Herbs before dinner get the spotlight. Bitters are a common way to support the digestive process by stimulating your body to prepare for food. However, herbs can help with bloating, gas, nausea and the "stuffed" feeling from eating too much or indulging in rich foods.
Mint's carminative properties aid in easing bloating, dispelling gas, calming cramps and soothing overall indigestion. It even helps to refresh your breath!
While a tea seems most ideal, that soothing warm liquid juxtaposed to the cooling menthol effect, it isn't supportive to digestive health to drink much liquid during and especially after meals.
These drops are similar to the throat drops I made for marshmallow month, except that instead of aiding a sore throat, these work as a post-meal restorative. Take two, or whatever your intuition tells you, as a regular tonic or to help when symptoms present themselves.
Making after dinner mint drops is simple. Blend powdered herbs with honey and then roll in more powdered herbs! They store indefinitely so make a big batch to have on hand.
The mint is most certainly the dominant flavor, but the cooling effect plays with the warmth of the ginger for a unique mouth experience. If you prefer a more mellow profile, replace the mint and ginger quantities with one of the other herbs in the blend.
Rolling the drops in orange peel and cardamom add additional digestive supportive herbs, but if you aren't worried about the stimulating properties of cacao, the bitter chocolate flavor is a nice treat.
The other herbs in the blend also support side effects after your meal:
Ginger is warming, a digestive stimulant, and aids nausea, bloating, gas, diarrhea, digestion of fats, cramps and overall indigestion.
Fennel for gas and bloating.
Sage to help digest fats, feelings of fullness, cramps and overall indigestion.
Lemon balm is an aromatic nervine in mint family that aids digestion and soothes nerves and muscles.
Marshmallow coats mucous membranes in the digestive track making it helpful in soothing to stomachaches and symptoms of irritable bowl syndrome or leaky gut syndrome.
If making drops isn't your thing, you still could definitely turn this blend into a tea. Just be sure to make a concentrated tea so you only need to drink a small amount of it to gain benefits.
M A K E
4 tsp mint, powdered
2 tsp ginger, powdered
2 tsp fennel, powdered
2 tsp sage, powdered
2 tsp lemon balm, powdered
2 tsp marshmallow, powdered
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp orange peel, powdered, optional
1/8 tsp cardamom, powdered, optional
1 tsp cacao nibs, powdered, optional
Mix the mint, ginger, fennel, sage, lemon balm and marshmallow powders in a bowl.
Add honey and stir very well until thoroughly combined. After first stirring with a spoon, you may want to use your hands to almost knead it like a dough.
Roll into dime sized balls.
If desired, roll the balls in a mixture of the orange peel and cardamom or the cacao.
Store in a cool dry place.
N O T E S
*It is easy to powder all of these herbs at home with a spice grinder or vitamix. Some may need to be sifted, such as marshmallow, to remove any of the woody bits left after powdering.
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