A good combination to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract is a mixture of chilies and ginger root. Blend or crush both in lemon juice and olive oil and refrigerate, then use this as a salad dressing or for flavoring meals. Use an amount that is hot but not uncomfortable. Gradually increase your intake to just below your tolerance level for several weeks; then you can continue to use it in normal amounts for flavoring your food. With serious infections, inflammations, or cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, you can also add fresh garlic to this until the problem is overcome.

Peppermint tea is especially good to stimulate the digestion and uplift the spirit, while slippery elm powder soothes the digestive tract. Sage is highly esteemed. An ancient saying goes: 'Why die when sage grows in your garden'? It can be prepared by adding two teaspoons of dried sage to one pint of boiling water; after three minutes, remove it from the heat and let it draw for another ten minutes.

To aid digestion, it is generally beneficial to drink half a cup of bitter herb tea after a large or cooked meal. Suitable herbs here are centaury, dandelion, devil's claw, and gentian: these also help to restore liver function.