Juicing for nausea is one of the smartest ways to utilize your juicer. Why? Simply because it allows you to take the best nausea fighting ingredients and condense them into a deliciously sippable – and very bioavailable – remedy.
Because as most of us who have grappled with nausea know, whether it’s a long road trip on bumpy, unpaved roads or a sickeningly turbulent boat ride – when nausea strikes, it can ruin your entire day. And it’s not just long-winded adventures that can leave you feeling queasy.
Sometimes nausea finds you when you least expect it – on a plane, in an elevator, or even sitting in the backseat of a car after a spicy meal with some glasses of wine. I’ve even encountered nausea during an unusually intense spinning class.
Does Juicing for Nausea Work?
Most of us already know that there are various fruits, vegetables, and herbs that work something akin to magic in helping to relieve nausea as soon as it happens.
Juicing for nausea works simply because it allows us to extract the vital nutrients and enzymes from those ingredients, providing our bodies with an easy-to-drink and very bioavailable nausea-fighting juice to sip on.
And when you combine the best juice for nausea with the below simple tips to preventing nausea in the first place, the probability of your experiencing that unpleasant queasy feeling will diminish – preferably forever.
Here are some tips for preventing nausea from occurring in the first place:
- Shy away from spicy foods, especially if you’re drinking alcohol with your meal.
- Drink plenty of water. Especially when you’ll be traveling in confined quarters (i.e. planes, cars, etc.), it’s important to keep your body well-hydrated since dehydration results in a variety of very avoidable symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and even lowers your body’s resistance to motion sickness and the nausea it causes.
- Avoid sugary soft drinks. The first thing many of us reach for when starting to feel nauseous is a carbonated drink. And whereas that fizz might momentarily alleviate your nausea, the gas in these drinks can also contribute toward indigestion – prolonging the pain and discomfort of nausea.
- Taking a ginger shot around half an hour before traveling can help prevent motion sickness-induced nausea from happening. Either juice the ginger alone, or along with some of the other nausea-alleviating foods below or take along a few fresh slices to slowly chew on.
- If you’re prone to motion sickness and about to embark on a short trip – consider not eating much at all. An empty stomach is less susceptible to motion sickness-induced nausea. Take a light snack – preferably just protein – and skip the meal ’til you get to your destination.
- Another great tip for the chronic nausea sufferers: Carry a little vial of peppermint oil in your travel bag. One or two drops directly on your tongue does wonders for nausea.
Juicing for Nausea: 5 Nausea Fighting Ingredients
The last thing you want to do is snack on anything when nausea hits – which is what makes delicious liquid remedies the perfect thing when you’re suffering from nausea. Just 5 of these ingredients can make the best juice for nausea.
Ginger
Ginger is hands down one of the best foods for nausea EVER. And it’s not just nausea – this slightly spicy rhizome serves as a highly effective natural remedy for various tummy-related issues including heartburn, motion sickness, upset stomach, and indigestion. It’s like Mother Nature’s own Pepto Bismo.
It works since raw ginger contains natural oils – gingerol and shogaol – which induce your stomach to release more digestive juices. The increased digestive enzymes help neutralize stomach acids which gradually reduces tummy pain and discomfort.
Try one of the below ginger-containing juice recipes if you happen to be near a juicer when experiencing nausea or motion sickness. Other easy ways to fight nausea with ginger is to take a few fresh ginger slices with you to slowly chew on – releasing its oils in the process – or drop into a thermos full of hot water to sip as a tea.
Fennel
There’s nothing quite like fresh fennel juice when you’re looking for a little tummy comfort. That’s because this entire funny looking plant contains antioxidants – quercitin and rutin – which encourage the production of more digestive juices in the stomach, helping you to digest whatever you ate more easily.
On top of that, it’s packing essential oils with both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to help combat nausea caused by something off you might’ve consumed.
Bananas
A lack of potassium in your body can actually lead to feelings of nausea and make you more disposed to experiencing motion sickness and discomfort. As you know, bananas are a rich source of potassium and should be one of the first foods you turn to when experiencing a bout of nausea.
Mint
You knew this was coming, didn’t you? Mint has always been associated with soothing and relaxation and nausea is no exception. A few leaves of mint in your juice recipes will go a long way, thanks to its anesthetic constituents that help relive queasiness and nausea.
Ume
You may not have heard of ume, simply ’cause that’s the Japanese name for a certain kind of plum. The Korean name for it is maeshil or maesil. And if you are prone to motion sickness, nausea, indigestion or other tummy troubles – this is a fruit you must get to know. There’s always a bottle of ume extract sitting in my fridge because this is one of the best solutions I’ve ever found to soothe a troubled tummy.
Ume extract is a go-to nausea solution for a few reasons. First or all – it’s super soothing as it contains natural organic acids like citric acids that offer digestive support, are alkalizing and help your body maintain its ideal pH levels.
It’s also a natural antibiotic and a great source for nourishing minerals like potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, iron and calcium – providing replenishment for your body after the vomiting that accompanies nausea and upset stomach. Ume extract is also thought to stimulate digestion, ease gas and bloating, soothe the digestive tract and even lubricate the bowel.
To be honest, I don’t know exactly how ume extract does it – I just know that it’s been an excellent aid for many tummy-related inconveniences including acid reflux, indigestion and nausea. Ginger might be great for reducing nausea, but it’s ume extract I’ll turn to when the symptoms move from nausea to actual retching.
The only drawback to ume extract is its price – and it’s not much cheaper even in Asia – but a jar of this stuff lasts forever.
Bonus: Nuts
Okay, these aren’t fruits, veggies, or herbs – but it warrants mention. Researchers from Siena College found that patients with high protein diets reported significantly less bouts of nausea than those with low protein in their diets. The study also found that there was a significant decrease in gastric dysrhythmia after ingestion of protein and ginger.
