Changing food habits affects your whole body, but even more your digestive system. Changing from ‘all-eaters’ to vegetarians or vegans directly affects you, and eventually there are numerous positive. The same happens with fasting.

Fasting periods in Christianity were established for religious, but also for practical as well as mental health and physical health reasons. It is not about ‘what’ you are fasting from, but ‘why’ you are fasting from given foods.

For whatever reason, fasting makes an impact on you and you may feel different or even uncomfortable in some ways, but the benefits are worth it.

Some herbs improve your digestion, including the following:

• Anise. The combination of anise and fennel may help with constipation, gas, and other digestion problems. Also, it helps with bigger problems like peptic ulcers.

• Dittany. This little fellow from Crete is also called ‘stomachohorto – herb for the stomach’. Its anti-inflammatory, among other properties can fight pains in stomach.

• Sage. Very bitter but very powerful as an herb in tea. The healthy properties of this herb can treat gastritis, diarrhea, bloating, heartburn, flatulence, and even loss of appetite.

• Peppermint. For heartburn and GERD

• Licorice, in Greek, ‘glykorizo’. The opposite of peppermint. As a tea it relieves as a demulcent and moistens like a marshmallow. It coats and protects mucous membranes in the throat, stomach, and intestines, and counteracts the burning from acid reflux in the throat.

Like any other herbal treatments, do not overdose and keep a balance in your diet. Good ‘Sarakosti – Lent’ to all!

* The above is not medical advice but mere suggestions for improving your diet. Before reach herbal use you should consult your doctor, especially those who have health issues, are pregnant or are under the age of 6.

Evropi-Sofia Dalampira holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Botany-Biology.