Friday, July 07, 2006

My Favorite Herbal Remedy for Upset Stomach

Today, I want to give you my favorite herbal remedy for upset stomach, nausea, indigestion, bloating and gas. It only contains three herbs, all easily available in the spice section of any large supermarket. (I recommend using organic herbs and spices whereever available.)

The ingredients of this herbal formula are: Anise Seed (not Star Anise, that is a different plant),
Caraway Seed (the seed you see in some rye breads), and Fennel Seed.

Use approximately equal parts of each ingredient to make up a heaping tablespoon, it is best if you can crack the seeds at least a little; I use a mortar and pestle, if you don't have one, placing the seeds in a plastic bag and using a rolling pin or a skillet to crush them slightly works.

Place the seeds in a cup or other container and add one cup of freshly boiled water, cover and let steep about 15 minutes. Drink while still warm, no need to gulp it all down at once, sipping works. If you like the taste of licorice, (Anise is quite often used to flavor licorice candy), you will find the taste of this herbal remedy quite pleasant.

An even simpler remedy for indigestion is to chew a small handful of fennel seeds, which can quickly settle the stomach. Fennel seeds are quite gentle and safe, but some sources warn against taking large doses early in pregnancy. The doses I mention here are quite safe, and not likely to cause problems.

More coming...