Slow Changes: Step 3

Here is the third in our baby-steps series that focuses on how you can add to your menu without subtracting. So far, we have added bone broth and probiotically-active condiments to the diet. We believe eventually nutrient-rich alternatives will replace poor food choices in your lifestyle - because they taste better, and make you feel better, too!

Today, we feature the addition of appetizers and beverages that fall under the classification of "bitters," completing a trio of flavors often missing from the palate. Step One introduced a savory flavor known as "umami"  that we achieve by extracting the rich minerals and amino acids from bones. Step Two suggested the sour aspect found in most probiotic-rich foods.

Umami, sour and bitter flavors are not whimsical recommendations. Besides off-setting the all-too-prominent sweet and salty tastes we enjoy, they physiologically tone our digestion.


Bitters hold a special role that no other food can boast of. They initiate a reflex that stimulates sites throughout the digestive tract to function more effectively. The end result is:

• more saliva, and hence more enzymes to digest carbohydrates
• a tightening of the lower esophageal sphincter, resisting the reflux of acid into the throat
• an increase in stomach acid, lowering pH of the stomach for: (1)better digestion, (2)killing of pathogens and (3)release of pepsin to start protein digestion
• release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas to break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins
• release of bile from the gall bladder to emulsify fats
• stimulation of the liver to produce more bile and send toxins out through the large intestines
• greater peristaltic action to move food through the gut
• more regular bowel movements.

 So who are the bitters? There are quite a few plants and herbs that qualify: angelica (also known as melissa), artichoke, arugula, burdock, caraway, chamomile, chicory, dandelion, fennel, ginger, goldenseal, horehound, juniper berry, licorice root, milk thistle, Oregon grape, parsley, peppermint, radish, radicchio, romaine, slippery elm, sorrel, turmeric, and watercress may be some that you have heard of.

How do you use them? Make a salad, drink a tea, or purchase a tincture (google "Swedish bitters" or "digestive bitter") to drop into your water at mealtime. Note: pregnant women should NOT use the tincture during gestation.

Here are a couple of recipes:

Delightful Ginger Tea - serves one
1" fresh ginger root
1 c. boiling water
1 stick cinnamon
2 Tb. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb. honey

Pare the skin from the ginger. Slice thinly and place in a mug. Pour the boiling water into the mug. Add cinnamon stick and steep 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove ginger pieces and cinnamon stick. Add lemon juice and honey. Sip slowly.

Refreshing Arugula Salad - serves 2

Photo Credit: Kathryn Akomah-Mordi

4 c. fresh arugula
2 red pears, sliced and cored
1/4 c. walnuts
2 oz. goat cheese
3 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb. raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard

Divide the arugula between two serving dishes. Lay the pear slices on top. Sprinkle with walnuts and cheese. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Drizzle over salads.