Optimise your digestion with BITTERS
What are bitters?
One of the main reasons people come to see me is to improve their gut health, so in this article I’d love to share one my best gut-health hacks – bitters. I’ll tell you how to know if you are bitter deficient, and what to do if you are. I’ve got some amazing recipes to share with you and a handy bitter morning tonic recipe as well. Enjoy!
Bitters been an integral part of holistic healing all over the world from Europe to the Mediterranean to India and China. Tonics made from greens, roots, and herbs were traditionally served after meals.
How they work:
Have you ever felt like you are not absorbing the nutrients from your food? Some of us eat really well, but we don’t feel that we are getting the benefit of all these good foods and supplements, and it really comes down to one thing- how well we are digesting.
Bitter herbs are great for stimulating digestion because they boost your natural stomach acids and enzymes. This means you’ll get more nutrition from your food. Here are some fabulous bitters you can integrate into your diet right now:
Your own Herbal bitter (bottle) – fancy a personalised mix? I formulate these for my clients individually. My all time favourite is a blend of Gentian, Angelica, Dandelion, Chamomile and Wormwood. I call it “My Herbal Bliss”.
Vegetables – e.g dark leafy greens such as radicchio and rocket, dandelion greens, chicory greens, endive, baby spinach, watercress, mustard greens.
Fruit – e.g grapefruit, orange peel, cranberries, bitter cherries, crabapples.
And delicious herbal teas – e.g chamomile, fennel, dandelion and cinnamon.
Spices: aniseed, fennel, ginger (supportive), fenugreek, mustard seeds, caraway, tarragon, bay leaves, wild garlic, oregano, coriander leaf and turmeric.
Why you need bitters
Healthy upper digestive function (stomach) is essential for overall health and disease prevention. Reflux, discomfort after meals, bloating, flatulence, changes in bowel habits, and undigested food particles in stools are all symptoms of poor digestion. Poor protein digestion is also linked to food intolerances and allergies. Conditions associated with bitter deficiency include: reflux, liver disorders, inadequate bile, sluggish liver gallbladder function, leaky gut syndrome, chronic constipation, chronic indigestion, anorexia nervosa, sweet cravings and low mood (1)
According to Jim MacDonald “…much of the health woes faced by modern folk has at its root a lack of bitter flavour in the diet…” (1)
Here are ten signs that you might be bitter deficient:
1. Bloating after eating
2. Gas
3. Changes in bowel habits
4. Undigested food in your stool or loose stool
5. Abdominal pain
6. Heartburn
7. Feeling too full after eating
8. Sluggish digestion
9. Constipation
10. Difficulty digesting fats oils and proteins
If you ticked off half or more of the above you could do with some bitter therapy:
Start meals with a green salad that contains dark, leafy greens such as radicchio and rocket, dandelion and chicory, endive, baby spinach, watercress and mustard greens. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice or peppermint leaves to the salad for flavour. If you don’t have a few of the above in your garden, get seeds or seedlings from a local nursery so you can have them for the next season. Even a small salad can stimulate bile flow and support your liver and gallbladder.
A few of my favourite recipes:
Bitter green salad with lemon mustard dressing:
Bitter greens mustard vinaigrette
Another option is to try bitter roots tea such as dandelion tea or dandelion chicory as a replacement for coffee.
Spiced grapefruit tonic with a sprinkle of cinnamon is my favourite way to start my day.
If you have a cold pressed juicer, juice half a red grapefruit and sprinkle some cinnamon on top.
This will get your digestive juices flowing so you can have an AMAZING day!
It’s important to note that consuming bitter foods and herbs should be done in moderation especially if you have any underlying medical conditions so if you are not sure if this is for you, ask your health practitioner. If you don’t have one you can book a consultation with me HERE
Learning to listen to our bodies' messages is an important part of reclaiming our health. I hope this article gives you lots of inspiration to restore your health with bitters.
Food as medicine is our oldest system of healing. There are so many ways you can use Bitters. In salads, As an aperitif before meals, in tea and decoctions. If you prefer them pre-made, the Italians have Amari or amaretto, the French have Suze and the Swedish have digestive bitters. For the more decadent people there’s always Benedictine, Drambuie, Yellow Chartreuse. I love bitters what about you?
See you soon,
Ayelet
1. MacDonald, J in Ed. Leah, S (2010) Llewellyn’s 2010 Herbal Almanac. Llewellyn Worldwide. Accessed 6th Feb 2023: https://www.herbcraft.org/bitters.pdf
