Age…and Digest Tea

“White hair is a crown of glory and is seen most among the godly.” (Proverbs 16:31)

Ever since I broke the habit of rising at 3:30 each day to write, I’ve been struggling to get back to that schedule. If I don’t write this blog early in the a.m., it usually doesn’t happen. And 3:30 leaves me a few hours for blogging, working on my book, some yoga and prayer before the farm starts clamoring for breakfast. However, it’s a tough schedule to maintain even under the best of circumstances.

This morning?

A 2:00 a.m. attack of acid reflux, which triggered an asthma attack, which had me running to the bathroom because I’m rapidly becoming one of those ladies that pees when she sneezes, wheezes or coughs, of which I was batting 2 out of 3. Middle age is starting to peek over the horizon in the rearview mirror.

Welcome to the silver years!

After relieving myself, I attempted to go back to bed. 2 a.m. is a bit early even for me. But acid reflux continued to rage and then, alas, hot flashes, too. Ay caramba! I got back up a little after 3 after tossing and turning, burning and flashing, brewed a cuppa my favorite Chai tea (of which I’m wondering if the herbalist should’ve elected to brew her digest tea instead of being so much of a creature of habit…) and voila! And, while I may have given the recipe for my digest tea in an earlier post, it’s one that is worth repeating for any who may have missed it.

Digest tea is made with equal parts Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare). I typically use a tablespoon each of the dried herbs. Then add about 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon of ginger and just a pinch of cardamom. All are excellent digestive aids.

Chamomile is an excellent brew all by itself for digestive complaints. It relieves diarrhea, abdominal cramping (antispasmodic), flatulence, colic in babies and, when used in conjunction with these other herbs and spices, tends to calm my acid reflux. It is also good for menstrual cramps, nervousness and insomnia (Tierra, pp. 110-111, 1998).

During my tenure in living history, I learned that both fennel seeds and caraway seeds used to be candied and placed on the dinner table to alleviate gas and the abdominal pains that often come with eating certain foods, or overindulging. Though caraway seeds could easily be substituted, I prefer the slight licorice-y taste of the fennel seeds. Fennel is also good for treating colic and can be used as an expectorant to help expel excess mucus. It is often used in “herb formulas containing strong laxatives to prevent griping” (Tierra, pp. 76-77, 1998).

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is, in my opinion anyway, a herbal powerhouse. It is good for anything pertaining to the stomach, intestines, and for the circulatory system. It relieves nausea (which often comes with acid reflux) and indigestion. Combined with honey and lemon, it soothes sore throats and helps promote sweating in the treatment of colds and flus. It works well as a natural pain reliever for muscle and joint pain, including the pain that accompanies arthritis.

Lastly, cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is another carminative, which means it relieves gas and acid reflux. It has a warming effect on the body and helps to relive diarrhea, colic and headaches.

These four herbs combined not only relieve my acid reflux and help with all things digestive, they also taste delicious. It’s one of the few herbal teas that I can drink without any sweetening, though I often add a spot of honey, which can have a soothing effect of its own on the digestive tract.

When making any herbal tea, you want the water hot, not boiling. I tend to bring my water just to a boil, turn it off and let it sit for about 5 minutes before pouring it over the dried herbs. If the water is too hot, it will destroy the medicinal properties of the herbs. Cover the mug, or tea pot, and allow the herbs to steep for about 20 minutes. Strain and enjoy! If using honey, I typically add it to the cup right after I pour the water over the herbs and allow it to steep along with the herbs.

A word of caution: Avoid using any plastic vessels or nonstick cookware as they may leach into your tea. Cast iron may also adversely affect your brew. And never use the microwave! I use stainless steel pans and kettles for all of my herbs, and ceramic mugs/tea pots for brewing.

As both cardamom and ginger are two of the herbs used to make Chai tea, maybe I’m not so far off with my favorite brew this morning after all but, I’m also thinking maybe I should start incorporating a cup of digest tea before meals…instead of hoping I’ll remember at 2 a.m. when acid reflux is already wreaking havoc. As much as I am enjoying watching the sunrise and hearing the opening chorus of wild birds and pet roosters, acid reflux would definitely fall under the heading of a “rude awakening”.

May God bless you & keep you!

The FDA has not evaluated these statements. This blog post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

REFERENCES

Tierra, Michael (1998). The Way of Herbs. Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York, NY.