With an upcoming election, increasing world tensions, weather disasters, and all the events happening in your own life, you would probably gladly accept a natural remedy to settle your stomach. While some stomach and nausea problems can run deeper (in which case you should seek medical advice), many issues stem from stress due to a central nervous system connection between the brain and digestive tract. This, along with many other elements of your daily lifestyle such as your diet, can cause symptoms of bloating, cramping, nausea, digestive issues, or some pain. Thankfully, you don’t have to let these symptoms overwhelm your life, there are natural stomach aids that can soothe your problems.

Here’s what to try, what to skip, and when it’s time to call a doctor. This is general wellness information, not medical advice, so check with your health care provider if you’re pregnant, take medication, or have a digestive condition.

When Are the 2026 Midterm Elections?

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, voters across the country will choose all 435 members of the U.S. House and 35 senators, along with governors, state legislators, judges, and local leaders. Close races can mean long nights of refreshing results, with the suspense taking a toll on sleep, digestion, and mood.

The good news is that a little planning and a few soothing rituals go a long way.

Why Does Election Stress Upset Your Stomach?

Your brain and gut are in constant conversation. When you’re anxious, the body releases stress hormones that can speed up or slow down digestion, tighten muscles, and make your gut more sensitive to normal sensations. The result can be nausea, cramping, bloating, or a sudden need to find a restroom. Calming your nervous system, with slow breathing, a short walk, or a few quiet minutes away from the news, can be as helpful as anything you eat or drink.

How to Settle an Upset Stomach for Election Day

Does Ginger Help With Nausea?

There’s a reason doctors tell you to drink ginger ale when you have the flu and it’s not necessarily for carbonation (though it is an added bonus). Ginger is great as an anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antiulcer, and even has been tested in clinical trials for nausea. 

To ingest ginger you can grate it and make it into a tea with honey and lemon, take it in a tincture, capsule, or powder form, or find it in probiotic drinks. Ginger chews or candied ginger are great options to keep on hand if you’re away from home. 

What Should You Eat With an Upset Stomach?

When your stomach is unsettled, keep it simple for a day or so. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are the key foods for a bland, BRAT Diet that’s easy on your stomach but still gets you the nutrients you need. Other mild foods that you can include in this diet are saltines, different types of oatmeal, broth, or boiled potatoes. Skip anything spicy, sugary, high in fat, containing dairy, or with citrus. Return to a normal, balanced diet as soon as you can, since bland foods alone don’t provide enough nutrients.

Sip water and other clear fluids throughout the day, especially if you’ve been sick or are vomiting, and choose a low-sugar electrolyte drink if you need one, since a lot of sugar can make things worse. You should aim to drink between eight and 10 cups of water a day, but that amount can vary depending on other health factors.

Does Heat Help a Stomach Ache?

Warmth can relax tense abdominal muscles and ease cramping. Try a heating pad or warm water bottle on low for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, a warm bath or shower, or simply a hot cup of tea. Pair it with something calming, like a favorite show or a few minutes of deep breathing.

Can I Use Peppermint or Baking Soda for an Upset Stomach?

Peppermint tea is a historic health remedy. Peppermint oil capsules, especially enteric-coated ones, have been studied for irritable bowel syndrome, but NCCIH notes that peppermint can cause heartburn and may worsen indigestion in some people. Skip it if you’re prone to reflux.

If you’re out of Tums or your favorite antacid, baking soda mixed with water works in a pinch. It can neutralize stomach acid for occasional heartburn or indigestion. Follow product directions, and use it only occasionally. Poison Control warns that too much baking soda can cause serious problems, and it isn’t recommended for people who are pregnant, on a low-sodium diet, or living with kidney disease.

Do Fermented Foods Help Digestion?

Getting pickles as a prescription may be one of the best bits of food advice out there. Fermented foods can help your digestive health by making foods easier to digest, restoring the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut, and lessening the severity of symptoms such as cramping and constipation. Some food you can look to add to your diet include yogurt, cottage cheese, fermented veggies, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. They’re best as part of your everyday diet rather than a quick fix, since they can cause gas or bloating at first, especially during an upset.

When Should You See a Doctor for an Upset Stomach?

Home remedies are for mild, short-lived symptoms. Call a doctor if your stomach trouble lasts more than a few days, keeps coming back, or comes with severe pain, fever, vomiting that won’t stop, signs of dehydration, blood in your stool or vomit, or unexplained weight loss.

Tips for Success

Use fresh ginger. Fresh, thinly sliced ginger makes a brighter, more potent tea than powdered.

Sip slowly. Small, frequent sips are easier on a queasy stomach than big gulps.

Eat small meals. Several small portions are gentler than one large meal.

Keep remedies on hand. Stock ginger, tea, saltines, and broth before Election Day.

Pace the news. Check results at set times instead of refreshing all night.

Don’t give honey to infants. Skip the honey for children under 1 year old.

For more ways to stay calm on November 3, read our Stress-Free Election Day Guide and Natural Sleep Aids for Election Night Anxiety. 

When you’re feeling better, ease back in with a homemade broth from our Homemade Stock Recipes.

About the Author

Kylie Thomas is TABLE Magazine‘s Online Editor who writes recipe roundups and seasonal food and wellness stories for the magazine’s website. Read more of her work at TABLE.

Photo Courtesy of Dominik Martin

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