Health

America’s Nutrition Coach: Food Rx for Upset Stomach

Published

11 years ago

February 23, 2015

By Dr. Ro
NNPA Columnist

Ever get that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach for seemingly, no reason at all?

You’re not alone. Although many people experience inexplicable stomach upsets that have no complicated medical diagnoses, researchers say the symptoms that often follow –nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive upsets, occur in women about six times more frequently than they do in men. No worries! There is help in your kitchen.

A true story:

I grew up in inner city Washington, D. C. But my mother, a single parent was from a small town in Virginia, in Orange County, and like many Black families who had migrated to the north, we visited our Virginia roots every weekend and each summer. My mother was an entrepreneur – the first African American female in the nation’s capital to own her own taxi business bearing her name! She maintained the taxi business during the week and on weekends she owned and operated a juke joint. If the term “juke joint” doesn’t resonate with you, think about Miss Celie, Shug Avery, and the after hours spot they frequented in “The Color Purple.”

Across the yard from the juke joint sat my grandma’s house and the most beautiful and robust garden. During my summer visits, I spent most of my time on the heels of my grandmother who served dinner from garden to table every day. But whenever I complained of a stomachache, she would trot me straight out to her garden, filled with all manner of produce, including about a dozen varieties of mint.

At my grandma’s insistence I would chew a few leaves of her mint choice and my stomach pains would subside. It was there, in my grandma’s garden that I first learned that many a remedy to what might ail any of us is often found in foods we consume. This is perhaps my first glimpse into the work I do today as a nutrition coach. So in the spirit of my grandmother – Mary Brock, the gardener also known by her neighbors and family as a “prayin’ woman,” I offer you a few remedies for your stomach upsets because “food is medicine.”

Try my food prescription (Dr. Ro’s Food Rx) when that queasy feeling takes root in your tummy.

* Fennel or Caraway seeds – these seeds can work wonders to improve digestion and to ease gas and bloating. Add 1 tablespoon of caraway or fennel seeds to 1 cup boiling water, cover and steep for 10 minutes, strain, and drink 3 cups a day on an empty stomach for best results. You may also chew on the seeds after a meal to prevent upset stomach.

* Papaya – often used to treat digestive upsets such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, and heartburn because of its natural digestive enzyme, papain, and breaks down foods that may be irritating to the stomach. A half of thinly sliced fruit will do the trick.

* Apples – (best baked if you have a particularly sensitive stomach), are good for fighting a queasy stomach because they are rich in enzymes and the soluble fiber, pectin, which help to break down stomach irritants from other foods and as a bonus, also lower cholesterol.

* Cinnamon – the spice known for treating morning sickness and diarrhea, is also good for chasing gas bubbles away. It stimulates the digestive system, which moves foods along the digestive tract smoothly. Sprinkle cinnamon on other stomach-settling foods like apples, bananas, and herbal teas such as chamomile or ginger. You may also make a cinnamon tea by adding ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder to 1 cup of hot water, let stand for 5 minutes then drink.

* Ginger – anyone who’s ever had an upset stomach may have heard that ginger ale was the remedy to settle an upset stomach. Well there’s a good reason. Ginger contains chemicals believed to work primarily in the stomach that may reduce nausea and inflammation. If you don’t like “the fizzies” that come with the carbonation of ginger ale, try ginger tea, or fresh ginger soaked for a few minutes in water.

* Mint and Thyme – both herbs help to ease gas, bloating, and stomach cramps by stimulating digestion and moving food smoothly through the digestive tract. Each can be used to make a simple tea to ease stomach cramps and to relieve pressure caused by gas and bloating. You may also chew on mint leaves for relief.

* Plain crackers – work well to settle an upset stomach, because they are low in fiber and easy to digest.

Bottom line? Stay away from hi-fat and fried foods because the demands on your stomach to digest them are too high and will cause undue stress. Opt for clear vegetable or chicken broth to ease back into a diet of vegetables, fruit, and lean protein if you have been unable to tolerate solid foods for a while.

Rovenia Brock, Ph.D. is a medical advisory board member and contributor to the “Dr. Oz Show,” where she helped more than a half-million Americans lose more than 5 million pounds. She is the author of “Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets To Livin’ Healthy (Bantam). For more health, nutrition, and fitness tips, join Dr. Ro and her social media community at www.everythingro.com.

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COMMENTARY: The Biases We Don’t See — Preventing AI-Driven Inequality in Health Care

For decades, medicine promoted false assumptions about Black bodies. Black patients were told they had lower lung capacity, and medical devices adjusted their results accordingly. That practice was not broadly reversed until 2021. Up until 2022, a common medical formula used to measure how well a person’s kidneys were working automatically gave Black patients a higher score simply because they were Black. On paper, this made their kidneys appear healthier than they truly were. As a result, kidney disease was sometimes detected later in Black patients, delaying critical treatment and referrals.

Published

5 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D (D-San Diego). File photo.

By Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., Special to California Black Media Partners

Technology is sold to us as neutral, objective, and free of human flaws. We are told that computers remove emotion, bias, and error from decision-making. But for many Black families, lived experience tells a different story. When technology is trained on biased systems, it reflects those same biases and silently carries them forward.

We have seen this happen across multiple industries. Facial recognition software has misidentified Black faces at far higher rates than White faces, leading to wrongful police encounters and arrests. Automated hiring systems have filtered out applicants with traditionally Black names because past hiring data reflected discriminatory patterns. Financial algorithms have denied loans or offered worse terms to Black borrowers based on zip codes and historical inequities, rather than individual creditworthiness. These systems did not become biased on their own. They were trained on biased data.

Healthcare is not immune.

These biases were not limited to software or medical devices. Dangerous myths persisted that Black people feel less pain, contributing to undertreatment and delayed care. These beliefs were embedded in modern training and practice, not distant history. Those assumptions shaped the data that now feeds medical technology. When biased clinical practices form the basis of algorithms, the risk is not hypothetical. The bias can be learned, automated, and scaled.

For us in the Black community, this creates understandable fear and mistrust. Many families already carry generational memories of medical discrimination, from higher maternal mortality to lower life expectancy to being dismissed or unheard in clinical settings. Adding AI biases could make our community even more apprehensive about the healthcare system.

As a physician, I know how much trust patients place in the healthcare system during their most vulnerable moments. As a Black woman, I understand how bias can shape experiences in ways that are often invisible to those who do not live them. As a mother of two Black children, I think constantly about the systems that will shape their health and well-being. As a legislator, I believe it is our responsibility to confront emerging risks before they become widespread harm.

That is why I am the author of Senate Bill (SB) 503. This bill aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare by requiring developers and users of AI systems to identify, mitigate, and monitor biased impacts in their outputs to reduce racial and other disparities in clinical decision-making and patient care.

Currently under consideration in the State Assembly, SB 503 was not written to slow innovation. In fact, I encourage it. But it is our duty must ensure that every tool we in the healthcare field helps patients rather than harms them.

The health of our families depends on it.

About the Author

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D–San Diego) is a physician and public health advocate representing California’s 39th Senate District.

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As California Hits Aging Milestone, State Releases Its Fifth Master Plan for Aging

“California’s Master Plan for Aging started a powerful movement that is shaping the future of aging in our state for generations to come,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, calling the initiative a “future-forward” model delivering real results for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.

Published

6 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Jan. 27, California released its Fifth Master Plan for Aging Annual Report,titled “Focusing on What Matters Most,” outlining the state’s progress and priorities as its population rapidly grows older.

The report, issued by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), provides updates on the Master Plan for Aging’s “Five Bold Goals”: housing, health, inclusion and equity, caregiving, and affordability.

The report comes as Californians aged 60 and older now outnumber those under 18 for the first time, a demographic shift expected to accelerate over the next decade.

Launched in 2021, the Master Plan for Aging takes a “whole-of- government” and “whole-of-society” approach, coordinating state agencies, local governments, community organizations, and private partners. The annual report highlights significant milestones, including more than 100 California communities joining AARP’s Age-Friendly Network and $4 million in state funding awarded to local organizations to develop aging and disability action plans in 30 communities statewide.

The report also underscores California’s leadership at the national level, noting that dozens of states have followed its example and that federal legislation inspired by the plan was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in December 2025.

CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson emphasized the plan’s focus on equity and resilience amid ongoing challenges.

“The Master Plan for Aging continues to provide a vision, a focus, and a platform for collaboration,” Johnson said. “Equity is at the center of all that we do.”

Looking ahead, the report notes that by 2030, one in four Californians will be age 60 or older, positioning the Master Plan for Aging as a central framework for meeting the state’s long-term social, economic, and health needs.

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Candidates Vying for Governor’s Seat Debate at Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco

The gubernatorial debate participants included Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor; Betty Yee, former California state controller; Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and attorney general of California; Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser; Tom Steyer, entrepreneur, and Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction.

Published

6 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

The gubernatorial debate was hosted by KTVU’s Greg Lee, KTTV’s Marla Tellez and KTVU’s Andre Senior. The candidates are (l.-r.): Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee.

By Carla Thomas

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco for the gubernatorial debate, hosted by the Black Action Alliance (BAA) in partnership with KTVU and sister station KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Crucial topics and issues addressed throughout the debate included housing, crime, immigration, climate change, health care and homelessness.

The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU’s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11’s Marla Tellez.

Candidates also addressed inflation and the rising costs across the state, impacting everything from groceries to childcare and health care.

Thurmond vowed to generate 2.3 million units of housing by placing 12 units on each parcel of available land in the 58 counties of California. Steyer agreed that billionaires should pay their fair share of taxes.

Hilton wanted to cut taxes, help working-class families, and end the Democrats “climate crusade and insane regulations.”

Yee offered a more transparent governmental approach with accountability, given the state’s debt.

Gonzalez said, “This debate was a great way to see who has great ideas and who has substance.”

“It’s important to have the debate within a community that requires the most,” said business leader Linda Fadekye.

Attendees included State Controller Malia Cohen, representatives of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Coalition of 100 Black Men, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, and Black Women Organized for Political Action, among others.

Event host, the Black Action Alliance (BAA) was established to amplify the voices of the Bay Area’s Black community, whose perspectives have too often been overlooked in politics and public policy.

Loren Taylor, CEO of BAA, said it was important to bring the event to the Bayview in San Francisco and shared his organization’s mission.

“The Black Action Alliance (BAA) stands for practical, community-driven solutions that strengthen public safety, address homelessness, support small businesses, expand affordable housing, and ensure access to quality education—issues at the heart of the Black experience in the Bay Area,” said Taylor.

California’s primary election will take place on June 2 and the general election will take place on Nov. 3.