Staying Well With Digestive Bitters

The Autumn season is fully upon us!  As nature is shifting around us, it is also time to adjust how we treat our own bodies, as we too are a part of nature and her seasons.

According to Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga and a medical practice that is over 3,000 years old, what we do today creates our body for tomorrow.  How we care for ourselves this autumn can help, or hinder, us in the upcoming winter.  

To help strengthen our digestive system as well as our immune system, I am making this digestive tonic for myself and my family.  According to Seraphina Capranos; herbalist, ritualist, and homeopath; by nurturing our digestive health we are also improving our mental health due to increased “uptake and assimilation of nutrients”.

Digestive bitters can:

• Decrease inflammation

• Improve the functioning power of the liver

• Balance blood sugar levels

• Sharpen mental health

• Lay the foundation for immune function.

Seraphina’s Digestive Bitters Recipe with a Twist

You can purchase digestive bitters at The Stinging Nettle, Golden Poppy, Natural Grocers, or Sprouts.  It is so easy to make your own at home too.  Here is an alcohol-free version that is family friendly.  My Ayurvedic doctor, Emily Harrison at Citizens of Nature, recommends eating ginger and turmeric root before meals.

Fill a 500ml  wide-mouthed glass jar half-way with the following ingredients (fresh or dried):

• Dandelion root

• Peppermint leaves

• Fennel seeds

• Orange peel

• Ginger root

• Turmeric root

Pour organic apple cider vinegar over the herbs, bringing the vinegar up to the brim of the jar to ensure the liquid covers all the ingredients.  

Optional: Add some honey to taste.

Make sure to line your jar with wax paper as vinegar corrodes metal lids.

Label and date your jar.  Place in a dark pantry and shake daily for 2 weeks.  Then strain, bottle, and enjoy this amazing natural tonic.  Ingest 1 tsp daily at the beginning of each meal to improve digestion.  This tonic may also help ease upset tummies.  Take straight off the spoon or add it to water or tea.  You can also use it as a vinaigrette! 

Here is to a healthy season, whichever season you are in!