Soothe and Repair Your Gut with Demulcents
There has been reports of a hefty stomach flu bug going around. I was brain storming with my daughter this morning of what could help her and her 1 year old repair after a resent long bout of a bug up in Canada.
That got me thinking about Demulcents.
Demulcents
What are they?
Demulcent are herbs that create a soothing film or mucilaginous gel like substance that coat mucus membranes to protect and promote healing and ease discomfort.
We think of these soothing herbs for help with coughs and throat discomfort. Yet they can be very helpful for the esophagus, stomach, and intestinal lining also. Basically, all the way down the digestive tract!
For example: Slippery Elm bark powder has been used for babies, small animals and all sizes of humans for coating sore throats but also for coating the stomach lining to ease cramping, diarrhea and upset digestion.
From the Herbal Academy: “There is mounting evidence that gastrointestinal wall inflammation and damage are linked to autoimmune conditions (Bone & Mills, 2013). Mucous membrane trophorestoratives such as plantain leaf and gota kola leaf may reduce gut permeability (Burgoyne, 1998) and demulcent herbs such as marshmallow root and licorice root help to soothe and support healing of the tissues of the digestive tract (Groves, 2016). Licorice is a particularly beneficial demulcent for autoimmune conditions as it also is an immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and adaptogen (Winston & Maimes, 2007).
Here’s a list of my top favorite demulcent herbs:
Fenugreek seed
Fennel seed
Chia seed
Flax seed
Slippery elm bark
Marshmallow root
plantain leaf
Licorice root
Mullein leaf
Comfrey leaf
Elecampane root
These all make wonderful soothing teas and work good in combination. Ie: I love licorice, fennel, fenugreek and mullein together with rosehips and orange and spearmint, as in our Winter Wonder Tea.
I like grinding chia, flax, sesame and fennel seed (in the coffee grinder I use for herbs) and adding them into our smoothie mix.
I also grind these seeds to use in our balsamic salad dressing as they are highly nutritious with minerals and vitamins.

Sage (culinary) has also been used for medicine for centuries. Old herbalists found sage helpful for grieving patients, strengthening them mentally and physically. Sage has drying properties and can help with throat inflammations, mucus discharge and in fighting cold and flu germs and staph infections. It is also good for digestion. It is a powerful tonic that has antiseptic, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Sage has a reputation for restoring failing memory in the elderly. Old herbals believed it prolonged life. It is known to check sweats. It is used to dry up milk when nursing moms are ready to wean.







So much so, in fact, that I joked with my friend the other day that “it’s hard to tell Bend from Mt. Bachelor.” It’s snowed so much in the past month that I’ve been forgetting what everything looked like without a colossal blanket of white over it. However, if you think that a little snow is stopping locals from getting outdoors, you’re wrong. The residents of Bend are as active as ever, because they’re getting creative. How? Just look outside –Bendites these days are getting their errands done by snowboarding and skiing around town!
Did you know that one cup of green tea has up to 10% of your vitamin C for the day? To further the healing properties, I’ve been loving adding in a special Jamaican flower called hibiscus. In addition to boasting beautiful pink petals, this flower is wonderful for helping the body with its naturally high vitamin C and antioxidant content. Besides being warming to the soul, green tea with
It’s easy to stay healthy for all the winter fun, all it really takes is a little know how and a couple quick tricks –like tea and a pocket-sized multi-use balm. If you have any stories or quick natural fixes that work for you, feel free to share them in the comments below. After all, exchanging experiences is what helps us grow and stay healthy for the stuff that matters –like skiing, sledding and snowball fights!