Wow - I Ate All That! Teas for Digestion and Chinese Herbal Medicine to the Rescue This Thanksgiving!

Three things come to mind when I think of Thanksgiving 

1. Delicious Food
2. TV Show Marathons 
3. Food Coma  

The first two are easy - what's not to love about delicious food and watching TV with friends and family. Its the food coma and all that comes with it that I do my best to avoid each year.

On Thanksgiving Day, we are actually encouraged to stuff ourselves and certainly one day a year, such indulgence can’t do us too much harm.  For many, these temporary feelings goes away by the next day once our body has dealt with it. But sometimes a bout of overeating can create problems that stay around for days or even weeks.  In Chinese medicine indigestion due to overeating is termed as "food stagnation". 

Symptoms of Food Stagnation: 

• Aversion to food and the smell of food 
• Acid Reflux
• Belching
• Sour regurgitation
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Shortness of Breath
• Abdominal fullness, pain, and tenderness
• Lethargy and fatigue

                                                      Bao He Wan Saves The Day

This inexpensive Chinese herbal formula translated as preserve the harmony pill can help ease the bloating, cramping, heartburn, or other forms of indigestion that usually accompany large, rich meals.  

Sound too good to be true?  It's really not.  Here's how it works - Bao He Wan contains herbs that help the body's digestive system break down meats, grains, and fats; stimulating peristalsis, which is the abdominal movement that keeps food moving through the digestive tract properly.  You'll feel good enough to get out for a healthy, post Thanksgiving walk (I strongly recommend this).

If Bao He Wan sounds like something you'd be interested in for this Thanksgiving or for other big meals this holiday season (or anytime!) - give me a call today at (510) 210-3822 or schedule online to come in for an herbal consultation!  

                                                        Teas for Digestions
But chances are, you won't have an acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist in the house Thanksgiving day.  So, what to do? Below are a few different teas your can probably stock up on at your local grocer.

• Fennel seed - Fennel is my go-to herb for gas and bloating. Have you ever seen bowls of fennel near the door at Indian restaurants? That's because it helps it prevents or relieves gas. Fennel stimulates the flow of bile and relaxes the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, helping food and gas to pass though our system.

• Peppermint - Peppermint also relaxes the digestive muscles, allowing gas to move and relieving pain from cramping. In Europe, mint has a long history of use in digestives. Recently several studies have shown that peppermint may be helpful for those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. (Note: Peppermint may be irritating to those with gastroesophogeal reflux disease or GERD.)

• Ginger - Ginger stimulates the flow of saliva, bile, and gastric secretions and aids the movement of food through the digestive tract. I like using dried ginger pieces in teas because they're easy to blend and store, but you can also use fresh ginger if you have it on hand.

• Chamomile - Chamomile helps to relax muscle spasms, including the smooth muscles of the intestines. Its bitter flavor also stimulates the release of the body's natural digestive enzymes. In addition, chamomile has the ability to relax and calm the nerves, which can be most helpful when you don't feel well.

• Green Tea - Green tea may be beneficial for digestion because of substances it contains called polyphenols, including catechins. A study published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in 2005 found that catechins from green tea increase the activity of pepsin, the digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins in the stomach. Although black tea comes from the same plant, it is more processed than green tea and doesn't have as high a catechin content, so it may not have the same beneficial effect on digestion.
  

                                                         Tummy Soothing Tea

• 1 teaspoon dried chamomile flowers
  
• 1 teaspoon dried peppermint leaves
  
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cut ginger pieces (not ground)
  
• 8 ounces boiling water
  
• Honey to taste (optional)
  

Combine the chamomile, fennel, ginger, and peppermint in a tea pot or mug. Pour boiling water over. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain tea, then sweeten with honey, if desired.

The recipe below is for a single serving, but you could also make a big batch of the dry tea blend and store it in a jar for easy access.

Considerations

While teas are generally safe, not all herbal teas are safe for everyone. Some herbal teas, such as those made with dandelion, chamomile, black cohosh or dried ginger, may not be safe during pregnancy. 

Peppermint tea may not be a good idea for people with reflux or those taking blood pressure or diabetes medications, and ginger should be avoided by those using blood thinners or blood pressure or diabetes medications. Avoid dandelion tea if you take diuretics, blood thinners or diabetes medications.