How To: Prevent an upset stomach

Suffer from an upset stomach more often than not? Put down that donut. Tweak a few unhealthy habits, and you can beat those chronic stomach problems before they flare up.

You Will Need:
• A food diary
• Exercise
• Fermented foods
• Herbal tea, rice water, or apple cider
• Vegetables
• Yoga

Step 1: Start a food diary
Start a food diary and make a note every time a food irritates your stomach.

Step 2: Exercise
Exercise 30-60 minutes a day to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress. Even a short walk after dinner will help.

Step 3: Eat smaller meals
Eat smaller meals and avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and regular use of pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, which can inflame the stomach lining.

Step 4: Eat fermented food
Whenever you indulge in a meal of fatty or fried foods, try to also eat fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and yogurt. The bacteria in these products help break down and absorb fatty foods that are difficult to digest.

Step 5: Drink herbal tea
Drink soothing herbal drinks, such as ginger or chamomile teas, rice water, or apple cider.

Step 6: Eat raw or steamed vegetables
Eat raw or steamed vegetables. Cooked veggies are depleted of some of the enzymes that benefit digestion.

Step 7: See a doctor
If you still experience frequent upset stomach, see a doctor about possible food allergies, ulcers, or other conditions that irritate the gastrointestinal tract and need further treatment.

Trivia: Abdominal pain can stem from a pinched nerve in the spine.