Bitters are plants that work by activating the bitter receptors on the tongue (and elsewhere in the body). Bitter receptors, in turn, trigger the production of digestive juices and enzymes so that by the time your food hits your stomach, the digestive system is revved up and ready to go.
When I started herb school, one of the teachers mentioned having a meltdown the day after eating a pint of ice cream. She knew it would happen, from experience, but really wanted the ice cream. I remember thinking “Really? Distraught on the bathroom floor just from eating ice cream?” Then the class did an elimination-provocation diet, and wow!
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What an interesting saying, ‘food for thought’, like an idea to ‘chew on’.
When it comes to digestion, it is as much about our brain as it is our gut. Sayings like these indicate our subconscious awareness of this gut-brain connection and relationship. Both can affect and mirror each other in how they process and digest things.