Autoimmunity can often come with digestive issues, even when we have excluded all the foods that were causing constant digestive upset and inflammation. A flare-up can cause nausea, low appetite, and general digestive discomfort, even with foods that we usually digest very well.
While we can’t always stop flare-ups of our conditions, we can help our stomachs and digestion feel a lot better.
SMALLER IS BETTER
Eat smaller meals throughout the day, rather make them snacks if that is all you can handle. A mouthful or two is ok too, come back to it once you feel you can handle food again. No rule says you have to eat a certain amount at one sitting at all. Sometimes my stomach can only handle liquids and a handful of solids, and that is just fine. A few spoonfuls of creamy soup, a few sips of a smoothie, few nuts, few carrot sticks, and I nibble on these trough out the day. It all adds up to enough food to sustain nourishment and keep me from completely getting fatigued.
DRINK MORE
I can’t stress enough how important hydration is, especially if you are in a flare. Drinking enough liquids is paramount, it keeps things moving and digestion easier, but more than that, it keeps you hydrated, aids circulation, transports nutrients, and regulates your temperature, which during a flare can be elevated.
If you are feeling nauseated, drink some fresh ginger tea, it is super easy to make and works like a charm for nausea and acid reflux. Pro tip: keep your ginger in the freezer, it makes it very easy to grate on a super fine grater, cover the grated ginger with hot water and let sit a few minutes, strain and it is done!
Mint tea is another fantastic digestive and nausea helper, if you have fresh mint, you can add it to your food as well. For an easy-to-digest yet delicious, creamy, and nourishing soup with mint check out my green pea and mint soup recipe here.
Some other herbal teas to consider are chamomile and linden, these are extremely calming and relaxing and may aid you in getting much-needed sleep. Both of these are flowery and naturally sweet and feel like a hug for your intestines and your soul.
MOVE AROUND
Digestive issues are very much helped by moving around or just taking a walk. You don’t have to do extreme exercising, one of the best things to do is some gentle yoga stretches or going outside for a few minutes. Breathing fresh air, walking a bit, and just getting those digestive juices moving, will go a long way.
Whether you are in a flare or not, these are some tips to keep in mind when digestive woes strike, and they can serve as a preventative strategy as well when used regularly.
For some easy to digest recipe ideas go to my recipes here.
Stay nourished!
Sanja
Managing Flares