food and nutrition 53
A few helpful tips on eating are- Don’t eat if you are angry or frightened; eating should essentially be
a feeding, nurturing, and sensuous experience. - If you are tired but hungry, choose easily digestible foods that need
little chewing, like soup, broth, soft fruits, or vegetable and fruit
juices. - A relaxed state of mind means relaxed stomach muscles and an easy
production of balanced gastric juices, resulting in proper assimilation
and easy, natural elimination. A before-dinner joke is as important as
an after-dinner one; laughter is the best relaxant I know. That, or
simply take some deep breaths. - Mothers with babies and young children often have enforced strange
and disturbed eating routines, especially when nursing; therefore
they need extra support and help at this time.
See also “The Digestive System” in chapter 9.
Flavors
Bitter flavors, which are first tasted in the mouth, help the immune system
that lies within the gut; they aid production of white blood cells, generally
empowering immune responses and helping to fight many diseases of the
immune system, from candidiasis to AIDS. Bitter flavors help to burn up ex-
cess fats in the body, quickly providing the necessary energy. For the very
underweight, few bitter foods should be consumed unless they are being
used for a specific reason, like ridding the body of worms.
Bitters include gentian, artichoke, olives and olive oil, dandelion leaves,
chicory, and nasturtium leaves. Bitters often come in the form of wild
greens in spring, but they are still available in the summer. They are often
combined with aromatics like fennel seed, cumin seed, and caraway seed to
help cool, calm, and soothe the digestive tract. The Swedish bitters and li-
queurs can be consumed to aid before- and after-dinner digestion.
We owe it to ourselves to eat bitters and sours. The taste helps to destress
and calm the nervous system, balancing and grounding, preventing over-
extensive output of nervous energy.
Sour heals and nurtures the liver and gallbladder by deep cleansing
and cooling, making the digestive process largely passive, which in
turn has a positive emotional effect. A cleansed and cooled liver and
gallbladder readily release the positive emotions of joy and happiness.
These are two important emotions for the well-being of the immune
system in general. Sour foods include limes, lemons, sorrel, sauer-
kraut, pineapple, and apple cider vinegar. Pineapples are sour-sweet,
and the bromelain in them is a prime digestive, scavenging for and
53 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition