Natural digestive relief: for holiday indulgence. (wellness).

We've all been there. The burning pain in the throat after that second helping of holiday turkey or pumpkin pie. A churning stomach loudly announcing its discomfort after the elevator doors 'close you in with a group of strangers. Digestive problems are inconvenient, but worse, they may be signs of an underlying illness.

If repeatedly reaching for an antacid in the middle of the night seems like a quick solution, think again. "Antacids simply cover up symptoms," says Kasra Pournadeali, ND, director for the Northwest Center for Optimal Health in' Edmonds, Washington. "Is the cause an underlying food sensitivity, overproduction of acid or even a weak barrier between the stomach and the esophagus?"

Indigestion is what most call heartburn, and it includes the socially unacceptable symptoms of belching, bloating and gas. Rather than avoiding your friends, the first line of defense should be to eat earlier, eat less and eliminate foods that cause reactions. "Often it's not a serious disease; it's related to food sensitivities," Pournadeali says.

Including fiber in your diet is the easiest way to improve your digestion and overall health. "Having enough fiber not only reduces your risk for high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer, but it helps your body eliminate the toxins you absorb, eat and breathe daily," Pournadeali says. He recommends a diet rich with vegetables, beans, grains and, if needed, flaxseed or psylium.

For occasional indigestion, look for herbs, from three categories: bitters, carminatives and cholagogues. As opposed to antacids, which reduce stomach acid, herbs stimulate saliva, digestive juices, bile flow and enzyme secretions to help the body take care of itself.

Bitters are sold as aperitifs or tinctures made from gentian, barberry, Oregon graperoot and wormwood. To keep your digestive juices flowing, try adding salads to your diet that are made from bitter greens such as dandelions, escarole, watercress and mustard greens.

Carminatives include herbs with volatile oils--peppermint, spearmint, chamomile, ginger, anise, caraway and fennel seeds--that calm the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and spur the body to release digestive enzymes. Peppermint is the most widely studied of this group, with clinical research showing that enteric-coated peppermint oil is a quick fix for bloating, diarrhea and gas.