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Drink This Warm Elixir To Ease Inflammation After Dinner

Author:

Hannah Frye

November 17, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by VICTOR TORRES / Stocksy

November 17, 2023

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Post-dinner bloat is the worst, especially when it happens late in the evening. While scheduling your last meal earlier in the night is ideal, that just isn't realistic sometimes—and besides, eating earlier doesn't always guarantee a bloat-free belly when you crawl into bed.

So it's worth having some debloating remedies in your corner. To come, one warming elixir you'll want to save for the upcoming holiday season (because post-meal bloat is almost guaranteed this time of year).

A warm and spicy post-dinner nightcap

This recipe comes from holistic esthetician and founder of Klur Lesley Thornton—a remedy she calls upon every winter to warm her up and ease digestion. Luckily for all of us, Thornton shared the simple recipe for her well-being staple. Here's what you'll need.

Ingredients

1 cup water
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of ½ lemon, squeezed
¼ tbsp ginger powder
a pinch of cayenne powder
a pinch of cinnamon powder
a pinch of turmeric or turmeric extract
a couple of drops of stevia (optional)

Method

Warm your water.
Add your ingredients.
Stir.

The benefits

This recipe contains plenty of ingredients that support digestion, so let's walk through each of these heroes and their research-backed benefits:

Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have antiviral, anti-yeast, and antifungal properties 1, which support a balanced gut microbiome.
Lemon juice: The citric acid found in lemon juice has been shown to boost gastric acid secretion 2—a fluid found in the stomach that helps your body digest food.
Cayenne: If you add this spice, you'll support saliva production 3, which is a key first step to proper digestion.
Ginger: This root has been shown to help with abdominal pain and bloating 4, especially when consumed around mealtime.
Turmeric: Turmeric has been shown to soothe digestion 5 and promote a healthy gut microbiome 6, in addition to having anti-inflammatory properties.7
Cinnamon: This one isn't just for taste—cinnamon has been shown to help lower blood sugar and help move sugar from the bloodstream into the cells 8.

If you want to go above and beyond, you can even add some collagen powder. Collagen may be best known for skin support, but this peptide is actually great for bloating as well.

In fact, one clinical study notes that 93% of participants saw noteworthy improvements in digestion 9 after taking collagen, including bloating and abdominal discomfort.

Thornton says you can drink this blend before or after a meal for digestion support. Either way, you'll give yourself a great dose of anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients to support your stomach after any meal.

The takeaway

Dealing with post-dinner bloat? Reach for this anti-inflammatory, digestion-supporting elixir before or after your meal. The combination of ginger, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar makes for a warming and spicy flavor. Here, more ways to debloat.