If you have ever experienced a bout of indigestion, we don’t need to tell you that its symptoms—gas, bloating, cramping, acid reflux—can really put a damper on one’s day. Fortunately, Poon tells us that there are a few remedies that will quickly ease your discomfort should indigestion rear its ugly head. First and foremost, the expert says you can placate an upset stomach with a one-two punch (not literally) of hydrating and fasting.
Let’s start with hydration. Drinking water might not sound that appealing when you’re already feeling distended, but Poon explains that it is actually one of the best things you can do since “water helps move food through your body effectively.” That said, not all beverages will have the same soothing effect on an upset stomach. As such, the pro suggests sticking to still, filtered water and avoiding other liquids until things calm down on the digestive front. (There’s one exception to this rule, but we’ll get to that later.)
Fasting is a little more intuitive, since most of us would agree that binging with a bloated stomach sounds a lot like adding insult to injury. Still, you might feel funny about skipping a meal just because your stomach is upset. Well, don’t. It turns out that irritated stomachs benefit tremendously when you take a break from eating. However, you don’t need to skip meals for days, or even 24 hours: Per Poon, up to eight hours without food should give your system the time it needs to rest, rebalance and heal. If you can’t go that long without at least a little nosh, no judgment—just “stick to a very bland diet consisting of easy-to-digest foods” and you’ll be fine.