BRAT Diet: Best Food for Upset Stomach
An upset stomach can easily ruin all of our plans. And with a hectic lifestyle most of us are leading these days unexpected cramps, nausea, and other uncomfortable symptoms can only make our days even more miserable. However, there's no always need to go straight to taking pills. You can actually most of the time deal with an upset tummy using home remedies, or by simply eating the right food at the right time. Best food for upset stomach contains binding elements that will help your stomach deal with the problem. In other cases, it will contain some active elements that will help ease the pain, or it will even do both. Basically when all you want to do is ease your upset stomach, it all comes down to eating the right foods at the right time. The rest of it is chemistry.
Best foods for upset stomach
1. Bananas
2. Rice
3. Applesauce
4. Toast
5. Yogurt
6. Peppermint teat
7. Ginger
8. Baking soda and lemon
Having an Upset Tummy? You Might Want to Reconsider Your Diet Today: The List of Best Food for Upset Stomach Is Ahead of You, You Just Have to Find Someone to Do Your Shopping If You Are Too Faint to Do It Yourself
Those of you who have paid a visit to their doctor when they had an upset stomach before have probably heard of a concept called BRAT diet. BRAT is an acronym that stands for the first four items on our list.
1. Bananas: instance upset stomach recovery you can peel
Bananas are especially high in potassium, which makes them perfect in helping replace nutrients your body needs after vomiting or diarrhea. Note that the stress is on after vomiting, and not while still vomiting, as you'd only be putting more pressure to an already overly upset stomach that way. Bananas are also good for an upset stomach because they contain pectin, a complex chemical compound that helps naturally firm bowel movements.
2. Rice: no soda; yes rice
Apart from being probably the healthiest source of carbs, rice, just like potatoes, is one of the best foods for upset stomach, and that for the same reason. Rice helps ease an upset tummy and diarrhea by absorbing fluids, making the stool firmer. So next time instead of going for soda (which can help, but is extremely high in sugar), better go for a rice bowl.
3. Applesauce: pectin up
Just like bananas, applesauce too contains decent levels of pectin that can help ease an upset stomach. But if you wonder, just like I did, why applesauce works, and fresh apples don't here's your answer: Applesauce is way easier to digest being partially liquid and cooked down. It has milder effect on your stomach but it does wonders if you're dealing with cramps or diarrhea.
4. Toast: spread thin
Toast is the final component of BRAT diet, and you probably know that it is definitely a safe bet when it comes to an upset stomach treatment. However, I might need to remind you to keep it light on the toppings in this case, because anything with higher fat levels can just bring your stomach more harm than good. This is also probably the only case where white bread is actually recommended as it will make it easier on your stomach to digest it. Sounds strange, right?
5. Yogurt: when plain is good
Assuming that you don't choose a flavored yogurt, or any with added sugar, but find a plain yogurt with active cultures instead, it's safe to say that you're almost good to go. My personal favorite is munching on a plain toast while enjoying some yogurt, because I know this is as tasty as it gets when your stomach is upset, but I still don't have to worry because I know that yogurt is calming my tummy right away.
6. Papaya: easily digestible food
In case your stomach is upset because you've been careless about your meal size lately, papaya is probably the fruit you should turn to. Papaya is known to help ease indigestion while encouraging digestion. Also, if your diet lately is mostly based on fibers, you can be sure that papaya, just like plum juice, will be able to help you with constipation.
Helpful beverages
If it happens that you are too nauseated to eat more solid food, or have problem with vomiting, there are plenty other remedies aside from clear broth. Not all of them will suit your taste, but they surely will be able to calm an upset stomach a bit.
7. Peppermint tea: keeps you contained
Apparently, there is plenty about peppermint tea benefits that you might didn't know about. But one thing is for sure: this tea can do wonders for your stomach. Not only that it can help with moderate vomiting and diarrhea, but it can also help if you're feeling gassy, or have problem with digestion. However, you might want to keep it to 1-2 cups a day, as in some cases it may cause a mild constipation if over-consumed
8. Ginger: fix cramps
When it comes to ginger, many would recommend taking pills, powder, or chewing on a piece of ginger. However, as ginger has somewhat of a specific taste, most of the people would rather opt for something milder. That's where a ginger tea comes along. A warm, beautifully smelling cup of ginger tea can help you alleviate the cramps and feel better. Plus: ginger has many other health benefits for your body, so you can drink it even when your tummy is not in pain.
9. Baking soda and lemon: lemon and baking soda
This works especially well if you're feeling bloated and gassy. What you need is juice from one lemon, ½ tablespoon of baking soda, and half a glass of water. Add lemon juice to the water before adding soda and drink it while it's still foaming. And trust us: it's going to foam. Don't get surprised if soon you start burping a bit more than usual. But it's exactly the burping that will bring ease to your bloated stomach, so no worries. If your upset stomach is making you lose fluid quicker than usually, you have to make sure to have some beverage and/or water on your side. Salty crackers are also good because they won't let your blood pressure drop if you lose too much fluid, while at the same time having a similar effect to toast. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that you should not indulge yourself in this eating regimen (especially BRAT diet) once you start feeling better. Going back to your regular diet once you start feeling better and less faint is what will help you fully recover and get back on your feet faster.
