The festive period is over, but all that alcohol, rich food and over eating has taken its toll leaving a lot of us feeling sluggish, congested and bloated.

Here are some simple things you can do to improve your digestion.

Start the day with a large glass of warm water

Dehydration can cause poor digestion, poor circulation and fatigue.  Drinking a large glass of warm water as soon as you wake up helps to cleanse the bowels and flush the urinary tract. It is much better to drink warm or hot water, as cold water will douse the digestive fire.

Take ginger before meals

To stimulate digestion eat a little ginger, lemon and salt before meals.

Cut a thin slice of fresh, peeled ginger and chop finely

Add a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt

Eat some fennel seeds after meals

Fennel aids digestion, eases gas and bloating, and also freshens the breath.  Chew on a teaspoon of seeds after meals.

Digestive boosting tea

This is a very simple tea to make, which helps to improve nutrient absorption, helps to flush toxins out of the body and stimulates the lymphatic system.

Make a large flask to sip on throughout the day

• ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon of coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds

Eat mindfully

Eat in a quiet location free from distractions. Do not watch TV, read or use your mobile phone when eating.  Pay attention to your food, to the tastes, to chewing properly and eating slowly

Always eat sitting down

Sitting down relaxes the digestive tract, helps us to eat mindfully and enhances the enjoyment of the food.

Don’t eat when upset

Eating when stressed increases the likelihood of digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux.

Avoid cold food and drinks

Cold food and drinks cool the digestive fire making it harder for the body to digest and assimilate nutrients.  One of the kindest things you can do for yourself is to ditch cold food and drinks in favour of warming ones instead.

Don’t eat until the preceding meal has been digested

Continuous eating means the digestive system is never able to properly process the food you have eaten.

If you are suffering with a chronic digestive issue such as IBS, Chron’s Disease, Colitis etc then herbal medicine and naturopathy would be of great benefit to you.  There is a huge amount that can be done though nutrition, lifestyle changes and individualized herbal treatments to correct the underlying imbalance and return you to full health.  Please contact me for more information on how I can help you take control of your health.‘