Posts by Chris Giovagnoni
Digestive Bitters Tablets — The Most Convenient Way to Take Your Daily Bitters
The case for digestive bitters is ancient and compelling. Hildegard von Bingen made it in the 12th century; European apothecaries made it in the 17th; modern gastroenterology makes it now. The problem, historically, has always been convenience. Traditional bitters are liquid — often alcoholic, always intensely flavored, and not easily compatible with modern life away…
Read MoreBitters Before Meals — Hildegard von Bingen’s Pre-Meal Ritual for Digestive Health
The practice of taking bitters before meals is one of the oldest and most consistent recommendations in European herbal medicine. From the monastery kitchens of medieval Germany to the aperitif culture of 19th-century France and Italy, the pre-meal bitter has served the same purpose for over a millennium: to prepare the digestive system for the…
Read MoreHildegard von Bingen Bitters — Nine Centuries of Herbal Digestive Wisdom
Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) was a Benedictine abbess, composer, philosopher, and visionary who spent most of her life in the monasteries of Disibodenberg and Rupertsberg, both on the Rhine near Bingen in the German Rhineland. She was also, by any measure, one of the most remarkable natural scientists of the medieval period — and her…
Read MoreGentian Root Bitters — The Alpine Herb at the Heart of Hildegard’s Medicine
Of all the bitter herbs in the European herbal tradition, gentian root stands apart. Its active compound, amarogentin, is among the most intensely bitter substances found in nature — detectable in dilutions as weak as one part per fifty thousand. A single root can be tasted in a swimming pool’s worth of water. Hildegard von…
Read MoreHerbal Digestive Bitters — Five Bitter Plants Hildegard von Bingen Knew by Heart
Not all bitters are created equal. Herbal digestive bitters — made from whole plants rather than isolated compounds or artificial flavors — have a complexity and gentleness that synthetic alternatives cannot replicate. They work with the body’s own signaling systems, using the same botanical chemistry that European healers, monks, and apothecaries relied on for centuries.…
Read MoreDigestive Bitters — Hildegard von Bingen’s Ancient Formula for Modern Gut Health
Digestive bitters are herbal extracts made from bitter-tasting plants — roots, barks, and leaves used for centuries to support digestion, stimulate appetite, and calm an overworked gut. Before modern medicine, bitter herbs were the first tool any healer reached for. Across Europe, the tradition of the pre-dinner bitter — the aperitif — existed for exactly…
Read MorePreventing and Relieving Symptoms of Dementia Naturally
Holistic healing and natural living methods that focus on strengthening vitality, immunity, and mental acuity can help slow down the progression of dementia.
Read More4 Affordable Holistic Healing Practices to Try at Home
Interested in holistic healing but not sure where to get started? There’s no shortage of holistic and traditional healing practices to explore, but the abundance of options can be overwhelming to those new to ancient medicine. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of holistic healing practices that are easy and affordable to try on your…
Read MoreFeeling Exhausted? Why Holistic Healing Might Help You Find Your Feet
For many of us, feeling exhausted is simply a fact of life. Between grueling work hours, long commutes, and the stresses of modern life biting at our heels, fatigue can be a constant state. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of relying on energy drinks and coffee to keep you going through…
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