Getting Over A Stomach Ache

While the stomach aches that plagued me for my whole life, pre-Paleo are thankfully long gone after nixing all grains, legumes & dairy, there is still the odd stomach issue that occurs once in a rare while, as a result of eating something slightly ‘off’.

Case in point- eating a piece of bad fish, or perhaps letting your leftover chicken sit in the fridge one too many days, rendering it just on the verge of, or actually being, inedible.

If you have a severe case of food poisoning, get thee to the hospital, for what I’m about to write is geared more toward a mild case when symptoms are nothing more significant than trip or two to the bathroom and, well, you get the idea.  If you’re dehydrated and dizzy, you may need medical attention.

When you do feel a little queasy, following are some straightforward, Paleo-friendly tips to help get you back to 100% sooner than later!

• Add coconut.  Fresh coconut, if possible.  Coconut water not only will help to replace electrolytes lost through diarrhea, it will also help settle your stomach.  
• Add ginger.  Grab a ginger root, scrape off the outside skin with the side of a spoon, chop it and add to some boiling water to make tea.  
• Add oil of oregano.  High in natural anti microbial properties, it will help balance out any of the bad bacteria you may have ingested.
• Add probiotic tabs.  Also excellent at helping rid the gut of unwanted bacteria.
• Focus on steamed veg, rather than raw for a day or two.  If your stomach is actually sore, eating steamed veg may feel more soothing than lots of raw, crunchy food.
• Cut down on fruits for a day or two.  Even though the sugar in fruit is natural, it’s still sugar and the last thing you want to do is provide food to the bacteria that has inhabited your gut.
• Add extra water.  Chances are, you’ve become a bit dehydrated after being sick and this is an easy fix.
• Stay away from mainstream recommendations to drink things like ‘Pedialyte’.  The ingredient panel says it all: Water, Dextrose. Less than 2% of the Following: Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Artificial Flavor, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Zinc Gluconate, and FD&C Red #40.   I’d love to hear why ingesting artificial flavor, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and red#40 are helpful to settle one’s stomach.  It’s easy to get additional electrolytes simply by taking a sport electrolyte replacement tab, like Meta Salt, without all the chemicals found in Pedialyte type drinks.
• Rest.  Last but not least, rest is of utmost importance to allow your mind and body time to recuperate!