Many people are gathering next week for the holidays and for a lot of us that means both digestive and emotional troubles. Holiday events could mean eating foods you usually avoid, but you might let it slide because it’s the holidays. It also might mean seeing people you usually avoid, but you are going to let it slide because it’s the holidays. Good news for us, a lot of our “brain” lives in our guts, so we can actually tackle these issues with many of the same herbs! Let’s start with gut-specific options, since a happy gut will help us better process stress hormones too.
Starting right after you read this, start protecting your gut lining so that foods you’re letting in “just this once” don’t irritate existing irritations or leaky gut issues. If this is something that happens a lot for you, you might consider options like:
- ION Biome Gut Support: supports cells of the gut lining directly with humic extract and heals damage from both gluten and glyphosates
- Vital Gut Renew: contains L-Glutamine, Aloe Vera inner filet, N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine, DGL, Marshmallow root, Ginger root
- L-Glutamine amino acid on its own
- Zinc L-Carnosine – especially well suited when people have a history of ulcers
- Glycine amino acid – protects mucosal lining of the gut and protects the nervous system as well.
- A quality probiotic, taken twice a day the week before the big day.
Make sure not to overlook that supporting vitamin D levels is incredibly important for people with gut issues. Vitamin D is essential to regulating inflammation in the gut, maintaining cellular function in the gut lining, and improving the microbiome. People who face issues such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are consistently shown to have lower levels of vitamin D, generally in the range of 20ng/mL. Dosages of 2,000-5,000IU are most often used in clinical studies on encouraging remission of symptoms with vitamin D supplementation.
On to the herbs! There are many herbal actions we can work with to support the gut. I’m going to focus on the actions of:
- Aromatics, which bring blood flow to the gut because of their warming oils, encourage secretion digestive juices, and also act as carminatives aka herbs that relax tension and spasm, and dispel agas from the gut. Aromatics also bring joy and pleasure to the mug and help us to achieve the most important goal – actually drinking the whole pot. Many aromatics have mood uplifting benefits as well.
- Vulneraries, or would healers of the gut lining. Did you know that any edible herb that is also used to support our skin’s health, can also be drunk as a tea to support the healing of the skin of the gut lining. Some vulneraries have an astringent quality which help to pull cells closer together and reinforce proteins in the cells of the gut lining, assisting with the tight junctions we are seeking when addressing leaky gut.
- Demulcents, or slippery soothing herbs which support the mucosal lining of the gut, cool sensations of heat, and soothe irritation of acid reflux into the esophagus. These herbs extract especially well if left to steep overnight, consider making a big batch to sip throughout the next day if you want to focus here and really get the most slippery cooling result.
- Bitters do a huge range of things for us including always encouraging liver functions, including promoting healthy bile flow, essential if we expect ourselves to digest more fat than usual at a holiday meal. No judgment at all with eating more fats, but our guts will benefit from bitters to encourage enough juices to break those fats down so our guts don’t feel so heavy. If you are more concerned about eating more sugar than you’d like, bitters are your friend too as they both help curb cravings and rebalance blood sugar spikes. Bitters also communicate to our nervous systems to switch out of reactive and into digestive mode, meaning they always have some benefit to our calm during a meal. Some are more notably calming.
Here’s some of my favorite options in each category. Each of these herbs have a multitude of qualities and may be more appropriate for you than others. Many have overlap in multiple actions.
Aromatics (if you can smell it, it’s a valid aromatic, use your imagination!)
- Tulsi aka Holy Basil
- Lemon balm*
- Lavender*
- Catnip*
- Peppermint or spearmint*
- Citrus peel, also bitter
- Ginger
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Fennel seed
- Chamomile, also vulnerary and bitter
*Many mint family plants such as these have bitter properties to varying degrees if left to steep for a longer time.
Vulneraries
- Calendula, also slightly aromatic and bitter
- Yarrow, also aromatic and bitter
- Chamomile, also aromatic and bitter
- Mullein, both astringent and demulcent
- Rose petals, also bitter in larger quantities
Demulcents
- Marshmallow root
- Slippery elm
- Linden
- Mullein
- Fenugreek, also highly aromatic and slightly bitter
- Licorice root or DGL if blood pressure is a concern
- Aloe Vera inner leaf
Bitters
- Burdock
- Dandelion
- Motherwort
- Gentian, very strong, always blended
- Wood Betony
- Yarrow
- Calendula
- Rose, steeped long
Bitters may be better suited in a tincture for convenience and flavor. Consider carrying a bitters blend in a spray or pump bottle in your pocket or on the dinner table. We carry a prepared option by Urban Moonshine, but you can decant any blend into one of our empty bottles too. See my recipe at the bottom for “Bittersweet Mood” Aromatic Bitters.
Consult one of the herbal references in the sources, your local herbalist, or one of our wellness staff to discuss which ones might be best for you, or experiment by picking one or two of each! Trust your gut.
You could start with this highly adaptable gut heal recipe that is designed to support both peace in the mind and gut.
- 1 part Linden
- 1 part Mullein**
- Half part Tulsi Holy Basil
- Half part Lemon Balm
- Half part Calendula flowers**
- Half part Chamomile
- Half part Cardamom seeds, crushed
**If these herbs are very dry they will become incredibly light, use your best judgment if it looks like too much volume when weighed.
A simplified version that includes all necessary actions could be simply Mullein, Tulsi, and Calendula, with Linden added if additional calming and soothing demulcency is needed. Play around and have fun!
I like to make a batch with 1 part = 1 ounce so it can be on hand for the holidays and easily shared with all. Keep in mind amounts can be approximated and adjusted to your tastes and needs. This is the approximate ratio I like to work with, using a higher dosage of gentle demulcent herbs.
Prepare with hot water but leave to steep at least until cool or overnight if more demulcent action is needed.
Serving suggestion: large teapot or iced tea carafe on the dining table at all holidays
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“Bittersweet Mood” Aromatic Bitters Elixir
Makes a 2oz (60mL) pump or spray bottle.
- 10mL (2 tsp) Tulsi glycerite
- 10mL (2 tsp) Rose glycerite
- 10 mL (2 tsp) Ginger glycerite
- 10mL (2 tsp) Motherwort tincture
- 10mL (2 tsp) Yarrow tincture
- 10mL (2 tsp) Wood Betony tincture
This recipe is designed for protection of the impacts of stress on our guts, and for protecting us from our guts stressing us out. Lean on this blend in challenging social, emotional, and digestive moments. These herbs were all chosen for their empowering actions on the body and mind.
This recipe is good for beginners with bitters and for pocket use since the taste is sweetened. Dosage depends on personal constitution, take as needed.
Can be simplified down by blending smaller combinations such as Tulsi:Motherwort:Rose to protect your heart and boundaries, or Ginger:Yarrow:Wood Betony for something empowering and warming yet protective and grounding.
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Wishing you all a delightful, and digestible, holiday season!
We are not doctors. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. There are no state or federal authorities in the U.S. that license herbalists. The staff at Blue Hill Co-op do not prescribe, offer medical opinions, or practice medicine. Please reach out to your primary care provider or seek emergency support if you require medical care.
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For more information on herbs:
Henriette’s Herbal Homepage
Commonwealth School of Holistic Herbalism
Herbs with Rosalee, with Rosalee de la Forȇt
On Vitamin D:
On Glycine:
On Zinc L-Carnosine:
On L-Glutamine:
On Demulcents Specifically:
On ION Biome Gut Support (third party studies):
