Support & Soothe Your Gut

There are just so many opportunities to indulge this time of year!  Unfortunately most of the options are laden with gluten, dairy, and lots and lots of sugar.  All of these things can be challenging to digest, even if you don't have a true sensitivity or allergy.  It takes a LOT of work for your digestive system to process stuff that is processed.  I would argue that is actually what is behind "flu season," which in my mind actually translates to "asking way too much of your body."  The stress, staying up later, rushing around, and eating less than optimal food all suppress the immune system...and having your defenses down rolls out the red carpet for anything you might be exposed to (or even for your own internal "bugs" to come out and "play").

Personally, I gave-up the food indulgences years ago (because it makes a huge difference in how I feel), but I fully engage in the rest of it...stress, doing way too much, staying up too late.  I am not immune to the impact this has, and my weak place has always been my digestion.  Though I have nailed down some solid ways to troubleshoot digestive flare-ups, I am still working on fully healing my gut.  This is priority #1, because let's not forget that more than 70% of our immune system resides in our gut.  Without a solid foundation there health conditions, such as auto-immune illnesses, can take root.

Thankfully I have learned many gentle and herbal solutions to soothe my system.  I am very grateful to my grandmother and cousin for introducing me to herbal tea at a very young age.  It is something that I started drinking daily, almost intuitively.  Mint was always my go-to, and now I have an understanding of how it helps digestion.

I can't imagine life without tea!  I am always on the lookout for new blends, and just like my shampoo/conditioner shelf, I have a cabinet dedicated to my teas, herbs, and powders.

A glimpse at my tea collection

There are all sorts of digestive teas out there, but I had never found one quite like "Tummy Coat" by Flying Bird Botanicals.  It is a very unique and well thought out gut brew.  In Ayurveda they believe that Fennel, Coriander, Cumin, and Cardamom are among some of the very most important herbs for digestion, and I happen to agree.  Then more classically I had learned about Chamomile, Lavender, Licorice, and the ever important Marshmallow Root.  "Tummy Coat" combines some herbs from both groups, and I like that it actually leaves out Licorice.  I went through a period of time where I drank Licorice tea everyday, which resulted in elevated blood pressure (it is important to use the deglycerolized version, or DGL, to avoid this problem), so I try not to drink anything that has it as an ingredient more than once or twice a week.

"Tummy Coat" has all Organic ingredients (which is a must in my book) that are grown in the USA.  I picked this tea up at a local natural foods store, and it was $2 cheaper than from the company's website.  You can also just buy the bulk herbs from a trustworthy source (like an herbalist or Mountain Rose Herbs) and put together your own!  Here is the full list of ingredients:

Organic Marshmallow Root, Organic Fennel, Organic Chamomile Flowers, Organic Raspberry Leaf, Organic Coriander, Organic Lemon Balm, Organic Lemongrass, Organic Lavender

(And I like to throw in 1/4 teaspoon of Slippery Elm powder to really add to the gut soothing power!)

"Tummy Coat" canister & tea bag, with my baggie of Slippery Elm in the background

Since energy is needed to digest food, create new cells, and fight germs, then you need to treat yourself like the very valuable machine you are.  It isn't always a bad thing to partake in all the season has to offer, but you need to be prepared with ways to care for yourself and recharge the "energy" you depleted.  That way you can feel your best and be fully present for ALL festivities!  Hopefully this tea will calm any sort of repercussions you might feel from overindulging, as well as keep your gut in tip-top shape no matter what.  I am sure I will be sharing some more tea faves before the New Year!