Known as the forgotten flavor of the modern diet, Bitter is often controversial. This little herbalist is happy to see that Bitter is making a comeback as of late- and for great reason.
Bitters are plant extracts used as an additive in cocktails (mocktails in my case) or as a medicinal substance to promote appetite or digestion.
Bitters are taken prior to mealtime to stimulate appetite and support digestion, but in some practices are sipped slowly throughout meal time or taken after a heavy meal.
Tasting the bitter flavor on your tongue strikes the match on the body’s digestive process. When you taste bitter, you often start to salivate. Salivation is more than a reaction, it’s the green light for the biological process that is digestion! The body recognizes that food is coming, and starts to secrete the gastric acids and digestive enzymes that break down food.
I love herbal bitters because they go deeper than just digestive support. Many herbs are bitter in flavor and supportive of various systems, such as the hepatic, lymphatic, skin & nervous systems.
Our newest tincture, Beauty Bitters, is formulated to do just that. This energetically grounding blend of bitter roots encourages a release of top-heavy stress. While pulling us back into our bodies, bitter flavors help to ease the burden of stress responses that mimic fight or flight so we can comfortably exist in rest & digest mode.
Beauty Bitters is a blend of herbs supporting our waste elimination systems (aka these herbs assist in our natural detoxification process). In doing so, we not only lend a helping hand to sluggish or stagnant systems but boost complexion!
Let’s dive into that bit now, shall we?
Our body’s biological processes are always detoxifying and eliminating waste from the body. However, factors like stress, low nutrition, imbalanced consumption, toxic environments (heavy metals, polluted air, smoke etc) & more can reduce the effectiveness of these elimination processes.
Did you feel like your skin suddenly starting freaking out in 2020? You weren’t alone. A lot of the underlying stress people carry with them - whether it be from systematic racism, homophobia, xenophobia, work, family life, the burden of living in late stage capitalism, all of the above or any other stressors - well, this stress was exasperated in 2020 in major ways. Many of the things people had been attempting to hold at bay came crashing down, and the onslaught of stress seemed to wreak havoc on many people’s complexions.
Stress negatively impacts our biological functions- particularly digestion. Even low boiling stress can interfere in a balanced body. Bitters are like the swiss army knife of herbs. They can support stress, digestion, liver & complexion all in one. They help us ground into our bodies, slip into rest & digest, and ease stress related tension- a truly holistic approach to supporting the body. It doesn't hurt that supporting skin comes from supporting everything else!
Digestion impacts liver function, and the liver is responsible for numerous biological processes- one of which includes balancing hormones. Bitters can be a great addition into a protocol to support liver in balancing hormones.
5th Dimensions’s Beauty Bitters alcohol-free, vegan, gluten-free tincture calls on herbs such as Dandelion Root, Angelica Root, Ginger Root, Yellow Dock Root & Gentian Root. Together, this blend of traditional gut & liver supporting herbs clear the body of what no longer serves it. In doing so, one can cultivate a grounded sense of being, support digestion and support skin all in one go.
After taking your bitters on the tongue, tune in. I love to feel the dispersal of energy as my body grounds down, circulation stimulates and my tummy prepares for a feast.
Whenever you start a new herbal protocol such as Beauty Bitters, its normal to see issue in skin flare up for a short period of time before resolving themselves. Why? The body is releasing what no longer serves it & areas that are already breaking out & releasing excess make for a swift elimination pathway. So don’t be surprised if that pimple finally comes to a head then disappears for a long time. It’s all apart of the process!
Some bitters are contraindicated in pregnancy, or not suitable for people with certain conditions. This information is for educational purposes only and does not intend to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.