The holidays are over, the cookie tins are empty—and many people feel a familiar sensation in January: the body feels heavier than usual, pants fit tighter, and a strange heaviness weighs on the mind and spirit. What folk medicine has described for centuries as "toxification" has a solid everyday background: too much salt, too much sugar, too little movement, and rich meals over several weeks leave their marks. The body collects water, digestion slows down, and overall well-being suffers. But before resorting to radical fasting or elaborate detox cures, it’s worth looking back—to the monasteries of the Middle Ages. There, over 800 years ago, they already knew how to gently and purposefully guide the body into a fresh start in January.
Why the body retains water after Christmas
Water retention after the holidays is not a sign of weakness or lack of discipline—it is a natural reaction of the body to changed eating habits. Christmas foods are often rich in sodium: cured meats, cheese platters, sauces, ready-made pastries, and spicy roasts contain significantly more salt than a typical everyday diet. Sodium binds water in the tissues, and for every gram of stored glycogen—the carbohydrate storage molecule in muscles and liver—several grams of water are additionally stored. This explains why you literally weigh more after a carbohydrate- and salt-rich festive season without necessarily having gained permanent fat.
Added to this is the lack of physical activity in winter. Those who move less stimulate lymph circulation less—the lymphatic system, which is primarily responsible for removing tissue fluid, works more slowly. In monastic medicine, especially according to the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, the balance between movement, nutrition, and the condition of the blood was closely linked. They spoke of "phlegma"—an excess of watery, sluggish bodily fluids that particularly build up in winter and should be broken down in spring or after fasting periods.
The psycho-emotional aspect is also interesting: stress, festive excitement, altered sleep patterns, and social pressure around the holidays also affect the body's water balance through the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can contribute to the body retaining more water. The old monastic medicine did not understand this connection in biochemical terms, but it intuitively knew: after times of abundance and excess, people need rest, simplicity, and clarifying plants.
Water retention after Christmas is usually a temporary reaction to a salt- and carbohydrate-rich diet as well as lack of exercise – not a permanent condition. Even small changes in daily life can restore balance.
Intestinal and digestive products
Hildegard of Bingen's herbal knowledge: What monastic medicine knew about diuresis
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) is considered one of the most important figures in medieval medicine. The abbess from the Rheingau described in her main works "Physica" and "Causae et Curae" a holistic medicine that viewed body, soul, and spirit as an inseparable unity. For Hildegard, health was the result of a balanced humor equilibrium in the body – too much or too little of one element led to imbalance. She would likely have classified the January condition after the holidays as an excess of phlegm: an overabundance of cold, damp, sluggish qualities in the body.
"The gall purifies the blood of man and ensures that the other humors in man remain in their order." – Hildegard of Bingen, Causae et Curae (12th century). This quote illustrates how central the idea of inner cleansing and balance was to monastic medicine.
Hildegard especially recommended bitter and diuretic herbs for times of abundance, as she believed these could break up sluggish phlegm and expel it from the body. Particularly valued were plants she associated with the principle of "warmth" – herbs with an aromatic, slightly sharp or bitter note that were meant to counteract the damp, cold winter condition. This assessment aligns remarkably well with what modern herbal medicine knows about plants that have diuretic and metabolism-stimulating effects.
Another central aspect of monastic medicine was the principle of simplicity after phases of excess. Monasteries were well acquainted with the liturgical rhythm of feast and fasting – and January traditionally began a phase of reduction and inward reflection. This was lived not only spiritually but also physically: simple food, warm herbal teas, early rising, and moderate walking. What is marketed today as "January detox" is basically nothing other than this old monastic practice – translated into modern language.
Monastic medicine did not know the modern "detox trend" – but it practiced for centuries what we understand by it today: phases of conscious simplification, herbal support, and physical realignment after times of abundance.
The most important traditional diuretic herbs from the monastery garden
In the medieval monastery garden, plants grew that have been known for centuries for their diuretic and cleansing properties. These herbs were not used arbitrarily but were selected based on precise considerations of their "quality" (warm/cold, moist/dry) and their effect on bodily fluids. Many of these plants are recognized today in modern phytotherapy and are traditionally appreciated as contributors to well-being and vitality. It is remarkable how accurate the medieval herbalists often were—not because they knew our biochemical concepts, but because they reached similar conclusions through generations of observation and experience.
These herbs from monastic medicine are traditionally valued for their diuretic properties:
- Nettle (Urtica dioica): Nettle is one of the best-known traditional diuretics. In monastic medicine, it was highly valued as a "cleansing spring herb" and has been known for centuries as a traditional remedy to support overall well-being.
- Birch leaves (Betula pendula): Birch leaves were traditionally used in Northern European folk medicine as a "spring cure." Historically, they are considered a proven remedy for one of the oldest herbal treatments after winter.
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Hildegard valued dandelion as a bitter plant with cleansing qualities. Leaves and root are traditionally used as a spring herb and have long been an integral part of European herbal tradition.
- Horsetail (Equisetum arvense): Horsetail is rich in silica and has been traditionally valued for centuries in European herbal medicine as a supportive remedy for overall well-being.
- Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea): In monastic medicine, true goldenrod was known as one of the most potent traditional support plants for winter ailments and for general revitalization after holidays.
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Hildegard of Bingen explicitly mentioned parsley in her writings and valued it as a warming, invigorating kitchen herb that has been traditionally known for centuries in monastic and folk medicine.
What is behind these herbs?
The mentioned plants contain a variety of secondary plant compounds – flavonoids, tannins, essential oils, bitter substances, and mineral salts – which have been used for centuries in traditional herbal medicine. Their use follows the principle of complementing and enriching everyday life, not treating diseases. Taken as teas, tinctures, or dietary supplements, they can be part of a conscious lifestyle in the spirit of ancient monastic medicine.
Especially the combination of several of these herbs – as was common in monastic practice – is traditionally considered particularly valuable. Instead of individual plants, monastery healers like Hildegard created complex herbal blends that complemented each other in their effects. This wisdom is found today in many traditional herbal preparations. BitterKraft Original
January rituals: How to integrate the monastic detox principle into everyday life
The beauty of the monastic approach is its suitability for everyday life. It requires no elaborate equipment, no expensive supplements, and no radical restrictions. The core of the monastic January detox is rather a conscious return to simplicity: less salt, more water, warming herbal teas in the morning, moderate exercise, and earlier bedtimes. These principles sound banal – and they are, because their effect does not come from individual superhero measures but from consistent, calm repetition over weeks.
A concrete morning ritual inspired by monastic tradition might look like this: Start the day with a large glass of warm water, to which you add fresh lemon juice and a pinch of ginger powder – both were very familiar ingredients to Hildegard. Then a tea made from nettle and birch leaves, sipped slowly, preferably sitting and without distractions. It sounds simple, but it is a deliberate signal to the body: “The day begins with calm and care.” This ritual can support overall well-being in a quiet but lasting way.
The monastic January program at a glance:
Morning: Warm water with lemon + herbal tea (nettle, birch, or goldenrod)
Midday: Light, low-salt meals – soups, steamed vegetables, legumes
Afternoon: Exercise in the fresh air – even short walks activate the lymphatic system
Evening: Bitter herb tea or drops before dinner, early bedtime
In general: Significant reduction of processed foods, alcohol, and sweets for at least 2–3 weeks
The important principle is "adding instead of omitting": Instead of focusing on what you can no longer eat, you enrich everyday life with beneficial, traditionally proven elements. One more glass of water. An herbal tea as a coffee break. A short walk instead of a third hour on the sofa. This addition strategy is psychologically smarter and more sustainable than a strict prohibition regime. Monastic medicine understood this intuitively – and that is why its rhythms and rituals have endured for centuries. Fasting products
The secret of the monastic January detox lies not in radical measures but in the consistent, calm repetition of small, conscious rituals – day by day, cup by cup.
Liver products from Bitterkraft
Bitter herbs: The underestimated key to inner balance after the holidays
Among all medicinal plants of monastic medicine, bitter herbs hold a special position. Hildegard of Bingen described bitter-tasting plants as "clarifying" and "organizing" – they were meant to break up the sluggish phlegm of winter and help the body return to its natural balance. In the modern nutritional world, bitter substances have almost disappeared: cultivation and processing have largely eliminated bitterness from vegetables, salads, and drinks. What once grew in every monastery garden – chicory, gentian, wormwood, artichoke – is now hardly part of our everyday diet.
Bitterness is recognized as valuable in the traditional medicine of all cultures. In Ayurvedic medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and European monastic medicine, bitter substances were considered especially important for inner balance. They have been used traditionally for centuries and are passed down as a fixed component of cures after festive seasons in many monastery pharmacies. Wormwood essences, gentian drops, and artichoke extracts were found in monastery recipe books as well as in the home remedies of rural populations.
The significance of bitter substances in traditional European medicine is documented in numerous historical sources. The "Pharmacopoeia" of the Benedictine monk Walahfrid Strabo (809–849) as well as Hildegard's Physica describe bitter plants as an indispensable part of every monastic healing practice. This tradition of using bitter substances in Europe dates back over 1,000 years.
These bitter herbs are traditionally known for inner balance:
- Gentian (Gentiana lutea): The yellow gentian is considered one of the most intense bitter substances in the European plant world. It has been known for centuries in monastic and folk medicine as a traditional bitter remedy and is still used today in many herbal liqueurs and drops.
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): Hildegard of Bingen explicitly mentioned wormwood as an important medicinal plant. It has been traditionally used since antiquity and is a classic element of European bitter herb tradition.
- Artichoke (Cynara scolymus): The artichoke contains cynarin, a bitter substance that has been valued in traditional herbal medicine for centuries. Especially after rich meals, it has established itself as a traditional folk remedy.
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus): Hildegard knew and valued chicory as a garden plant with bitter qualities. It is traditionally known as a spring herb and was a staple in medieval monastery gardens.
- Centaury (Centaurium erythraea): Despite its modest appearance, centaury is one of the classic bitter plants of European herbal medicine and has been traditionally used since the Middle Ages.
Integrating bitter substances into everyday January life doesn’t have to be complicated. A dash of bitter herb drops in water before dinner, a tea made from wormwood and centaury, or simply consciously including bitter-free vegetables like radicchio, chicory, or arugula in meals – all these are ways to keep the knowledge of monastic medicine alive. BitterKraft Original
Exercise, Sleep, and Silence: The Overlooked Pillars of the Monastic New Year Start
Herbs alone did not make a monastic cure. Hildegard of Bingen and her contemporaries knew that a person must be considered as a whole: body, mind, and soul work inseparably together. Anyone who truly wants a fresh start in January should therefore not only adjust their diet but also pay attention to sleep, exercise, and the quality of rest periods. In monasteries, the daily rhythm – the so-called "Hora" – structured each day into phases of work, prayer, silence, and sleep. This regularity itself had a healing character.
Regular, moderate exercise is especially valuable in January: not as a punishment for holiday excesses, but as a joyful reunion with one’s own body. Just 30 minutes of daily walking in the fresh air – preferably in the forest or nature – counteracts lymphatic congestion. The monastic tradition of "walking meditation" or silent garden walks was not a luxury but an integral part of health care. At the same time, sufficient sleep in January is more important than ever: the body uses the night to regenerate, and those who sleep too little practically invite water retention and general heaviness. Sleep and relaxation products
After all, conscious silence is an often underestimated factor. The holidays are loud, socially intense, and sometimes emotionally exhausting. January offers the chance to recenter this energy. In monastic medicine, the soul was not an abstract concept but an influence on physical health – just as we know it today in psychosomatics. Writing meditation, short breaks, consciously turning off screens in the evening: these small interventions can support overall well-being in a way that no herbal tea alone can achieve.
Holistic January restart inspired by monastic tradition:
Monastic medicine taught us: true renewal does not come from a single measure, but from the harmonious interplay of nutrition, herbs, movement, sleep, and silence. Those who understand January as a kind of personal "monastery time" – more conscious, calmer, simpler – will likely gain more from it than from any short-term radical cure.
The beauty of it: this wisdom is timeless. It costs no money, requires no app, and demands no special equipment. It only needs one thing – the willingness to pause in the loudest month of the year (January, with its resolutions and promises) and listen to the quiet, proven voices of the old herbalists. Hildegard of Bingen would have certainly agreed with that. Hildegard of Bingen products Immune system products
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.