The Holiday Season is here so now is the time to prepare for all the goodness and treats coming your way. Enter digestive bitters! Although not as glittery and flashy as holiday lights, digestive herbs will keep you sparkling (er, or not sparkling if you know what I mean), in all of the right places.
What goes in your mouth must be processed, so when indulging in decadent drinks, heavier meals, hearty meats, or tempting desserts, digestive upset, sleepless nights, and blood sugar problems may result if you don’t have what it takes to digest it all.
The body needs nutrients, like bitter foods, to act as a catalyst for proper gut digestive function. Bitters are found in foods and herbs like artichoke, dandelion, turmeric, ginger, hops, and gentian root. If you look into traditional diets from around the world, in literally every culture, they always include bitter foods in their diets.
Bitters are so important and worthy of eating because they stimulate bile production and stomach acid (HCl) while enhancing bowel function, thereby keeping everything clear and running smoothly. So, when you experience bloating, gas, heartburn, and acid reflux, it usually is a result of low digestive juices.
The catch is that you actually need to be able to taste the bitters on your tongue. There is no getting past the taste by taking them in a pill, as the bitter flavor actually signals your brain to produce gastrin, a hormone that regulates stomach acid.
Thankfully, there has been a resurgence of eating bitter foods, like arugula, endive, radicchio, kale, and dandelion greens. These can all be enjoyed with your meals.
How to take: Enjoy eating bitter foods or take a bitter liquid formula. There are many excellent elixirs on the market and they do make them taste nice or you can simply make bitters at home.
Take digestive bitters before meals. Dosage is 20-30 drops or ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon before meals.
Explore the world of bitter foods! Try the herbs listed below.
Angelica root
Artichoke leaf
Burdock root
Cardamom
Cacao nibs
Cinnamon
Chamomile flower
Dandelion root and leaf
Fennel seed
Gentian root
Ginger root
Licorice root
Orange and grapefruit peel
Yellow dock
Make your own Bitters!
What you need:
Sterilized mason jar
Muslin
Bitter herbs
Directions:
- Add bitter herbs, roots, and seeds to a clean mason jar and cover with a high proof alcohol like 100 proof vodka, rum or even red wine.
- Let sit for a few weeks in a dark, cool place, and shake the mixture daily.
- Strain herbs through the muslin into a sterilized jar.
- You can also top off the tincture with water.
- You can add honey or maple syrup for a sweetener.
- And add essential oils for taste.
Enjoy and please leave a comment and let us know what your favorite bitters are.
