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Bitterness is a taste most of us try to avoid. Expressions such as “bitter enemies” and “a bitter pill to swallow ” show how averse we are to this flavor. We greatly prefer the other three primary flavors – nearly everything Americans eat is a combination of sweet, salty, and sour. These are sometimes accented with spiciness or “piquancy” and the rich quality known as umami. (Umami is a harder taste experience to describe, but it’s often translated as a “savory” or mushroomy quality, and it is the specific enhancement imparted by MSG.)
Perhaps we dislike bitterness in part because it’s the flavor our taste buds are most sensitive to. Compared to our perception of saltiness, sweetness, and sourness, we can pick up an infinitesimal degree of bitterness in food or drink. This is probably a useful adaptation, since many poisons are bitter. But many medicines are also bitter, and there are certain medicinal qualities that many bitter substances have in common. I believe that consuming moderate amounts of bitter foods is a healthy thing. It also provides a vital balance to our relative overconsumption of the other flavors.
In the ancient healing systems of China and India the therapeutic properties of foods and herbs are thought to derive largely from the flavors they possess. The flavors themselves are considered to be energetic characteristics that affect the body far beyond our perception of them at the tongue. Textbooks of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda will often state that a certain herb has a certain therapeutic action because it has a certain flavor and an affinity for a certain part of the body.
Sweetness, for instance, is seen in TCM as having a nourishing and consolidating effect on our energy. This is why so many comfort foods are sweet, and most naturally sweet foods (like rice and bananas) tend to be easy on the digestion. But by the same token, too much consolidation can have a clogging effect. This makes us pack on the pounds – especially around our bellies – when we eat too much sugar, and it also makes us feel ill the day after Halloween.
Spiciness or pungency, by comparison, has an opening or expansive energy. It promotes movement, gets our blood flowing, warms us up. And it may even open our pores and sinuses – causing us to sweat and feel clearer in the head. Sourness has a moistening and astringent effect. This is why sour drinks often seem even more thirst quenching than water alone.
Bitterness has a descending or draining energy. Bitter herbs often help drain and clear excesses from our system. Many bitter herbs are detoxifying, and they often promote urination or bowel movement. Bitter herbs frequently act on the liver and gallbladder to promote bile production and secretion. Bile is essential for the digestion of fats, including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Bile also stimulates the bowels and kills some bacteria that may be present in our food. These effects are especially useful after overconsumption of rich foods.
The stomach is understood in Chinese medicine as having a downward directionality. That is, it receives food from the esophagus above, and, after working on it with its gastric juices, should send it down to the intestines. When the stomach isn’t functioning properly, because of illness, overeating, stress, food sensitivity, or eating too fast, the stomach’s contents may fail to descend, or may even go upward instead. When it goes up, it’s called “stomach Qi [energy] counter-flow” or “stomach Qi rebellion.” Examples are acid reflux (heartburn), belching, nausea and vomiting, bloating, hiccups, dizziness, and just plain feeling yucky in the middle and upper body. Because of their descending and draining qualities and their action on bile production/secretion, bitter foods and herbs are often very helpful for these conditions.
There is just a small handful of bitter things an American is likely to encounter. Two of the most common are beer (in which the bitterness comes from hops flowers, which are used to offset the otherwise overly sweet taste of grain malt) and coffee (which we usually de-bitter by adding milk and/or sugar). Unfortunately, these are not the healthiest of bitter medicines, though I do believe they can have some benefits. Nearly all leafy greens have some degree of bitterness, especially arugula, endive (escarole), chicory, and young dandelion greens. These are excellent, though fairly mild, bitter medicines. Coffee (usually as espresso) and salad are often consumed after meals in Europe to stimulate digestion.
Stronger bitter herbs are usually encountered only in preparations made specifically to highlight their bitterness. These are used in alcoholic beverages and as after-meal digestifs. Gentian root is the classic bitter herb. It is used to produce Angostura bitters, originally prescribed for sea sickness and stomach problems, and now an ingredient in several mixed drinks. Herbalists of the European and American naturopathic traditions consider gentian and other bitter herbs to have the ability not just to stimulate gastric activity, but to improve the tone and function of the digestive system.
Rudolf Weiss, a famous German doctor and pioneer in herbal medicine, said of gentian, “A pure bitter (the bitter taste is detectable even at a dilution of 1 part in 20,000). Stimulates gastric secretions and motility and improves tone. It is active as soon as it is absorbed through the mouth’s mucus membranes.” The old school American herbalist, John Christopher, said gentian is “one of the most valuable bitter tonics and best strengtheners of the human system.” He called its effect “invigorating.” When used to invigorate the digestive system (as opposed to promoting digestion after a big meal), a squirt of gentian tincture is typically taken in water 20 to 60 minutes before eating.
Quinine, which comes from cinchona bark (a South American tree), is famous as the first effective treatment for malaria. It’s intensely bitter and it shares some medicinal properties with gentian and other bitters. The bitterness of quinine is the standard to which all other bitter substances are compared.
Quinine is most often encountered in tonic water, which goes very well with a wedge of lime and some good gin. Cinchona (AKA Peruvian bark) has attracted some attention recently because it’s the distant source of the contentious COVID treatment hydroxychloroquine. However, this herb and its derivatives all possess a certain degree of toxicity. The amount of quinine in tonic water is strictly regulated for this reason, and there have been a few unfortunate deaths from over-zealous users of the related substance chloroquine.
Citrus peel is a wonderful bitter agent. It can be used fresh, extracted in alcohol, or dried and aged and taken as a powder or tea. Fruity and floral tones make it more interesting and less of a pure bitter than gentian or quinine. Any citrus peel can be used. Common fruits used for bitters include lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, bitter orange, and grapefruit. A delicious example is the famous Italian limoncello, a liqueur made from Sorrento lemon peel (or whole lemons).
Other common bitters include barberry root bark, goldenseal root, rhubarb root, artichoke leaf, cascarilla bark, wormwood leaf, yarrow flowers, and more. Over 20 years ago, when I was a novice herbalist, I had a friend who had gradually developed nausea, bloating, and a poor appetite. Most foods made her feel worse. At the time, I was focused on barberry and suggested that she might try some. I didn’t speak to her for a while after that, but a few months later she reported, “I love barberry! It fixed me!” She had been taking it as a tea twice a day and not only were her digestive symptoms gone, she also felt strong and vital in way she hadn’t experienced since childhood.
A wide range of aromatic herbs may be combined with bitters to enhance their effect when used to soothe the digestive tract. Mint, anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, ginger, and thyme are some common ones. These bitters and aromatics are available in a vast array of commercial preparations, most of which originate in Europe. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in bitters in the United States, with boutique manufacturers popping up alongside thriving foodie cultures.
Consider broadening your taste horizons, or at least offsetting your sweet, sour, and salty consumption with a bit of bitter. See if you feel lighter than usual after dinner if you have something bitter. Even if your taste buds don’t love it, your body might.
Share with us about your experience with bitter foods and herbs in the comments section.
Be well,
Peter
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Rather than give you a nice cohesive report on a single health topic, I decided this month to write a bit about a number of different trendy foods. If you’re a foodie, a health nut, or shop at natural grocery stores, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with most of these items. Whether you’ve heard of these things or not, I hope to share with you some important details that will help you make more informed decisions about them.
Himalayan Pink Salt: We’ve been eating it and using it in our footbaths at the Dragontree for years. Pink salt is also an important ingredient in certain Ayurvedic medicines. To me, it is more flavorful than regular table salt. And it’s become popular in large blocks as cutting boards, lamps, and cooking trays (you can, for instance, bake a fish on a slab of pink salt and it imparts a nice flavor).
Salt has unfortunately been demonized due to its occasional ability to raise blood pressure, but it’s quite vital for many of our organs to function optimally. (I'm of the opinion that anyone with normal or low blood pressure who craves salt probably needs more of it.) In terms of its mineral analysis, pink salt supplies all sorts of beneficial minerals that don’t occur in regular table salt (which is just sodium and chloride, and often contains anti-caking chemicals). I also like sea salts for many of the same reasons, although it may be worth considering where it comes from (ideally from unpolluted water, free of mercury, oil, nuclear radiation, etc.).
There’s just one problem with using pink salt as your everyday salt. It doesn’t have much iodine in it, and most people don’t get enough of this important mineral. It has a wide range of functions in the human body - most notably in the formation of thyroid hormone. Commercial table salt is Americans' main source of iodine. It’s added to salt because salt does a good job of masking iodine’s metallic flavor. So, if you’ve switched over to pink salt, consider eating more iodine rich foods, such as seaweeds (kelp, dulse, nori, etc.) and fish, or make sure there’s iodine in your multivitamin. You can also alternate between pink salt and a high quality iodized sea salt (I haven't yet seen iodized pink salt).
Quinoa: Quinoa is so hot right now, you’d think it was more special than it is. Yes, for a grain, it contains about 8 grams of protein per cup, which is kind of a lot. (Some people like to jump in here and point say it’s a seed, not a grain. Whatever.) The main thing is it’s a starchy seed that has a decent amount of protein. It has a slightly bitter and unique flavor that some people quite like and others don’t. It’s not as versatile as rice, in my opinion, but is less of a simple carbohydrate, which makes it significantly healthier. The drawback of our new love affair with this seed is that in the few high altitude places where most of it is grown – such as Peru and Bolivia – and where it has been a dietary staple for centuries, the locals can no longer afford it. We need to cut down on it and/or find some new places to grow it.
Agave Nectar: If you read my articles with any regularity, you’ve probably heard me rant about this stuff. It’s a super popular sweetener, cleverly marketed in a way that makes it appear to be relatively healthy and natural. Surely, it must be better than table sugar – it’s “nectar” after all. Sorry. It’s garbage. Almost always highly processed and quite similar in composition to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave nectar actually contains more fructose than HFCS. So often, I’ve been scanning the ingredients of a new product that seems to be otherwise healthy when – doh! – they put agave nectar in there. Back on the shelf.
Therapeutic Drinks: More and more, I see drinks in the supermarket that claim to enhance mental clarity, improve energy, promote calm, stoke libido, balance chakras, and build muscles. These products are virtually all hype. I can barely think of a legal substance that’s capable of enhancing mental focus or energy on a single-serving basis. Except caffeine. And they usually have some of that in there, too. A single dose of B vitamins (and usually a small dose at that) in your very sweet Smart “Water” isn’t going to do anything for you. It definitely isn’t healthy enough to offset the negative impact of all the sugar they put in there. Save your money and stick with real water. Or try some green tea – a fad that’s actually worth the attention.
Gluten Free Snacks and Treats: There is nothing intrinsically healthier about a gluten free food versus one with gluten in it, unless you have a known problem digesting gluten. Unfortunately, since the awareness of gluten sensitivity has risen mainly in the health-nut community, many people have come to assume that gluten free means healthy. A vegan, gluten free cookie is still a cookie and likely has way more sugar than your body needs or wants (the unhealthiest part of a cookie is the sweetener, not the gluten). Gluten-free macaroni and cheese is still just a bunch of salty starch with close to zero nutritional value. Gluten free pretzels or crackers are just empty calories. So, if you need to avoid gluten and you must have macaroni, crackers, and cookies, by all means, get the gluten free kind. Just remember you’re still eating cookies, crackers, and macaroni.
Greek Yogurt: Real Greek yogurt is made by repeatedly straining yogurt to maximize the protein content, which makes it thicker and creamier. Some “Greek style” yogurts are thickened instead with pectin or other gels, and I consider these fake Greek yogurts. The Greek Gods brand is the most popular fake Greek “style” yogurt. If you consume Greek Yogurt for the extra protein, read the label. Look for high protein (like 20 or more grams per cup). A nice benefit of Greek yogurt is, where regular yogurt that has no milk fat tends not to be very creamy, even the fat free Greek yogurt is quite creamy.
I don't advocate avoiding fat, but some fats are better than others. Pasteurized milkfat from grain-fed cows is not the best, and in many people it tends to promote phlegm production. I'm one of those people, but for me, fat-free Greek yogurt suits my body rather well. If they both taste good to you, I recommend the fat-free kind (get your good fats from other sources). Also, make sure it’s either organic or at least free of bovine growth hormone (rBst / rBGH).
Goat: Goat is consumed by 70% of the meat-eating world. It’s the world's most popular meat! And it’s now becoming a more popular option in the U.S. Good quality goat (also known as chevon or mutton, and the young meat is cabrito or capretto) tastes like premium lamb. It’s a nice lean and healthy meat.
It's also a good alternative to beef. Unlike mass produced beef, goats are generally allowed to graze on grass, which means healthier, tastier meat (cows usually eat corn and soybeans, which is not just unnatural, but bad for the animal and the final product). In addition, our appetite for beef has been quite destructive to the world, through the razing of rainforest for pasture land, the pesticide- and resource-heavy production of corn for their feed, and the ozone depleting effect of cow flatulence (seriously!), so it’s worth embracing any palatable alternative.
Finally, remember this: just because it’s over-priced and on the shelves of Whole Foods, doesn’t make it good for you. There is plenty of unhealthy stuff even at “health food” stores, including nearly everything in the bakery section. Be a wise consumer, especially when it comes to selecting things you’ll put in (or on) your body.
Take care,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => Tidbits on Trends
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[post_content] => An old tai ji quan (tai chi) teacher of mine used to say, "Yi dao ... qi dao ... li dao," which roughly means the focus of your mind (yi dao) dictates the way your energy moves (qi dao) which dictates the expression of your power. (This utterance came mostly when he noticed that I was looking distracted.) In other words, the ability to effectively direct your power is founded in the ability to effectively focus your mind.
Mental focus, known as yi, is one of the five aspects of consciousness defined in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Each of the five is considered to be associated with a particular part of the body, and the yi corresponds with the digestive system. In a way digestion is a kind of inner focus. When food enters the body, the digestive tract focuses its attention on it – breaking it down to its elemental parts, extracting what’s useful, and absorbing it. It makes sense that we use the word “digest” to speak about processing and assimilating a new or challenging idea or experience.
Disruption of the digestive system frequently goes hand in hand with poor mental focus. The most common example is Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder in people who have a poor diet and/or erratic food intake and/or food sensitivities and/or gut imbalances.
There are two main patterns of digestive imbalance as it relates to mental function. The first is poor assimilation of the vital nutrients in our food, leading to a state of deficiency and a “malnourished mind.” The second is the development of phlegm, which makes us cloudy-headed and may further impede the assimilation of nutrients. The Chinese medical use of the word "phlegm" here denotes a much broader concept than simple mucus. Phlegm is anything that impedes our flow or accumulates in us but serves no functional purpose, such as plaques, cysts, excess body fat, or any other similarly tenacious “gunk” in our system. It may be tangible or intangible, and it doesn't go away easily.
Phlegm can form as a byproduct of impaired digestion. Sometimes it develops when we’re exposed to foods that irritate the body – similar to how an oyster secretes pearl material when it’s irritated by a grain of sand. Other times it develops because something else disturbs the digestive process (such as trying to digest too much mental material while trying to digest food, or eating while the eating, nervous system is activated by stress), leading to incomplete assimilation of nutrients and excretion of waste.
TCM’s notion of a digestive origin for mental disturbances is shared by Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, which goes so far as to say that all health problems originate in the gut. Recently these millennia-old concepts have been corroborated through our emerging understanding of the gut-brain axis – the complex interplay between the gastrointestinal tract, its microbial population, and the central nervous system.
Let’s look at some ways we can improve digestion for better mental health.
- Choose nutrient-dense foods. Support high-quality thinking with high-quality nourishment: fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds, clean proteins (free range omega-3 eggs, organic grass-fed dairy products, sustainably grown oily fish, small amounts of pasture raised meat), whole fruits, and a little whole grain. Limit your intake of fried foods, sweetened foods, and flour.
- Avoid foods you’re sensitive to. One of the most common symptoms of eating a food that’s incompatible with your system is lower energy and less-sharp thinking. Keep a food journal and track of any foods you don’t thrive on. If it’s hard to determine, consider doing an elimination diet or elemental diet (powdered, hypoallergenic meal replacement) to clean out and then systematically reintroduce foods.
- Eat in a slow, relaxed, conscious way. Unlike filling up your gas tank, which you want to be as fast as possible, eating isn’t merely a “fill up” – it’s also a way to tune in, to savor, to be grateful, and to consciously nourish your mind-body. There can be a vast qualitative difference between a rushed meal you barely pay attention to versus one you enjoy to the fullest. Get media out of the eating space. Set your stresses aside. Stay connected to the act of eating.
- Stop eating before you’re full. Stop eating before you’re full. Stop eating before you’re full.
- Try bitters. Bitter digestive-stimulating herbs have the dual effect of toning the digestive tract and clearing toxins and phlegm. Bitters as cocktail mixers are experiencing a surge of popularity, so there are more blends available than ever. I recommend a mixture of pure bitters such as gentian, rhubarb root, myrrh, Peruvian bark, goldenseal, yellow dock, barberry, or Oregon grape root with some aromatic carminative spices (promoting assimilation), such as citrus peel, anise, fennel, caraway, cardamom, or ginger. Take a squirt before and/or after each meal in a little water.
- Move a little after meals. A walk is perfect. This helps promote assimilation.
- If you need extra support, consider a good digestive enzyme blend. These supplement what your pancreas produces (and won’t cause your body to produce less) and help in the breakdown of food for better absorption. There are many good products out there. Two of my favorites are DigestZymes made by Designs for Health and Digest made by Transformation Enzymes. Take some at the beginning of each meal. Sometimes they make a remarkable difference.
Interestingly, the connection between digestion and mental function works both ways. Not only can impaired digestion contribute to diminished cognitive function, mental and emotional disturbances can also contribute to poor digestion. Worry, in particular, is considered taxing to the digestive mechanisms in TCM because it habitually engages the digestive mechanisms as you “chew” on problems. If you can make mealtimes a ritual in which you always take a break from thinking about stressful things, you’ll not only enjoy your food more, you’ll also derive greater benefit from it.
Be well,
Peter
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Bitterness is a taste most of us try to avoid. Expressions such as “bitter enemies” and “a bitter pill to swallow ” show how averse we are to this flavor. We greatly prefer the other three primary flavors – nearly everything Americans eat is a combination of sweet, salty, and sour. These are sometimes accented with spiciness or “piquancy” and the rich quality known as umami. (Umami is a harder taste experience to describe, but it’s often translated as a “savory” or mushroomy quality, and it is the specific enhancement imparted by MSG.)
Perhaps we dislike bitterness in part because it’s the flavor our taste buds are most sensitive to. Compared to our perception of saltiness, sweetness, and sourness, we can pick up an infinitesimal degree of bitterness in food or drink. This is probably a useful adaptation, since many poisons are bitter. But many medicines are also bitter, and there are certain medicinal qualities that many bitter substances have in common. I believe that consuming moderate amounts of bitter foods is a healthy thing. It also provides a vital balance to our relative overconsumption of the other flavors.
In the ancient healing systems of China and India the therapeutic properties of foods and herbs are thought to derive largely from the flavors they possess. The flavors themselves are considered to be energetic characteristics that affect the body far beyond our perception of them at the tongue. Textbooks of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda will often state that a certain herb has a certain therapeutic action because it has a certain flavor and an affinity for a certain part of the body.
Sweetness, for instance, is seen in TCM as having a nourishing and consolidating effect on our energy. This is why so many comfort foods are sweet, and most naturally sweet foods (like rice and bananas) tend to be easy on the digestion. But by the same token, too much consolidation can have a clogging effect. This makes us pack on the pounds – especially around our bellies – when we eat too much sugar, and it also makes us feel ill the day after Halloween.
Spiciness or pungency, by comparison, has an opening or expansive energy. It promotes movement, gets our blood flowing, warms us up. And it may even open our pores and sinuses – causing us to sweat and feel clearer in the head. Sourness has a moistening and astringent effect. This is why sour drinks often seem even more thirst quenching than water alone.
Bitterness has a descending or draining energy. Bitter herbs often help drain and clear excesses from our system. Many bitter herbs are detoxifying, and they often promote urination or bowel movement. Bitter herbs frequently act on the liver and gallbladder to promote bile production and secretion. Bile is essential for the digestion of fats, including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Bile also stimulates the bowels and kills some bacteria that may be present in our food. These effects are especially useful after overconsumption of rich foods.
The stomach is understood in Chinese medicine as having a downward directionality. That is, it receives food from the esophagus above, and, after working on it with its gastric juices, should send it down to the intestines. When the stomach isn’t functioning properly, because of illness, overeating, stress, food sensitivity, or eating too fast, the stomach’s contents may fail to descend, or may even go upward instead. When it goes up, it’s called “stomach Qi [energy] counter-flow” or “stomach Qi rebellion.” Examples are acid reflux (heartburn), belching, nausea and vomiting, bloating, hiccups, dizziness, and just plain feeling yucky in the middle and upper body. Because of their descending and draining qualities and their action on bile production/secretion, bitter foods and herbs are often very helpful for these conditions.
There is just a small handful of bitter things an American is likely to encounter. Two of the most common are beer (in which the bitterness comes from hops flowers, which are used to offset the otherwise overly sweet taste of grain malt) and coffee (which we usually de-bitter by adding milk and/or sugar). Unfortunately, these are not the healthiest of bitter medicines, though I do believe they can have some benefits. Nearly all leafy greens have some degree of bitterness, especially arugula, endive (escarole), chicory, and young dandelion greens. These are excellent, though fairly mild, bitter medicines. Coffee (usually as espresso) and salad are often consumed after meals in Europe to stimulate digestion.
Stronger bitter herbs are usually encountered only in preparations made specifically to highlight their bitterness. These are used in alcoholic beverages and as after-meal digestifs. Gentian root is the classic bitter herb. It is used to produce Angostura bitters, originally prescribed for sea sickness and stomach problems, and now an ingredient in several mixed drinks. Herbalists of the European and American naturopathic traditions consider gentian and other bitter herbs to have the ability not just to stimulate gastric activity, but to improve the tone and function of the digestive system.
Rudolf Weiss, a famous German doctor and pioneer in herbal medicine, said of gentian, “A pure bitter (the bitter taste is detectable even at a dilution of 1 part in 20,000). Stimulates gastric secretions and motility and improves tone. It is active as soon as it is absorbed through the mouth’s mucus membranes.” The old school American herbalist, John Christopher, said gentian is “one of the most valuable bitter tonics and best strengtheners of the human system.” He called its effect “invigorating.” When used to invigorate the digestive system (as opposed to promoting digestion after a big meal), a squirt of gentian tincture is typically taken in water 20 to 60 minutes before eating.
Quinine, which comes from cinchona bark (a South American tree), is famous as the first effective treatment for malaria. It’s intensely bitter and it shares some medicinal properties with gentian and other bitters. The bitterness of quinine is the standard to which all other bitter substances are compared.
Quinine is most often encountered in tonic water, which goes very well with a wedge of lime and some good gin. Cinchona (AKA Peruvian bark) has attracted some attention recently because it’s the distant source of the contentious COVID treatment hydroxychloroquine. However, this herb and its derivatives all possess a certain degree of toxicity. The amount of quinine in tonic water is strictly regulated for this reason, and there have been a few unfortunate deaths from over-zealous users of the related substance chloroquine.
Citrus peel is a wonderful bitter agent. It can be used fresh, extracted in alcohol, or dried and aged and taken as a powder or tea. Fruity and floral tones make it more interesting and less of a pure bitter than gentian or quinine. Any citrus peel can be used. Common fruits used for bitters include lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, bitter orange, and grapefruit. A delicious example is the famous Italian limoncello, a liqueur made from Sorrento lemon peel (or whole lemons).
Other common bitters include barberry root bark, goldenseal root, rhubarb root, artichoke leaf, cascarilla bark, wormwood leaf, yarrow flowers, and more. Over 20 years ago, when I was a novice herbalist, I had a friend who had gradually developed nausea, bloating, and a poor appetite. Most foods made her feel worse. At the time, I was focused on barberry and suggested that she might try some. I didn’t speak to her for a while after that, but a few months later she reported, “I love barberry! It fixed me!” She had been taking it as a tea twice a day and not only were her digestive symptoms gone, she also felt strong and vital in way she hadn’t experienced since childhood.
A wide range of aromatic herbs may be combined with bitters to enhance their effect when used to soothe the digestive tract. Mint, anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, ginger, and thyme are some common ones. These bitters and aromatics are available in a vast array of commercial preparations, most of which originate in Europe. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in bitters in the United States, with boutique manufacturers popping up alongside thriving foodie cultures.
Consider broadening your taste horizons, or at least offsetting your sweet, sour, and salty consumption with a bit of bitter. See if you feel lighter than usual after dinner if you have something bitter. Even if your taste buds don’t love it, your body might.
Share with us about your experience with bitter foods and herbs in the comments section.
Be well,
Peter
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This was fascinating! Thank you very much. Question: When you prepare your jook on the thermos for overnight cooking, do you add the eggs, too? Do you refrigerate the whole thing? Do you warm it up in the morning? I like to add blueberries or strawberries to my oatmeal, and I don’t use any sweetener. What do you think of berries?
what is in the picture above? Oats with s piece dried apple? is there a recipe you can share?
Thanks for this video! I put my grains, healthy fat, a pinch of salt, spices, dates or raisins, etc. in the bowl of my rice cooker at night, then drop it in and turn it on in the morning. It cooks while I get ready for the day, then I top it with nuts, chopped apples, shredded coconut, or other fruits. Yummy and filling!
You are speaking my language!!! I am going to start this over night. The nicest aspect to visiting Vancouver had to have been the congees on the breakfast table at the hotels! These are written in a book called Healing with Whole Foods by Pritchard, but you got me to set my congee up to cook over night, with some jujube! Good Qi!
Thanks! I’ve been eating a porridge made of chia, banana, and dates or prunes. The ideas you offered are a good addition on my morning recipes. I’m especially looking forward to trying the thermos method. I think this may be a good take-along for my morning hike in the woods.
I am one of those who loves oatmeal but always feels hungry way before lunch. Thanks for the tips.