A guide to herbs and spices from around the world — so you can cook with confidence, eat out without anxiety, and find gut-friendly flavour wherever you are.
Food should be one of the great pleasures of life — and during the Heal, Seal & Repair phase, it still can be. This guide is here to make sure of that.
What we have gathered here goes well beyond the herbs most commonly found in a western kitchen. The world's great cooking traditions — Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Mexican, Moroccan, and more — contain some of the most gut-supportive, anti-inflammatory, deeply nourishing flavours on the planet. Many of them have been used medicinally for thousands of years.
If you have access to an Asian grocery, a Middle Eastern deli, or simply a well-stocked supermarket, you already have everything you need. This guide is also your companion when you're eating out or travelling — helping you spot which cuisines and dishes are gentler on your gut right now, and which to approach more carefully.
The same core principle applies throughout: fragrant and aromatic is your friend. Fiery and sharp is not.
Whether you're in a Thai restaurant, an Indian kitchen, or a Mexican taqueria: ask yourself — does this create heat, sharpness, or a burning sensation? If yes, set it aside for now. The world's gentlest, most gut-friendly flavours are aromatic, fragrant, warming without being fiery — and they exist in every cuisine on earth. You don't have to eat bland food. You just have to choose the right part of the flavour spectrum.
Good quality salt — Himalayan pink or a good sea salt — remains your friend in all cuisines. However, many Asian condiments use high-sodium fermented ingredients (fish sauce, soy sauce, miso, oyster sauce) that can be problematic during active healing. Coconut aminos remains your best swap across Asian-inspired cooking. Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) can be trialled cautiously during reintroduction.
Why these herbs are here — and why you can use them with confidence
You might be wondering: how do I know these herbs are actually safe right now? It's a fair question. There is a lot of noise in the world about what is good and what isn't, and it can be exhausting to know who to trust.
Here is the honest answer — and it's simpler than you might expect.
The most important thing this protocol does is not add healing foods. It removes the things that are getting in the way of healing.
An inflamed, irritated gut doesn't need more inputs. It needs a rest from the inputs that have been provoking it. The food lists — Ideal, Reasonable, Acceptable — were built through 26 years of clinical practice at the Holland Clinic, around one central question: what does this food or ingredient do to an already sensitised gut lining? If the answer is "irritate it, inflame it, or feed the wrong bacteria," it comes off the list. If the answer is "nothing harmful, and possibly something helpful," it stays.
The herbs in this guide are here for exactly that reason. They are not medicines. They are not supplements. They are simply flavour that doesn't provoke.
Every herb here is free from the compounds that directly irritate a healing gut: no capsaicin, no piperine, no high-FODMAP fructans, no direct gastric acid stimulants. This is the most important test — and they all pass it.
Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Mediterranean herbal traditions, and Indigenous healing practices across every continent have used many of these herbs specifically for digestive complaints — independently, over thousands of years. That convergence is meaningful.
For a number of herbs — turmeric, ginger, chamomile, fennel, cardamom, fenugreek — there is peer-reviewed research supporting anti-inflammatory or digestive benefits. Where this exists, we've noted it. Where it doesn't, layers one and two are enough.
On each herb card you'll find a short line explaining why it's safe right now — not a medical claim, just a plain-English reason. It will usually come down to one of three things: no irritating compounds, documented digestive benefits, or trusted in kitchens and clinics for so long that its safety is beyond reasonable question.
A small number of cards carry an additional note in purple — this is the perimenopause lens. These are herbs where the benefit goes beyond gut healing and speaks directly to what is happening hormonally and metabolically during this particular season of life: the insulin resistance, the cortisol disruption, the neuroinflammation, the sleep and mood changes. You don't need to seek these out specifically — but it is worth knowing they are doing more than one job.
A note on certainty — and personal judgement. Not every herb on this list has a clinical trial behind it. That is true of most of the food in your kitchen. What every herb here does have is a complete absence of the things known to cause harm during this phase — and that is the foundation of the protocol. The food lists at the Holland Clinic were built from this same principle, refined over 26 years in clinical practice: first, remove the obstacles. Then let the body do what it is designed to do.
This list is not a prescription. It is an invitation — a broad, generous one. Some of these herbs will be familiar to you. Others will be completely new. Some you may love immediately; others may not suit your palate or your system at all, and that is entirely fine. People can have strong aversions, sensitivities, or simply deep dislikes — all of which are worth honouring.
We are not asking you to use all of these, or even most of them. We are offering you a wide range so that wherever you find yourself — in your own kitchen, in a restaurant, in a country you've never cooked from before — there is something here that works for you. Use your own judgement. Trust your own body. The goal is that your meals feel like a pleasure, not a protocol.
Your established foundation — the herbs most women already know and love. Gentle, aromatic, and deeply supportive of what we're doing right now.
Think of chamomile as a warm hug for your stomach wall. It gently calms inflammation, relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract, and helps with that uncomfortable tightness or cramping feeling. Best as a plain tea — drink it warm, slowly, and often.
Fennel is a natural gas-buster. It relaxes the smooth muscle of your digestive tract and helps trapped gas move through rather than building up into pressure and bloating. Use the bulb in soups and stews, the fronds as a fresh garnish — even fennel seeds steeped in hot water make a beautiful after-dinner tea.
Mild, fresh, and incredibly versatile. Parsley adds a gentle lift to almost any dish without doing anything provocative to your gut. It also has a quiet anti-inflammatory effect and supports healthy digestion. Scatter it freely on eggs, chicken, soups, and cooked vegetables.
Thyme has a warm, earthy flavour that makes simple food taste like it came from a proper kitchen. It's also mildly antimicrobial — meaning it supports a healthy gut environment while you're healing. Fresh or dried, it's wonderful with chicken, eggs, and slow-cooked meats.
Same family as thyme, similar benefits. Oregano has a slightly more robust flavour and is a natural antimicrobial and antifungal — which makes it quietly helpful during gut rebalancing. Dried oregano on eggs or stirred into broths is a simple upgrade.
Bold and aromatic without being sharp or spicy. Rosemary works beautifully with lamb, beef, and chicken — especially slow-cooked. It has antioxidant properties and supports healthy digestion. A little goes a long way.
Sweet, delicate, and anti-inflammatory. Basil adds a freshness that makes simple dishes feel elegant. Use it fresh rather than cooked — add it at the very end so it doesn't wilt and lose its character.
Dill has a delicate, slightly anise-like flavour and is a natural carminative — meaning it actively helps with gas and bloating. It's especially lovely with eggs, carrots, and chicken.
Chives give you a gentle, mild onion flavour without any of the fermentable carbohydrates that make actual onion and garlic problematic right now. Perfect when you're missing that savoury depth.
Fresh ginger in small amounts is one of the best things you can have for sluggish digestion — it gently stimulates movement through the gut and helps with nausea and upper abdominal pressure. Note: use modestly if reflux is active — a little is helpful, too much can be overstimulating.
One of nature's most studied anti-inflammatory ingredients. A small pinch in broth, soups, or scrambled eggs adds a beautiful golden colour and a quiet warmth — without any heat. It actively supports gut lining repair.
You never eat a bay leaf, but it does something magical to whatever it cooks in. Drop one or two into your bone broth, soups, or slow-cooked dishes and the depth of flavour you get is remarkable.
Already on your Ideal Foods list. A squeeze of fresh lemon or some grated zest brightens dishes in a way almost nothing else does. It also supports digestion and liver function.
A gentle, slightly sweet alternative to soy sauce. It adds a savoury, umami depth to stir-fries, cooked vegetables, and meat. No soy, no gluten, no inflammatory profile. A small drizzle goes a long way.
Pepper is a direct irritant to an inflamed gut lining — it stimulates acid production and can aggravate reflux very quickly. Even a small amount can undo a good day. The good news: it comes back later.
Any form of chilli — fresh, dried, flaked, smoked — creates heat and irritation in an already sensitive gut. The capsaicin that gives chilli its kick directly stimulates pain receptors in the gut lining.
Two of the most common gut irritants during the healing phase — high in fermentable carbohydrates that feed the wrong bacteria right now and create gas, bloating, and pressure. Chives give you the flavour without the problem.
Both are pungent and stimulating to the digestive system in ways that work against what we're doing right now. Mustard in particular can trigger acid reflux in a sensitive stomach.
Apple cider vinegar has its benefits when the gut is healthy — but during active reflux or an inflamed gut lining, it adds to the acid load and worsens symptoms. If things are calm and settled, a very small amount before meals can be helpful.
Curry powder, za'atar, harissa, mixed spice blends — these often contain combinations of pepper, chilli, and strong aromatic spices that are too stimulating for a healing gut. Stick to individual herbs you can identify and control.
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisines share a beautiful tradition of using aromatic, medicinal herbs and spices. Many of the most gut-supportive ingredients on this entire guide come from this part of the world.
The herb that divides people but rewards those who love it. Coriander leaf is anti-inflammatory, supports detoxification through the liver, and has gentle antimicrobial properties. Use the fresh leaves generously as a garnish on soups, broths, and chicken dishes. The stems carry just as much flavour — don't discard them.
One of Southeast Asia's great digestive herbs. Lemongrass has a clean, citrusy, slightly floral fragrance and is a powerful carminative — it helps settle the digestive tract, reduce bloating, and ease nausea. Bruise a stalk and simmer it in broth or soups. It also makes a lovely tea. Remove before eating — the stalk is fibrous.
These distinctive double-lobed leaves have a deeply fragrant, citrus-floral aroma that transforms simple broths and soups. They're anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and add elegance to chicken or fish without any irritation. Find them fresh or frozen at Asian grocers — dried versions still work.
A relative of ginger with a more piney, citrusy, and less sharp flavour. Galangal has been used in traditional medicine across Southeast Asia for centuries specifically for digestive complaints. It's gentler on an inflamed gut than ginger, with a beautiful aromatic warmth. Slice it thinly into broths and soups.
Slightly more robust than Italian basil, with a hint of anise and clove. Thai basil is anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. It wilts quickly with heat, so add it at the very end of cooking or use it fresh as a garnish.
Not a true mint, but with a similar carminative quality. Vietnamese mint has a peppery, minty flavour and is used extensively in Vietnamese cooking to accompany proteins. It actively supports digestion and helps with bloating. Use it fresh, scattered over soups or steamed dishes.
Used across Southeast Asia for their delicate vanilla-like fragrance, pandan leaves are gently calming to the digestive system. Tie a leaf into a knot and simmer it in soups or broths. They also make a calming tea. The flavour they impart is subtle and beautiful — distinctly Southeast Asian.
The star-shaped spice that gives Chinese five-spice and pho their distinctive, warming depth. Star anise is a powerful carminative — it relieves gas, bloating, and digestive cramping. A single star simmered in your bone broth or slow-cooked meat transforms the entire flavour profile. Use one at a time — it's generous.
True Ceylon cinnamon — the soft, pale sticks, not the sharp Cassia variety — has a gentle warmth that supports gut motility, blood sugar balance, and has notable anti-inflammatory properties. Use a Ceylon cinnamon stick in broth or a pinch in warm drinks. Choose Ceylon specifically — it's kinder than Cassia.
Intensely aromatic and antimicrobial, cloves have been used for gut health in traditional medicine for millennia. A single clove in a broth or slow-cooked dish adds incredible depth. Cloves are antifungal and antimicrobial — supportive of gut environment healing. Used sparingly, they are a powerful quiet ally.
Sweet, floral, and deeply carminative. Cardamom calms nausea, eases bloating, and freshens the system after eating. Ground cardamom in a warm drink or a pod cracked open in tea is a gentle and beautiful way to support digestion.
A Japanese herb with a remarkable flavour somewhere between basil, mint, and anise. Shiso is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties well-documented in Japanese medicine. Use fresh green shiso as you would basil — scattered over proteins, soups, or salads. Find it at Japanese or Korean grocers.
The green tops of spring onions are low in the fermentable fructans found in the white bulb. They give you that gentle, fresh onion flavour that appears in almost every Asian cuisine, without the FODMAP problem. Use only the green portion — set the white bulb aside for now.
Gochujang, sambal, sriracha, chilli oil, fresh bird's eye chilli, dried chilli flakes — all forms of chilli need to wait. This is one of the hardest asks if you love Southeast Asian or Korean food, but capsaicin is genuinely one of the most disruptive things for an actively healing gut.
Garlic is the backbone of almost every Asian cuisine. Fried shallots, garlic oil, spring onion bulbs — all contain fructans that feed dysbiotic bacteria. Ask for dishes without garlic when eating out. Use the green tops of spring onions only.
Both are fermented, high-sodium condiments that can be disruptive during active healing. Soy sauce contains gluten (unless tamari), and fish sauce can trigger reactions in sensitive guts. Coconut aminos remains your best alternative. Tamari can be trialled carefully during reintroduction.
Creates a distinctive mouth-numbing heat and acts as a strong stimulant to the digestive tract. Different in mechanism from black pepper but similarly disruptive during an inflamed healing phase. A wonderful spice — just not right now.
Intensely pungent and a direct stimulant to the gastric mucosa. If sushi is your go-to eating-out option, simply ask for it without wasabi — the fish itself is a wonderful choice during healing.
Indian cooking has one of the world's most sophisticated spice traditions — and many of its most beloved spices are genuinely therapeutic. The challenge is navigating around the heat and the high-FODMAP aromatics. But when you do, there is extraordinary flavour available to you.
In Ayurvedic and Indian cooking, turmeric has been used for gut healing, wound healing, and inflammation for over 4,000 years. The active compound curcumin is one of the best-studied anti-inflammatory agents in nature. A small pinch in any savoury dish. Use consistently for cumulative benefit.
The dried seed of the coriander plant — warm, citrusy, gently nutty. It is one of the most ancient carminative spices in the world, and is used in Ayurvedic medicine specifically for digestive complaints. Ground coriander can be used in spice rubs, broths, and meat dishes.
Earthy, warm, and one of the world's most used digestive spices. Cumin seeds stimulate digestive enzymes, support liver function, and actively help with bloating and gas. Ground cumin or whole seeds can be used in chicken, lamb, and vegetable dishes.
Central to Indian cooking in both savoury and sweet preparations. The pods can be cracked and simmered in chai, broths, or slow-cooked chicken. Cardamom relieves nausea, calms digestive cramping, and freshens the system post-meal. One of the most gut-kind spices in any kitchen.
A slightly bitter, maple-scented seed that is remarkable for gut healing. Fenugreek has significant research behind it for reducing gut inflammation, soothing the intestinal lining, and supporting healthy digestion. It also supports blood sugar balance. Use modestly — it has a distinctive flavour that becomes unpleasant in excess.
Not the same as curry powder — these are the fresh or dried leaves of the curry leaf tree, used throughout South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking. They have a warm, aromatic, slightly citrusy flavour with no heat whatsoever. They are antimicrobial and antioxidant-rich. Fry them briefly in coconut oil until fragrant and use them to season broths and cooked vegetables.
One of the most powerful carminative spices in the world — and often used in Indian cooking as a substitute for garlic and onion for people who cannot tolerate them. Asafoetida smells pungent raw but mellows dramatically when cooked in oil. Use the tiniest pinch — it is potent. It actively reduces gas and bloating.
Ajwain tastes like a concentrated version of thyme — intensely aromatic, warm, and slightly sharp. In Indian tradition it is used specifically for digestive complaints: gas, bloating, and sluggish digestion. Ajwain seeds can also be chewed directly after meals as a digestive — a simple, effective practice used across India.
Indian cooking has a breathtaking range of chilli varieties — Kashmiri, green, red, dried — and most traditional curry pastes and spice blends contain some form. Ask for dishes without chilli when eating out, or make your own spice blends at home using the gentle spices above.
The base of almost every North Indian curry. At home you can omit them and use asafoetida (hing) and fresh coriander instead. Indian food is genuinely difficult to navigate during active healing — a settled reintroduction phase is a better time to enjoy it more freely.
Most commercial garam masala blends contain pepper, cloves in large quantity, and sometimes chilli. Building your own blend from individual spices listed above gives you complete control and the flavour depth without the irritation.
Lebanese, Persian, Turkish, Moroccan, and Egyptian cooking traditions use herbs and spices with extraordinary generosity and finesse. Many are deeply anti-inflammatory. This cuisine translates beautifully to the healing phase — with a few careful navigations.
A ground, deep-red spice with a tart, lemony flavour — it adds sourness to dishes without any acid load from vinegar or citrus. Sumac is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is used generously in Lebanese and Turkish cooking scattered over meats, grilled vegetables, and fresh herbs.
Mint is used lavishly in Middle Eastern cooking — in tabbouleh, as tea, scattered over grilled meats and salads. It is one of the best carminatives available — it relaxes the digestive tract, eases cramping, and helps with gas and bloating. Fresh mint tea is one of the most effective after-meal digestive aids across all global traditions.
In Middle Eastern cooking, dried mint is used differently from fresh — rubbed over meats or stirred into dishes. It retains strong carminative properties in its dried form. Keep a jar in the spice cupboard and scatter it freely wherever fresh mint isn't available.
The world's most precious spice — and a genuinely therapeutic one. Saffron has documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mood-supporting properties. It adds an extraordinary golden colour and floral, honey-like flavour to broths and chicken. A few threads steeped in warm water then added to cooking is all it takes. Expensive, but a little goes a very long way.
Despite its name, allspice is a single spice — the dried berry with a flavour reminiscent of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg combined. It is central to Lebanese and Syrian cooking, particularly in meat dishes. It has antimicrobial properties and adds a beautiful, warming complexity to slow-cooked dishes.
The dried leaves of the fenugreek plant are used across Persian and Indian cooking as an herb — crumbled over dishes like a dried herb. The flavour is earthy, slightly bitter, and distinctly aromatic. The gut-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties are the same as the seed, but the leaf is subtler and easier to use.
Middle Eastern cooking uses cinnamon in savoury dishes — in lamb tagines, Persian rice, and Moroccan chicken. This is one of the traditions that understood cinnamon's therapeutic warmth long before modern research confirmed it. A cinnamon stick in slow-cooked lamb or chicken creates depth and warmth without any heat.
A North African chilli paste that is deeply delicious but genuinely too stimulating for a healing gut. It appears in many Middle Eastern and Moroccan restaurant dishes — worth asking specifically about when you eat out.
The individual components of za'atar — dried thyme, oregano, sumac — are largely fine. However, commercial za'atar blends often contain black pepper. If you make your own at home using thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and sumac without pepper, it is a wonderful healing-phase blend.
A complex Moroccan spice blend that often contains up to 30 different spices — including chilli, pepper, and stimulating compounds in concentrations that are too much for a healing gut. Save it for a later phase when you can enjoy Moroccan cooking more freely.
Mexican, Peruvian, Brazilian, and Colombian cuisines are vivid, herb-forward, and surprisingly navigable during the healing phase — if you set the chilli aside temporarily. The use of fresh citrus, coriander, cumin, and avocado aligns beautifully with what we're doing.
The herb that defines Latin American cooking — scattered over everything from tacos to ceviche to soups. Coriander leaf supports liver detoxification, is anti-inflammatory, and adds a fresh, bright flavour that makes simple grilled proteins feel complete. Use it with complete freedom.
Like lemon, lime is on the Ideal Foods list and is used with extraordinary generosity in Latin cooking. Fresh lime juice over chicken, fish, avocado, or as a base for simple dressings brightens every dish. It supports digestion and liver function. The zest adds an intense, fragrant hit that goes a long way.
Already in the Indian section — but equally foundational in Mexican and South American cooking. Cumin in a spice rub for grilled chicken or lamb is a simple, beautiful choice that is also actively supportive of digestion. One of the most versatile crossover spices between cuisines on this list.
A wild herb used in Mexican cooking with a distinctive, slightly medicinal, herby flavour. Traditionally added specifically to bean dishes to reduce their gas-producing effects — which tells you everything about its carminative power. Find it at Latin grocers or specialty stores.
Chipotle (smoked jalapeño) and ancho (dried poblano) are the backbones of many Mexican sauces and marinades. Smoky, deeply flavoured — and still capsaicin-containing. These are worth the wait. They will be available to you during reintroduction.
Achiote gives dishes a beautiful orange-red colour and earthy flavour. It is not spicy but can be irritating to a very sensitive gut in paste form. The ground seed alone in small quantities is lower risk — trial it carefully in reintroduction if you enjoy Peruvian or Yucatecan-style cooking.
East African, West African, and Ethiopian cuisines bring a rich and diverse spice tradition. Some of the world's most potent anti-inflammatory spices originate on the African continent — and with careful navigation, there is a great deal to embrace here.
A West African spice that looks like black pepper but is entirely different in character — warm, subtly peppery, with hints of cardamom and ginger. Critically, it does not contain piperine (the compound in black pepper that irritates the gut lining). This makes it one of the most exciting discoveries for women missing that peppery depth during the healing phase. Find it at specialty spice stores.
South Africa's gift to gut health. Naturally caffeine-free rooibos tea is rich in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory compounds, and is gentle on the most sensitive digestive systems. It makes a wonderful alternative to regular tea throughout the healing phase — warming, comforting, and nourishing. Available in most supermarkets.
Dried hibiscus flowers, used in West African, Mexican, and Middle Eastern drinks, make a beautifully tart, deep-crimson tea rich in antioxidants that supports healthy inflammation levels. A refreshing iced or hot tea. Note: avoid if on blood pressure medication without checking with your practitioner first.
Used across North African and Ethiopian cooking — same therapeutic properties as described in the Indian section. Ground fenugreek in small quantities in spice rubs or broths is a gentle, gut-supportive addition. Use it as a bridge between these two spice traditions.
The essential Ethiopian spice blend — complex, deep, and containing significant chilli and black pepper. For now, the individual non-chilli components (coriander, cardamom, fenugreek) can give you some of that flavour character without the irritation.
The West African spice blend used for suya that typically contains chilli alongside other spices. The meat preparation itself is wonderful — the spice blend needs to wait. Ask for suya without the spice mix where possible.
Everything you need to know on one page.