Citrus, And Spice
When feeling nauseous, certain kinds of foods can make the affected individual's situation much worse, including dairy products, anything with lots of grease, citrus fruits, and spicy food. These foods worsen nausea as they introduce more acid into the body, induce gas, and increase stress. Even individuals with a sensitivity to certain foods, such as dairy products, can still consume small amounts when they are healthy. However, when experiencing nausea, the lining of the stomach will be even more sensitive to these types of foods. Although spicy foods are great for clearing sinuses, the spice is not friendly when it comes to calming an upset stomach. The body needs something bland and simple to digest.
Speaking of bland and easy to digest food, keep reading to learn about the old standby for nausea: the BRAT diet.
The Brat Diet Is Best
When it comes to dealing with nausea, one of the first pieces of advice most individuals will give is to follow the BRAT diet. BRAT stands for the four foods in the diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. All four of these foods are low in fiber and are bland, which make them easy for the body to digest. They also help replace any nutrients individuals may have lost when vomiting. For instance, bananas can restore potassium within the body. Bland foods like the ones in the BRAT diet also help ease an individual's body back into eating solid food with minimal chances of reacting. Of course, though these make up the majority of a beneficial diet when experiencing nausea, there are more options than just eating bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast all day.
Hydrating is essential when feeling ill, including when nausea is at play. Continue reading to learn how chicken noodle soup can help.
Slurp Chicken Noodle Soup
When most individuals experience nausea, chances are their appetites drop dramatically. However, it is still important to get the same amount of (if not more) vitamins and other nutrients, as they put the body in the best possible position to shake off nausea and any underlying illness causing it. Chicken noodle soup is a simple way to get lots of nutrients without exerting much effort in making the soup or eating it. Find a brand full of vegetables as well as noodles and chicken for the best possible results. Also look for one low in fat and low in sodium, as too much of these, even if they come with a healthy option like chicken noodle soup, can cause further stomach irritation.
Individuals can further calm their stomach while also hydrating their body with lots of tea. Keep reading to discover which are the best for nausea.
Drink Tea: Ginger, Chamomile & Peppermint
Once again, staying hydrated is critical when individuals are feeling nauseous, especially if vomiting is also present. Aside from staying hydrated, one of the main things individuals want to do is to make nausea go away as fast as possible. While sometimes they will need to ride it out, affected individuals can find temporary relief in drinking a hot mug of chamomile, ginger, or peppermint tea. All of these types of tea have natural anti-nausea effects, which makes them perfect to have on hand. Individuals can interchange all three of these teas if they want to keep things interesting but they can also try all of them before choosing the one they enjoy the most or the one that works the best for them.
Individuals can keep eating without worrying about making their nausea worse with some saltines. Continue reading to learn about the details.
Munch On A Sleeve Of Saltines
Plain saltines are bland as well as high in starch, which in addition to making them easy to digest, helps them absorb gastric acid, a significant contributing factor to making nausea worse. It gives individuals an easy way to curb their hunger without putting too much pressure on their digestive system, which is great as excessive pressure on digestion and excessive hunger can both make nausea much worse. To help curb nausea in the morning, individuals should try keeping a sleeve of saltines on their nightstand and eat a few of them upon waking for the day. They should just avoid eating too quickly, as this can have the opposite effect, even with bland food like saltines.
Keep reading to find out how ginger ale can help curb nausea next.
Calm Down With Ginger Ale
Drinking ginger ale is the most delicious way for most individuals to alleviate nausea since it is quite sweet and pleasant to drink. However, when it comes to drinking ginger ale when feeling nauseous, the absolute rule is to choose a brand with real ginger in their recipe, as artificial flavoring will not provide the effect individuals are looking for. Beyond this, individuals should try drinking ginger ale at a lukewarm temperature and avoid drinking it too quickly. Drinking ginger ale slowly is important due to the carbonation, which can aggravate nausea if consumed too quickly or in excess. Alternatively, individuals can stir their glass of ginger ale to remove the carbonation if they feel as though any additional gas in their stomach will make their symptoms worse. Although ginger ale is delicious, individuals should alternate with other liquids, such as the tea mentioned previously, so they do not overdo it.
When it comes to relieving nausea and getting through the day without making things worse, these diet tips may be simple ones, but they are the best in the business not to feel queasy anymore.