Eat plenty of raw grated carrots, fennel, parsley and green vegetables if you suffer from dyspepsia. The water in which well – washed new potatoes have been cooked or the cooking – water from dark green turnip tops will counteract acidity.
If you like whole meal bread but it does not like you try adding well crushed coriander, caraway, aniseed or fennel seeds to the basic dough.
Chew black peppercorns or suck liquorice wood slowly wood slowly.
Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice One teaspoon of either in ½ cup of warm water every 15 minutes will relieve acidity and heartburn. This may seem to be fighting fire with fire but using antacids provokes the body into producing yet more acid. One of the best home remedies for Indigestion.
Bicarbonate of soda One teaspoon in hot water relieves heartburn, acidity and dyspepsia. An even better method is to mix 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda with 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and take 1 teaspoon of this mixture in hot water before breakfast.
Carbonated lemonade The old – fashioned colorless variety drunk warm relieves flatulence and stomach ache.
Soda water This relieves flatulence and the type of fuzzy headache that sometimes goes with indigestion.
Water Drinking lots of water dispels heartburn. Lemon barley water and pure lemonade taken by the small glassful will also help.
Barley water, oats or porridge All of these will settle flatulence and heartburn.
Yoghurt The plain live variety will soothe digestive disorders.
Goat’s milk This will ease persistent heartburn and flatulence.
Slippery elm To soothe and reduce acidity mix 1 teaspoon of the powdered bark to a paste with a little cold water and add to 1 cup of boiling water. Season with nutmeg or cinnamon to taste and sweeten with honey. One of the effective home remedies for Indigestion.
Charcoal Charcoal biscuits or tablets are a very old-fashioned remedy for wind, heartburn and more severe tummy troubles, especially nausea. Powdered chalk was also used as an antidote for acidity and although I can not recommend the latter both the charcoal biscuits and the tables are easily available and are invaluable.
Cloves A drop or two of oil of cloves in hot water, 6 cloves steeped in a cup of boiling water and drunk as a tea or the cloves chewed as they are will all dispel pain and flatulence. They will also make the breath smell sweeter.
Ginger Soak 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger in a cup of boiling water. Stand for 10 minutes and drink warm. One of the good home remedies for Indigestion.
Garlic One clove of garlic should be crushed or chopped into 300 ml (1/2 pint) of boiling water.
Cooking with garlic will also reduce the chances of digestive problems and 1 suspect that this very useful remedy may also have been used as an antidote to food poisoning.
Angelica Sweet, musky angelica was considered to be a forceful weapon against the plague. The fresh stem can be chewed raw to alleviate stomach pains but make sure that it is angelica from your garden and not its look alike hemlock gathered in the wild which would assure the contrary result. Avoid taking angelica just before retiring as it is also a stimulant and may keep you awake.
Cardamom To dispel flatulence chew the seeds as they are or simmer 6 pods with a pinch of ground ginger or grated nutmeg in 2 cups of water. Cardamom seeds crushed and kept in with the fresh coffee will also reduce the chances of indigestion. One of the superb home remedies for Indigestion.
Camomile tea A tea which calms and soothes. Add a pinch of allspice and 1 teaspoon of honey for extra benefit, especially for children.
Cinnamon Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon in 1 cup of warm milk with honey or cinnamon tea made with hot water will dispel windiness in all degrees.
Peppermint A few drops of oil of peppermint in hot water will relieve pain and flatulence. Peppermint tea made with 1 teaspoon of the herb to 1 cup of boiling water will also bring relief. Peppermint also relieves period pains.
Marjoram if you suffer from digestive disorders always cook your meat with marjoram when appropriate or make a tea with 1 teaspoon of the fresh leaves to 1 cup of boiling water. All varieties of marjoram are extremely easy to grow in the garden and make superb variegated rockery plants which the bees love. Thyme should also be used in exactly the same way but for other meats, especially game and poultry.
Basil Use basil in cooking and particularly chopped on tomato salads to reduce the risk of acid heartburn. Make a basil tea with 1 teaspoon of the fresh herb to 1 cup of boiling water or even more deliciously macerate 1 handful of fresh basil in 1 litre (1.75 pints) of white wine for three days. Strain and rebottle and take one small glassful after meals.
Hop syrup Many people suffer from acidity, heartburn and dyspepsia after drinking beer and lager, especially those containing a high percentage of chemicals. Perhaps the following old fashioned remedy is the answer. Brew 1 cup of strong hop tea with 1 tablespoon of glycerin. Stir well, cover and steep for five minutes. Strain and drink one hour before meals.
Mustard Amongst country folk one of the prime remedies for a painful digestive problem was to nibble the leaf of wild mustard which was searingly fiery enough for the remedy to have stated that good draughts of water be taken withal. We now know that we should eat mustard with food that may be difficult to digest but a tes made with mustard seed is also remarkably beneficial. To 1 cup of hop tea add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds. Leave to steep and drink warm with the seed which should be swallowed. Take ½ cup twice a day before meals.
Mint Mint tea made in the proportions of 1 teaspoon of fresh mint to 1 cup of boiling water with a pinch of powdered ginger added is very comforting in a crisis. Cold mint tea without the ginger is a most refreshing drink in the summer and mint sauce is a very necessary accompaniment to lamb, particularly shoulder of lamb and lamb chops which can be extremely fatty.