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Page 73
| and minerals to your diet in addition to keeping a food diary and avoiding foods that seem to make the problem worse. Researchers in the U. S. and Europe repeatedly find that cow's milk dairy products, coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and the gluten found in wheat, oats, barley and rye are common offenders. |
| Remember that plain drinking water is a cure for many digestive and intestinal problems. If you aren't already doing so, try to drink up to a gallon of water daily, adding a pinch of unrefined sea salt to each glass. |
| Psyllium husks, described in the preceding section as a treatment for diarrhea, can help stabilize the unpredictable bouts of diarrhea and constipation by absorbing liquid, forming well shaped stools and encouraging regular bowel movements. Drinking extra water is important whenever you take psyllium. |
| The herbalist Richard Mabey recommends brewing the following tea for colitis: |
| Combine 1 part wild yam root, 1 part goldenseal, 1/2 part calamus root and 3 parts marshmallow root. Add 1 tablespoon of this blend to 2 cups water in a covered pan, bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes and remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon chamomile, cover and let stand an additional 10 minutes. Drink up to 4 cups daily, as desired, until the problem subsides. |
| Gas, Flatulence |
| Intestinal gas or "wind" can be caused by eating too fast, swallowing air, eating gas-producing foods such as beans, drinking carbonated beverages, chewing gum, talking with your mouth full or eating dairy products if you are lactose intolerant. In addition to the digestive enzymes Beano and Lactaid (see pages 17 and 12), look to the carminative herbs for relief: angelica root, aniseed, caraway seed, cardamom seed, catnip, cayenne pepper, celery seed, chamomile, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, ginger, lemon balm, licorice root, peppermint, spearmint and Swedish bitters. The herbs listed above can be taken as teas or tinctures, alone or in combination. Seeds, roots and barks should be brewed as decoctions (1 tea- |
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