So many of the herbs and substances that are used in Chinese medicine are easily sourced food items, which means you can incorporate so much Chinese medicine into your day to day life. One of those easily sourced items that we use in Chinese herbology is fennel seed or xiao hui xiang. Fennel seeds have a host of uses and are regularly included in herbal formulas for digestive disorders and hormonal imbalances. They are warm in nature, acrid and enter the Spleen, Stomach and Liver channels. What does that mean, well it warms your digestive tract to aid in digestion, reduce nausea and stop bloating. They relax the intestines to ease cramping and have diuretic properties to help with excess water elimination. With a mild licorice flavor and gentle bitterness they make a perfect herb to end your meal with. Besides the impact of fennel seeds on digestion, they have both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects which make them great for hormone balancing, especially for estrogen dominant disorders such as PMS, breast lumps or painful periods.
So here's my tip, a post-meal digestive tea. This tea will help your body digest food and absorb nutrients. It will aid in reducing fullness and cramping. You can even make up your own little tea bags to give to guests as gifts or make in a large kettle to serve after dinner. You can also find fennel tea bags at many grocery stores, health food stores and apothecaries.
Fennel Seed Digestive Tea
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 tsp grated ginger, dried is fine, but will be hard to strain, crystalized will add a sweetness to the tea
1/2 tsp dried mint
Place herbs in tea strainer, steep for 10 minutes and sip on it after a delicious and satisfying meal.
**All information and resources found on balancedstonewellness.com are based on the opinions, experience and research of the author unless otherwise noted. All information is intended to motivate readers to make their own nutrition and health decisions after consulting with their health care provider...even if that provider may be the author ;)
Comentários