Homemade Healers for Game Day Heartburn

If the fiery array of spicy snacks this Super Bowl Sunday—hot wings, pizza, zesty chili—has you wondering how you’re going to put the brakes on the blaze of heartburn on Sunday night, don’t automatically reach for the Tums®. Try dousing the flames with any one of these homemade healers first.

• Chew gum. Look for a brand that contains sodium bicarbonate, a known stomach settler, and chew a stick or two after meals. Chewing gum after you eat also stimulates saliva that neutralizes acid.
• Say ‘ello to aloe. Aloe vera juice (not the gel, which is for external use only) can take the burn out of heartburn by coating the esophagus and keeping stomach acid where it belongs. Drink ½ cup after you’ve finished eating.
• Try papaya. To reduce acid reflux and soothe indigestion and gassiness, drink a cup of papaya juice laced with 1 teaspoon of organic sugar. Toss in two pinches of cardamom as well—it aids digestion and reduces gas and cramping.

Whatever you do, don’t get so swept up in the game that you forget about the time. Finish eating at least three hours before you plan to go to bed, then take a short, leisurely stroll around the block to aid digestion before hitting the sack.

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