Soothe and Improve Daily Digestion

SOOTHE AND IMPROVE DAILY DIGESTION

For such a natural process, why do so many of us suffer from poor digestion?

In my line of work, I talk to people on the daily about digestive issues. It really does seem that many of us are struggling to adequately break down, digest and absorb our food.

There are so many factors that interfere with good digestion (& elimination). Some of the most common are:

• Eating the ‘wrong’ foods – and we all know what they are right?! The highly processed, carbohydrate rich, high trans fats, sugary junk foods which are pretty much indigestible and highly inflammatory to our body. I might add they are often the foods that are cleverly marketed and very visible in our community’s and in our supermarkets. Not only do they upset our digestion and gut microbiome but can play havoc with our mental health, and lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
• Overeating is a thing! – often in a response to our ‘supersize’ food culture, stress and anxiety, we can easily overfill our body with too much food. Also, eating often and late at night compromises our gut’s ability to efficiently digest and detox.
• Lack of regular exercise – couch potatoes won’t digest their spuds! did you know that exercise and gravity can help food travel through your digestive system? Don’t worry, you don’t have to run marathons – in fact, better digestion is achieved through low and moderate exercise.
• Eating on the run – not actually eating whilst running but mindlessly filling your mouth while distracted or busy often leads to overeating, gas, bloating and indigestion. It’s a common belief that it can take 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. If you are not focused on slowly eating a meal, then you can easily overeat.

That’s enough ‘telling off’ – for general support of everyday digestion it’s certainly an achievable goal for you to adjust and minimise the factors mentioned above.

Here’s some of my favourite herbal teas that can soothe and improve daily digestion:

• The Minty fresh taste of peppermint and spearmint teas are a popular choice for aiding digestion. These easy to grow and commonly available teas are part of the carminative family, that improves digestion and relieves flatulence and colic (burping).
• Lemony tasting teas such as Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena assist digestion especially if you are feeling stressed or anxious. They are great before bed to wind you down for sleep.
• Calming Chamomile flower tea is an oldie but a goodie when it comes to digestive help. The soothing constituents in this mildly pleasant tasting tea, relaxes body and mind.
• Spicy additions to add a digestive Zing to your cuppa include herbs and spices like ginger root, lemon grass, fennel, aniseed and cinnamon.
• Lastly, the bitters family are exceptionally good at stimulating digestion, detoxification and elimination by supporting gastrointestinal organ function. I love using dandelion root, burdock, chicory root and milk thistle seeds.

As you can see, nature understands the importance of good digestion and has provided many wonderful calming, soothing digestive tonic herbs for us to enjoy ‘on the daily’.

Find many of the herbs mentioned in this blog in sunray apothecary’s store, try a blended digestive tea or craft your own from the helpful selection of single herbs. Ask a herbalist if you need some advice.

Nb: this blog is focused on improving general digestive discomfort. It is recommended that you consult with your healthcare practitioner before you try any herbs, or if you are suffering from a gastrointestinal condition.