For the past year my poor dad has been suffering from chronic nausea. If you’ve ever been nauseated before – and I think we all have – you know it’s the absolute WORST feeling. You pretty much want to curl up into a ball and disappear until you’re feeling better.

I had terrible morning sickness (a.k.a All Day Sickness) with both my pregnancies. I could hardly eat, sleep or function in my everyday routine during the several months I was sick. I spent most of my waking hours Googling cures for nausea and ordering any product that showed promise of making me feel better.

So when my dad’s nausea began, I really empathized and quickly set out to help him determine the cause of his condition and find some effective ways to help ease his symptoms in the meantime.

One of our first priorities, though, was to get some calories into him. He’d shed 20 pounds from his already thin frame and felt weak and tired. His doctor recommended that he start supplementing with a nutritional beverage, so I took him to Whole Foods and introduced him to Orgain – a drink I’d relied on heavily when I was pregnant and couldn’t eat much solid food.

Unlike conventional nutritional beverages, which are a far departure from “healthy,” Orgain is made from real, quality ingredients like grass-fed dairy protein, organic fruits and vegetables, and brown rice. Their shakes are certified organic, gluten-free, soy-free and made without artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. They also make vegan shakes with high quality plant-based protein (also soy-free). And perhaps most importantly to anyone who’s feeling ill, Orgain’s products taste good! One vanilla shake and my dad was hooked.

Slowly, he has regained energy and been able to resume some normal activities. I’ve also helped him make some tweaks to his eating and daily routines (with the help of my friend Willow, a registered dietitian) that have helped ease his nausea. These are tips that helped me substantially during my morning sickness and that have worked well for others experiencing nausea. I hope these provide you or someone you know with some much deserved relief!

9 Tips to Help Ease Nausea

1. Eat small amounts throughout the day. A big meal (or even regular-sized meal) can make an already nauseated person feel worse. Instead, snack a little at a time so that you never feel too hungry or too full.
2. Drink liquids between meals instead of with meals. A full stomach can make you feel more nauseated, so drink your water and other beverages at least 30 minutes before or after a meal or snack.
3. Try a high-quality nutritional beverage. If you’re too nauseated to eat regularly, sip on an Orgain shake or a simple homemade smoothie throughout the day. These healthy, high quality beverages will help give you energy while you’re not feeling well.
4. Skip carbonated beverages. Sparkling water and other carbonated beverages may aggravate a sensitive stomach. If carbonated drinks sound good to you, which they may (like lemon or lime squeezed into soda water), sip them slowly and/or stir them with a spoon to help some of the bubbles dissipate.
5. Eat a few potato chips at the beginning of a meal. Though potato chips aren’t exactly a health food, their salty taste may help stimulate appetite, and may taste good when nothing else does. Starting a meal or snack out with a few chips may motivate you to eat a little something else.
6. Incorporate ginger into your diet. Ginger candy (read the label to make sure it’s made with real potent ginger), crystalized ginger, ginger juice and ginger ale can promote better digestion and ease symptoms of nausea. If you can’t bear the taste of ginger when nauseated, look for ginger capsules at your local health food store.
7. Walk around after eating. Lying or sitting down immediately after eating may make symptoms worse. Go for a little walk or do some upright stretches – or at least stay upright – after eating.
8. Try abdominal massage. Gentle massage may help ease nausea (and anxiety which can exacerbate nausea) during pregnancy, chemotherapy, and more. There are some great YouTube videos demonstrating how to administer this type of massage.
9. Keep a food diary for a week. Writing down exactly what you eat, along with how you feel when/after you eat it, can help you identify things or habits that are making you feel sick. Paying close attention to your habits for a week or two may reveal something that you could easily change to feel significantly better.

This post is sponsored by Orgain, a product I feel so grateful for. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for reading and helping to support my blog and the brands that make it possible. I couldn’t do it without you!