Tips to Relieve Heartburn and Indigestion Naturally

Try these natural remedies to help you avoid overeating and ease heartburn.

by Deborah Tukua Updated: October 17, 2023

The holidays are here, and for many that means overeating and eating for long stretches throughout the day, which can take a toll on your digestion. Here are some easy tips to help you avoid overeating and relieve heartburn while still enjoying the festivities.

Tips to Relieve Heartburn and Indigestion Naturally

Avoid Overeating

Use luncheon size plates instead of dinner plates. A smaller plate will help keep the serving portions reasonable.
Don’t push seconds. Your guests will enjoy their dinner better if they don’t overeat.
Plan your meal earlier in the afternoon so your guests don’t go to bed stuffed. Overeating makes it hard to sleep comfortably.
Pre-slice the pies and cakes in modest portions for those that want to try more than one dessert.
Set the table with blue dishes and accessories. The color blue is thought to lessen the appetite.
Use grapefruit-scented candles in the dining room. The fragrance of grapefruit is also thought to reduce the appetite.
Eat slowly, chew your food well and wait ten minutes before taking seconds. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes after eating to realize it is full.
If your Thanksgiving dinner is in the evening, don’t fast through the day. It will encourage you to overeat at the one meal.
Don’t drink any beverage while eating. Beverages dilute the stomach juices needed for proper digestion.

Relieving Heartburn and Indigestion

Sip on a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to aid digestion and to avoid indigestion.
Take a walk with the family thirty minutes after eating to burn off some calories. Or play ball with the children outside. Exercise aids digestion.
Eat some fresh pineapple or papaya to aid digestion and relieve the discomfort of overeating. Papaya tablets are available where health products are sold.
Chew anise seeds to relieve a sour stomach.
Chew on several fennel seeds after a large meal, which aids digestion.
Chew on a sprig of fresh parsley to relieve indigestion.
Drink 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice.
Drink a glass of water at the onset of heartburn.
Drink a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea to relieve indigestion.
Avoid lying down for three hours after eating.
Lay on your left side to relieve the discomfort of heartburn. This prevents stomach acids from reaching the esophagus.

Deborah Tukua

Deborah Tukua is a natural living, healthy lifestyle writer and author of 7 non-fiction books, including Pearls of Garden Wisdom: Time-Saving Tips and Techniques from a Country Home, Pearls of Country Wisdom: Hints from a Small Town on Keeping Garden and Home, and Naturally Sweet Blender Treats. Tukua has been a writer for the Farmers' Almanac since 2004.