Home Remedies to Treat Stomach Flu

It snuck up on you. You wake up in the morning and you are feeling fine. Then later on in the day you start to get a queasy feeling in your stomach. You are not concerned about it; you have some important deadlines to meet and you have been feeling nervous. However, this feeling start to get worse and you feel nauseous. Without warning, you cannot take it any longer and you make a rush towards the bathroom and pray to the porcelain god. You have the stomach flu. You are not the first person to get this and you definitely will not be the last.

Prevention is the best home remedy. If you get the germs on your hands, it can be transmitted to your food. Then these germs are passed into your digestive system. Wash your hands before you eat and after you come in contact with items, such as doorknobs and telephones that have been touched by sick people. However, if you still get the stomach flu, there are home remedies you can help you rebound quickly. It is not necessary to go to the drug store to buy the pink stuff. Most medicines for the stomach flu can be found in your kitchen.

Since your body is getting rid of fluids, you will have to replace them so you will not become dehydrated. Throughout the day drink diluted fruit juice, water and herbal teas. These types of teas are extremely helpful for those suffering from the stomach flu:

1. Chamomile tea will help you relax. It acts as a mild sedative and helps settle your stomach.

2. Mint teas have antimicrobial properties that will fight against the virus that is residing in you. It is also a muscle relaxer and helps with gas that comes with the stomach flu. Mint teas are also an excellent way to prevent stomach flu.

3. Just by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice into a glass of water helps fight diarrhea.

Even though you may not like the sight of food, it is important to replace the nutrients and minerals that you lost. While you should avoid greasy and fatty food, you should have small snack during the day. The following foods are recommended when you are suffering from the stomach flu:

1. Bananas have potassium and magnesium. These two electrolytes are necessary to allow your body to function. Just by eating one of these, replaces what was lost when your body expelled your stomach's contents.

2. Another electrolyte is sodium your body needs. Drink broth or soup to replace lost sodium. If you are unable to drink the soup, add a pinch of salt to your tea.

3. Cook rice and add ginger or nutmeg to it. This will help settle your stomach and control and diarrhea.

4. Eat dry toast and saltine crackers. This will help settle your stomach.

5. Garlic has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. By eating a clove of it or taking it in pill form, you will have a speedy recovery from the stomach flu. This also is an excellent preventive measure. By taking garlic each day, you may lessen the likelihood that you will catch the stomach flu in the first place.

6. When you have the stomach flu and are vomiting, your body is getting rid of bacteria. However, you are losing both the bad bacteria and the good. Eating yogurt helps replace the good bacteria.