Tip top tummy teas

2 mins to read

Herbal teas are simple, inexpensive and surprisingly effective. They also provide an enjoyable tummy warming ritual where you can't help but feel that you're doing something good for yourself. By Naturopath Kathryn Terrill.

Digestive health

Most modern naturopaths and herbalists appreciate the value of herbal teas and commonly prescribe them to their patients. The good news is that many of these herbs are easily available in health food stores, some pharmacies and other natural product retailers. Some retailers may have ready made loose teas for digestive health, but if you can create your own mix, you can be more specific in your therapeutic target.

Nothing beats a dash of spice for digestive health, so don’t be afraid to add a few common cooking spices into the mix too. The key is to find good quality herbs and spices. Organically grown is always best. All you need to do is throw a generous pinch per cup of each ingredient into a tea pot or plunger, add boiled water and let it stand for 5-10 mins. Then just sit back, sip and enjoy!

Here are some examples of simple tailor-made tea blends and their benefits.

Bugged by flatulence and bloating?

The herbal rescue team is on the way. Try this warm and spicy blend on for size.

Fennel seeds – are great for warming and relaxing the digestive tract and are commonly used to ease flatulence. Warming herbs are of benefit if general digestive sluggishness is an issue, and with their pleasant aniseed flavour, fennel seeds are a welcome addition to any herbal tea mix.

Caraway seeds – are thought to be one of the most reliable and powerful removers of accumulated gases in the digestive tract.

Ginger - Grating fresh ginger into this mix is the way to go. Use a small knob the size of the tip of your thumb per cup. Ginger is an excellent gastrointestinal tonic and helps to relax the muscles that trap gas in the intestines.

Concerned with pain and cramping?

Peppermint – you can’t go past the fresh minty taste of peppermint. It’s easily available and can do wonders for settling nausea and a pain in the tummy by reducing spasming in the bowel and colon.

Cardamom – Use good quality cardamom pods and crush them gently before throwing them in the teapot. You will only need 2-3 per cup. Cardamom is helpful for abdominal pain and distension.

Angelica root – This member of the parsley family is excellent for soothing overactivity and pain and spasm of the intestines. This combined with its pleasant flavour makes it a good one to pick up from your local health food store.

Too stressed to eat?

Chamomile – is a classic calming herb, but it also has a few more tricks up its sleeve. In the digestive tract, chamomile is a ‘bitter stimulant’ which helps to stimulate digestive secretions. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Lemon balm – is a delight for the senses! It has a beautiful fresh lemon flavour and scent, and has the dual benefits of being a nervous system relaxant and digestive remedy. It has many similar digestive benefits to chamomile.

Lavender – gives a beautiful purple colouring to your tea making it pleasing to the eye. This isn’t where its usefulness stops, though. Lavender is a mild sedative and also has a bile stimulating effect.