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Just in time for the holidays; a simple, healthy solution to bloating and digestive problems after a big meal!
Similar to using herbal bitters and digestive enzymes before a meal to aid digestion, carminative herbs can used after a meal. Carminative herbs help relieve gas and bloating by suppressing and reducing the formation of gas, or by helping gas escape to clear out the intestines (no more bubbly belly). These herbs have phytonutrients that promote and regulate gut contractions, soothe the gut wall, are anti-inflammatory, and stimulate bile flow. Many carminative herbs are also antispasmodic (preventing muscle spasms in the gut) and antimicrobial.
Improve digestion at every meal
Which herbs are carminatives?
There are many carminative herbs, here are a few that you may already be familiar with:
Angelica, aniseed, basil, black pepper, caraway, cardamon, catnip, cinnamon, chamomile, cumin, fennel, gentian, ginger, holy basil, juniper, lemon verbena, oregano, peppermint, spearmint, tarragon, thyme, and wintergreen.
Many of these herbs you can get at your local grocery store; for some of the more unique ones I like to buy from Frontier Co-op and Starwest Botanicals online. I buy a myriad of herbs from these brands, including chamomile, holy basil, and mints.
A simple after-dinner solution:
As the anticipation of delicious holiday meals builds and the preparations begin, here is another treat you may want to add to your menu. An infusion (tea) of carminative herbs can be extremely soothing after a big meal as they relieve discomfort in the GI track (you can also take them beforehand, as a preventative). To do this you will want to boil water, pour it over your herbs of choice, and let it steep for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better). I would put in about 1 TBSP or so of each herb (maybe less of the ones you don’t love the flavor of), with a total of about 6 TBSP to roughly 6 cups of water. You want this infusion to be strong, it’s not a chill sipping tea, it’s almost more of a shot. A yummy combination you can make this fall season is thyme (dried or fresh) and ginger (fresh); try a 3-inch piece of ginger cut up with about 3 TBSP of thyme in 4 cups of water. You can try many combinations to meet your taste preferences; such as peppermint, chamomile, and holy basil, or fennel, cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger. Feel free to add a little lemon or lime (juice and rind) and/or honey to your digestive infusions to make them more palatable.
These herbs can be used to help digestion with any meal, and is especially useful for meals with foods that are harder for your body to process (individual sensitivities, wheat, dairy, nuts, and beans, among others).
Recipe from the Hive
A simple tea to aid digestion.
Ingredients/Supplies:
Fresh ginger (3 inch piece peeled and chopped)
Fresh thyme (about 4-5 sprigs)
Boiling water (4 cups)
Honey and/or lemon to taste
Steps:
Pour boiling water over ginger and thyme, let steep for at least 30min to overnight. Reheat if desired, add lemon and honey to taste, enjoy before or after your meal to support digestion.
Honey Today:
Enjoy your food along with some powerful healing tea. Experience better digestion and less bloating this holiday season!
