OK—so yesterday, you chowed down on that turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes and gravy and yams and pumpkin pie and …..
If you’re old enough, you might remember an old Alka Seltzer (is that heartburn remedy still around?) commercial that started out something like “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”
It’s OK to eat the whole thing from time to time. But when you do, you probably pay a price.
Your Garden Rx: celery, basil, peppermint, rosemary, fennel, chili peppers, radishes
Indigestion is an occasional fact of life for half of all Americans, and for 15 percent of us, it can happen daily. For many chronic sufferers, heartburn is the main symptom, but others experience bloating, belching, gas, nausea, vomiting, stomach rumbling and diarrhea.
Usually it is caused by simple overeating, a reaction to particular foods to which you may be sensitive, food poisoning, stress, or even a stomach ulcer.
If the indigestion is occasional, it will likely disappear on its own. If it is chronic, you’ll need to take a careful look at your food consumption, the amounts you are eating and pinpoint foods that may be causing a reaction.
Your Garden to the Rescue
Radishes help calm an old-fashioned stomach ache, and peppermint tea will soothe that churning feeling and relieve gas and bloating. Basil, another member of the mint family, is especially suited to gas relief.
Celery and rosemary, both widely prescribed in Europe to treat indigestion, contain dozens of painkillers, anti-inflammatories, anti-ulcer compounds, and sedatives to ease your stomach and intestinal pain.
Chili peppers, contrary to the popular misconception that they trigger bellyaches and heartburn, actually help calm digestion and can even prevent ulcers.
Fennel seeds are a popular tummy soother in India after a satisfying spicy meal.
RX from Outside Your Garden
Ginger is a wonder food that is good for so many things. Its soothing compounds calm an irritated gut, relieve belching and nausea and help move food through the large and small intestines.
HIATAL HERNIA(similar to Heartburn)
Your Garden RX: apples, all types of lettuce, celery, watermelon, cantaloupe
A hiatal hernia may produce many of the same symptoms as heartburn, but it is an entirely different problem. This condition occurs when the pyloric valve that separates the esophagus and the stomach becomes stretched, usually because of pregnancy or a large weight gain. It can also be caused by violent coughing, vomiting or straining with bowel movements. Smokers are at higher risk of hiatal hernia. In some cases, the hernia is present at birth.
The result is that part of the stomach actually pushes up through the diaphragm and into the esophagus.
About 50% of Americans over age 50 unknowingly have small hiatal hernias, but they have no symptoms. Large hiatal hernias may cause heartburn, belching, chest pain and nausea.
Conventional medicine treats hiatal hernia with acid reducers, the same ones used to treat heartburn. Occasionally, surgery is necessary to relieve the pain.
Heavy meals, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, chocolate, citrus fruits and tomato products tend to aggravate the condition, so most doctors recommend eating several small meals a day and identifying trigger foods and avoiding them.
Your Garden to the Rescue
High-fiber fruits and vegetables, like apples, lettuce, potatoes with the skin,and celery will ease the digestive process. You’ll also need to drink a lot of water (but not with meals) and eat watery fruits like watermelon and cantaloupe.
Here are a few natural remedies from my book, Food Is Medicine: 101 Prescriptions from the Garden: 
