I’ve never shared publicly about my own struggle with having a sensitive stomach before, but more and more I’m noticing that many of my highly sensitive female friends and clients are dealing with the same experience.

Since I’ve been researching this area extensively for years now, and constantly looking for ways to soothe my own sensitive stomach, it seems like a good time to share what I’ve been learning.

Here are my Top 3 Tips…

And here are a few more:

1)    Wait 3 hours to lie down after eating (at least one helps).

2)    Wear loose clothing.

 You may not want to wear loose clothing all the time, but it might be helpful to plan to during periods where you expect to feel more stress and possible digestive symptoms.

3)    Stick with warm foods and beverages rather than cold.

Warm foods and beverages are more soothing and can ease any inflammation caused by your symptoms and stress. If you do want to have something cold, pairing it with something warm will help.

Ex. Warm chicken in a cold sandwich or a cup of green tea with sushi

4)    Eat several small meals throughout the day rather than the typical three large meals.

You could try having three small meals a day along with three small snacks, for example.

5)    Chew food slowly.

Taking time to enjoy your food and honor this time as a sacred experience will help you relax and digest your food more easily. It is also a great way to create more pleasure throughout your day.

6)    Breathe deeply from your stomach.

We actually swallow more air when we breathe quick and shallow which can cause gas. This style of breathing is often accompanied by stomach tension which can cause acid reflux.

~ Foods to Avoid & Foods to Enjoy ~

Here are some recommendations of foods to avoid and foods that are soothing. These are particularly important to pay attention to when you’re feeling stressed. I pulled these from various web sites, recommendations given by digestive dietician Emily Rubin, RD, and from personal experience.

These may vary a little when you look at similar recommendations on other web sites—I used what seemed most consistent. Also, keep in mind that some recommendations apply more to gas than acid reflux and vice versa. And of course, everyone is different!

Foods and Beverages to Avoid

• Fried and Fatty Foods
  

  This is a burger I made–it was delicious but it did upset my stomach. It turns out raw red onions are *not* a good idea 🙁

• Alcohol (certain types are better than others, may depend on the person)
• Citrus products (lemon or lime squeezed in water can be soothing to your stomach, though)
• Tomatoes
• Chocolate
• Carbonated Beverages
• Caffeine (not always necessary to avoid, depends on the person)
• Dairy products (dairy products for lactose intolerance or supplements can help)
• Pastries
• Gravies
• Cream Sauces
• Butter
• Pineapple
• Raw Vegetables (particularly broccoli and cabbage)
• Potato Chips
• Cream Soups
• Shrimp
• Cashews
• Watch out for gluten allergies in wheat products
• Lunch Meat

Soothing Foods and Beverages

• Pretzels
  

  Tea on the other hand, is almost always a good idea…

• Chamomile Tea
• Peppermint Tea (helpful with gas symptoms, but may cause acid reflux)
• Herbal Tea (anything with cinnamon, fennel, licorice, or rose is particularly helpful)
• Green Tea (better than coffee)
• Chai Tea
• Ginger Tea
• Alcohol (white wine might be easier to drink than other types)
• Low Fat Foods
• Wheat Bread (if you’re not allergic to gluten)
• Cereals
• Muffins
• Crackers
• Angel Food Cake
• Low Fat Cookies
• Yogurt
• Lactaid Free or Low Fat Ice Cream
• Low Fat Dressing
• Fruit (especially blueberries, apples, melons, papayas, bananas, and grapes)
• Applesauce
• Lean Meats, Fish
• Low Fat Cheese
• Tofu
• Eggs
• Pasta (preferably wheat if you’re not allergic to gluten and can use pesto sauce or olive oil instead of tomato sauce if necessary)
• Vegetable or Chicken Soup
• Water (can mix with apple, lemon, or lime juice)
• V-8 Splash
• Cooked Vegetables
• Brown Rice
• Corn
• Nuts (almonds and peanuts are good choices)
• Energy Bars (Special K, Kashi, Clif, Luna, Balance, Zone, Quaker, and Kind are good)
• Popcorn
• White Chocolate
• Baked Potato Chips
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Digestive Enzyme Supplements can be helpful
• Probiotic Supplements can be helpful

What do you think? Are you a Highly Sensitive Person with a Highly Sensitive Stomach as well?

If so, I would love to hear about your experience!

Leave a comment below and share your own experience. Let me know if you’ve found any of these tips useful. Also please share if you have some additional tips to add!

If you know someone whom you suspect is having a similar experience, please share this information with them. I want people who aren’t experiencing 100% relief from their symptoms to know they’re not alone, and there other things they can try that might help.

If you’d like more support with learning how to manage your stress and sensitivity to soothe your sensitive stomach, check out my Tranquil Tummy Healing Package (you have to scroll down the page to see it).