Although passing gas can be embarrassing, it’s also perfectly normal. Most people pass gas or belch more than 20 times a day. Your gut produces excessive gas for a number of reasons — swallowing too much air or changes in your diet, for example.

Other common causes of gas are food intolerance and difficulty digesting certain foods. Even things that are good for you, such as fiber-filled foods, also cause gas, so eating them slowly and limiting or avoiding those that give you severe intestinal gas can help ensure you get good nutrition without all the bloating and discomfort.

Peppermint is great for soothing churning stomachs and easing gas pains. Its essential oil contains menthol, which has an antispasmodic effect of the smooth muscle of the digestive tract. It also soothes nerves and therefore can soothe stomachs that really feel the effect of nervousness and stress. Drink a cup after dinner to help keep things moving slowly.

You will need…

• 1 bag of herbal peppermint tea
• 1 cup or so of freshly boiled water

Directions

Steeping tea seems like something that’s simple enough, but there’s a proper way to go about it. We often times let the tea bag sit in the water for several minutes, then pull the bag and drink the liquid. This doesn’t allow all the goodness of the tea to infuse thoroughly, and we’re shorting ourselves a good chunk of the benefits.

1. After you boil your water, pour it over the tea bag in a mug
2. Then cover the mug (a plate works fine.)
3. Let it sit for a full 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove the cover and take out the tea bag, squeezing it to get out every last bit of the healing mixture.
5. If it’s too hot to grab, press it against the side of the mug with a spoon.
6. Sip, relax, and enjoy.

Drink chamomile tea

If peppermint doesn’t suit your fancy or doesn’t seem to work for you, chamomile is a good route to go. In Germany, a place where herbal treatments are used more frequently than in the west, they call chamomile alles zutraut which translates to “capable of anything,” because it is so useful. Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and just plain relaxing, chamomile can help with gas due to indigestion as well as heartburn, whereas peppermint is better for gas caused solely by indigestion.

You will need…

• 1 bag of chamomile tea
• 1 cup or so of freshly boiled water
• honey or lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Boil approximately 1 cup of water and pour over tea bag.
2. Cover the mug, and let the tea steep for a full 10-15 minutes.
3. Squeeze the bag to get out all the last bits of goodness
4. Add a bit of honey and lemon if you like. Avoid milk, which tends to trigger gas