Herbal Remedies, Nutrition
Herb for Digestion
Aug
Our digestive system is the foundation of well-being; it is the most important system in the body, and without strong digestion, our health is compromised! If we are under too much stress, whether short-term or long-term, and worry excessively, it impairs our ability to digest food, affecting our body, memory, and emotions. If we have been on rounds of antibiotics or other medications for a long time, it affects the microbiome, which in turn affects digestion.
Are you aware that emotional stress weakens digestion?
Are you aware that the spleen plays a role in digestion, and excessive worry can weaken the spleen, thereby affecting digestion?
I had suffered digestive imbalances from childhood into adulthood. I was constipated, had irritable bowels, horrible bloating and gas, and I felt terrible! In my mid-20s, I discovered whole food nutrition, which aided my healing process, along with Eastern and Western herbal remedies. During my studies at Bauman College in the 1990s, my instructor was a herbalist, and her digestive and other blends helped me immensely. I completed a 3-month intensive herbal program with Christopher Hobbs in Santa Cruz, CA, and Rosemary Gladstar’s 10-month herbal program with Betty Norton in Victoria, BC. I then opened a herbal apothecary with my husband in Victoria, BC, called Simple Remedies Herbal Solutions. I spent nine years there until we moved to Nelson, BC.
Teas made from a combination of herbs help aid in digestion, activate enzymes, and increase digestive strength. If you are struggling with digestive issues, consider trying herbs. I am sure glad I did!
Did you know the gallbladder not only aids in the digestion of fats but also aids in the elimination of toxins, which are carried out through your bowel movements?
Did you know that consuming foods with artificial ingredients and additives can be toxic to the body and stressful on digestion?
Metabolism is the breakdown and assimilation of nutrients from the food we eat.
- Catabolism is the breakdown of nutrients received from the food we eat through enzymes and HCL secretion.
- Anabolism in the utilization of those nutrients
Catabolism fuels Anabolism
Are you aware whole foods are the key to physical and emotional balance?
- Heart/Small Intestine in balance: joy and happiness. Imbalance: excessive laughter and sorrow.
- When the lungs and large intestine are in balance: flow and joy. Imbalance: lack of flow, crying, and grief.
- Kidney/Urinary Bladder in balance: self-confidence and grounded. Imbalance: fear, anxiety, and crying easily.
- Liver/Gallbladder in balance: drive, purpose, focus, and grounded. Imbalance: anger, irritability, impatience, and shouting.
- Stomach/Spleen/Pancreas in balance: joy, focus, happiness, and reciprocity. Imbalance: sadness, sloppy in appearance, and too much worry.
All food and herbs have at least two flavors: bitter, sour, pungent, sweet, and salty, with a predominant flavor. Food and herbs also possess thermal energetic properties, which are classified as cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot, or very hot. Example:
- Peppermint’s flavor is pungent and cooling, bitter.
- Spearmint’s flavor is pungent and warming, with a bitter note.
In 2009, I did EEG-Neurofeedback to deal with the excessive worry, and it never came back! When I worried too much, I began to whirl in my mind; I couldn’t focus on my life. I worried about what others thought of me, I worried about finances, I worried about the state of the world, and I worried about… it was all-consuming!
Do you suffer from any of the conditions listed below? If you do look into your stress levels and diet. When you balance stress and make dietary adjustments to suit your body, many of these symptoms can disappear. I used to suffer from bloating, gas, IBS, and upset stomach, but haven’t in 20 years.
| Bloating | Diverticulitis |
| Gas – Belching, Flatulence | Crohn’s Disease |
| Constipation/Diarrhea | Colitis |
| Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) | Inflamed Bowel Disease (IBD) |
| Nervous stomach/Ulcers | Upset stomach |
It is essential to take the time to practice checking in with yourself before eating. Take the time to relax and eat foods that are easy to digest.
- Begin by taking three deep breaths or reciting a prayer with love and gratitude.
- When stressed, eat foods that are easy to digest, such as soups, stews, rice congee, protein drinks, and fresh vegetable juice.
Herbs that help support and strengthen digestion:
| Fennel seed | Licorice root | Peppermint leaf | Turmeric root |
| Fenugreek seed | Orange or Lemon peel | Spearmint leaf |
The herbs listed in the herbal dictionary can easily be blended into a formula. The carrier/assisting herb is at the bottom with an asterisk.
Herbal Dictionary
| Fennel Seed: Faeniculum vulgare Part used: seed Taste: pungent/sweet Thermal energetic: warm Effective form/Preparation: extract, oil, decoction, tea Properties: carminative, expectorant, anti-inflammatory Medicinal use: Helps relieve gas. Assists and improves digestion. Helps with bladder or rostate infections, is used as a tea for eye washes to relieve conjunctivitis and inflammation of the eyelids. Relieves pain and expels mucous. Aromatherapy: antiseptic, antispasmodic, detoxifier, diuretic, insecticidal, stimulant |
| Fenugreek Seed Trigonella foenum-graecum Part used: seed Taste: Bitter Thermal energetic: Warm Effective form/Preparation: whole seed infusion, capsule, tincture, tea, poultice, sprouts, paste, gruel, milk Properties: calmative, nutritive, stimulant demulcent, alterative, expectorant, antipyretic, regulative Medicinal use: Indigestion, mucus, tuberculosis, anemia, convalescence, promotes lactation and hair growth, regulates blood sugar balance, low back pain |
| Orange Peel Citrus aurantium Part used: peel Taste: bitter Thermal energetic: cool Effective form/Preparation: decoction, extract, oil, tea, Properties: astringent, carminative, expectorant, rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids Medicinal use: Abdominal pain with bloating. Indigestion and gas. Aromatherapy: anti-depressant, antispasmodic, lymph stimulator, mildly sedative stomachic |
| Peppermint Leaf Mentha piperita Part used: leaf Taste: pungent/bitter Thermal energetic: cool Effective form: infusion, oil, tincture Properties: diaphoretic, aromatic, carminative, calmative, mild alterative, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, Medicinal use: Upper respiratory. Digestion; specific in colon cleansing. Very good for Crohn’s disease, Irritable bowel and ulcerative colitis. Helps with gas, bloating, nausea and diarrhea. A nervine for migraine headaches, anxiety and tension in the upper neck and shoulders. Body odor and bad breath; toner, mints, oil |
| Spearmint Leaf Menthe virides Part used: leaf Taste: pungent/bitter Thermal energetic: warm Effective form: infusion, oil, tincture Properties: diaphoretic, aromatic, carminative, calmative, mild alterative, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, Medicinal use: Upper respiratory. Digestion; specific in colon cleansing. Very good for Crohn’s disease, Irritable bowel and ulcerative colitis. Helps with gas, bloating, nausea and diarrhea. A nervine for migraine headaches, anxiety and tension in the upper neck and shoulders. Body odor and bad breath; toner, mints, oil |
| Turmeric Root: Curcumae longa or c. aromatic; Zingiberaceae – In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Jiang Huang, Pian Jiang Hugan Part used: rhizome Taste: bitter/pungent Thermal energetic: warm (rhizome) Preparation/Effective form: decoction, extract, powdered, whole root Properties: alterative analgesic, antiseptic, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, emmenagogue stimulant, vulnerary Primary use: Liver, digestion, spleen, musculoskeletal system. Turmeric is one of those herbs which can be used internally for liver and digestive stress and externally for tumors, joint pain and more. |
| *Licorice root Glycyrrhiza glabra; leguminosae Part used: root Taste: sweet Thermal energetic: neutral Effective form/Preparation: pills, tea, tincture, decoction Properties: energy tonic, expectorant, alterative, demulcent, laxative, mild sedative, rejuvenative. Medicinal use: cough, sore throat, colds, flus, bronchitis, ulcers, low energy, laryngitis, general debility, poor digestion, spasms, thirst, stress, spasms, intoxication, toxicity |
Excellent reference books on learning how to make your own herbal blends are by
- Linda Page, N.D. Ph.D How to Be Your Own Herbal Pharmacist
- Leslie Tierra, L.Ac, Herbalist The Herbs of Life
- Michaela Tierra, C.A., N.D., L.Ac, O.M.D. The Way of Herbs
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac, Ph.D. Natural Therapy for Your Liver
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac, Ph.D. Medicinal Mushrooms and Exploration of Tradition, Healing and Culture