A grumbling tummy can be cute. Except when it isn’t. All is fine and well when you and your sweetie are just hanging out Saturday a.m. and then there’s that telltale grrrrowwwwwwl . The two of you might chuckle, “Is there a baby bear under the bed?” and then go make pancakes. But what if it’s actually Tuesday morning, not Saturday, and you’re in an otherwise quiet conference room with some very serious, unsmiling folks? My favorite doctor actually was just talking about this embarrassing phenomenon on his talk show, and I was happy to take a way a few tips for telling my stomach to put a lid on it.
Why So Noisy?
Sometimes your belly makes that embarrassing grrrrowwwwwwl noise because you’re hungry, and sometimes it’s because you just ate something that your body is working on digesting. Alternatively, the doctor noted, the culprit might be gum-chewing, or drinking through a straw, both of which cause you to swallow air. (Honestly, though, if I had to choose between the etiquette offenses of a noisy stomach or bath breath, I’d rather be in close quarters with someone who had minty Spry gum breath and a grumbling stomach than sitting beside someone whose stomach was silent but who smelled strongly of enchiladas. I digress…)
How to Quiet a Growling Stomach
For whatever reason your belly has decided to impersonate a ferocious mammal, the doc mentioned lavender tea as a tummy tamer. Lavender soothes on the spot, so sip it whenever you want to count on stomach silence, and you may be able to quiet the grumbles before they happen.
Of course, if you don’t have lavender tea on hand and your stomach does insist on speaking up, maybe you can use that opportunity to break for lunch. Enchiladas, anyone?
Do you have any natural remedies for a grumbling stomach? Tweet me at @AnitasJourney or comment below!