Did you overeat during the holidays? Or maybe it was the dinner with friends at a restaurant where you had appetizers or a too-rich dessert. We all have a tendency to overindulge when celebrating with family or friends. The result may be indigestion, gas or bloating. What can you do besides suffering or having to excuse yourself from the festivities?
A non-drug remedy
Relief may be as close as your (or your host’s) spice cabinet or pantry. Make a tea of one-half teaspoon of crushed fennel seed steeped in a cup of hot (but not boiling) water for 5 minutes.
Fennel seed is a traditional remedy for nausea, gas, bloating and abdominal pain. The Chinese name for fennel seed is xiao hui xiang – translated as “small return fragrance.” This name refers to the centuries-old use of fennel seed in China to rid rank meat or bad-smelling sauces of their odor… thus returning them to fragrance.
Add a very small amount of dried orange peel (another ingredient from your spice cabinet) to the fennel tea. Various types of dried citrus peel – aged tangerine peel, immature bitter orange – are Chinese herbs that regulate the Qi or energy in the body. In the abdomen, this regulation is downward to relieve belching, indigestion and bloating.
Fennel seed oil is an ingredient in some colic remedies for babies according to WebMD. A tea of fennel seed may also provide relief from the symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Other remedies from the kitchen
If fennel seed isn’t available, ginger or peppermint teas are good substitutes. Both ginger and peppermint are Chinese herbs with other uses besides relieving indigestion, so I recommend teas with the single ingredient only. An organic product ensures that your tea isn’t artificially-flavored.
A short video that demonstrates how to make both fennel tea and an Angostura bitters drink can be found on the People’s Pharmacy website.
Acupuncture provides additional relief
If gas and bloating bother you more than just an occasional episode from overeating, acupuncture treatments can help. Your acupuncturist will choose points to harmonize, balance, and strengthen your digestive system. S/he can recommend dietary changes to prevent further recurrences.
Your acupuncturist can also prescribe Chinese herbal formulas with several ingredients that treat more persistent cases of indigestion, gas or bloating.