Drain before summer: 7-day program according to Hildegard of Bingen

When the first warm days of the year arrive, many people feel a certain heaviness in their bodies—a sensation that has been described in natural medicine for centuries and that the monastery physician Hildegard of Bingen interpreted in her writings as a sign of inner imbalance. Water retention, a sluggish feeling in the legs, and general fatigue can cloud the start of spring and summer. The 7-day program we present here draws on the traditional herbal knowledge of Saint Hildegard and combines it with modern dietary habits—as an invitation to do something good for the body before summer truly begins.

What Hildegard of Bingen taught about water balance and bodily fluids

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179), a Benedictine nun, mystic, and one of the most important natural healers of the Middle Ages, saw the human body as a complex system of balance. In her main works Physica and Causae et Curae, she described in detail how the four bodily humors—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—must be in harmonious proportion for a person to feel well and light. An excess of “cold and moist” qualities, according to Hildegard’s conviction, leads to heaviness, lack of drive, and a bloated-looking body.

Especially in spring, when nature awakens from its winter sleep, Hildegard recommended a targeted focus on warming, bitter-aromatic herbs and a light, plant-based diet. She particularly valued plants traditionally considered “drying and warming”—herbs like fennel, anacyclus (bertram), galangal, and nettle. These were used in her monastery’s kitchen and pharmacy not only as food but as part of a holistic lifestyle that addressed body, mind, and soul equally.

What Hildegard taught remarkably aligns with what many people intuitively seek today: a gentle, plant-based support for transitional periods. Her approach was never reductive or strictly ascetic but always inviting—it was about adding healing elements, not radical omission. Hildegard of Bingen products This very idea underpins our 7-day program: no harsh detox, but a conscious enrichment of everyday life with traditional plant knowledge.

“If a person eats what is right and avoids what is harmful, they remain healthy.” – Hildegard of Bingen, Causae et Curae, 12th century. These words show how much Hildegard emphasized a preventive, everyday-oriented lifestyle—long before the modern concept of prevention.

The most important herbs in the Hildegard drainage program

Hildegard of Bingen knew and described hundreds of plants and their traditional uses. For a program aimed at well-being during water retention and a heavy body feeling, some herbs stand out—those that have been valued in monastery medicine for centuries and whose traditional use remains alive today. BitterKraft Original

Nettle holds a special place in Hildegard’s herbal teachings. She described it as powerful and warming, suitable to help the body renew itself. In European herbal tradition, nettle has been used for centuries as a spring companion—as tea, a wild herb ingredient, or a concentrated plant extract. Its leaves are rich in minerals and have historically been described as a strengthening and invigorating herb. When drunk as tea throughout the day, it is a classic part of many traditional spring cures.

Hildegard also highly valued fennel—it was one of her most frequently mentioned medicinal herbs. Traditionally, fennel is considered warming and balancing, a plant that promotes inner harmony and supports general well-being. Parsley, dandelion, and the somewhat forgotten galangal also played a role in Hildegard’s concept. Fasting products The interplay of these plants—in teas, spice blends, or as kitchen supplements—forms the herbal foundation of our 7-day program.

These Hildegard herbs are traditionally valued for supporting well-being:

• Nettle (Urtica dioica): Valued for centuries in European herbal tradition and historically known as a mineral-rich spring herb. Traditionally used as tea or fresh plant extract.
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Known in monastery medicine as the “spring cleansing herb” and historically appreciated for its balancing properties. Leaves and roots are traditionally used.
• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): Hildegard called it one of the most valuable plants—warming, harmonizing, and beneficial. Traditionally used as tea and spice.
• Anacyclus (Bertram) (Anacyclus pyrethrum): A herb that has become rare in modern natural medicine but frequently mentioned in Hildegard’s work. Historically known as a warming, invigorating spice and medicinal herb.
• Galangal (Alpinia officinarum): Hildegard’s “favorite spice”—she described it as especially strengthening and warming. Traditionally used as tea or spice and still present in monastery medicine today.
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Historically described as strengthening for the body and known in European folk medicine for centuries. Rich in vitamins and minerals.

What lies behind the Hildegard herbs?

The herbs described in Hildegard’s writings share one thing: they have been regarded in European herbal tradition since the Middle Ages as part of a balanced, plant-based lifestyle. Their use as part of a conscious daily ritual—as morning tea, a cooking ingredient, or concentrated plant extract—corresponds to Hildegard’s principle of Viriditas: the living green power inherent in all plants that humans can harness to live in harmony with nature.

The 7-day program: How to structure your drainage week

The following program is designed as a gentle accompaniment for seven days—not a strict regimen but a conscious invitation to integrate traditional herbal knowledge into everyday life. Each day follows a similar rhythm: morning ritual, plant-based support throughout the day, a light, natural diet, and an evening wind-down. The program fits well into a normal workweek and requires no elaborate preparations. all Bitterkraft products

Days 1–2: Arrival and preparation. The first two days serve as a gentle introduction. Start each morning with a large glass of warm water—Hildegard recommended warm drinks because she believed cold weakens the inner warmth. Alongside this, drink a tea made from nettle and fennel in small sips throughout the morning. The diet during these days should be light and plant-focused: vegetable soups, steamed vegetables, spelt (Hildegard’s favorite grain), and fresh herbs. Processed foods, alcohol, and heavily salted dishes are consciously avoided this week.

Days 3–5: The active phase. In the middle of the week, the herbal program intensifies. Now dandelion tea is added—ideally brewed from fresh or dried leaves and drunk three times daily. Additionally, a walk in nature is recommended, as Hildegard placed great importance on physical activity outdoors as part of any cure. The diet remains light: salads with wild herbs (dandelion, young nettle leaves), spelt dishes, steamed fish, or legumes. Fasting products Drink at least two liters of herbal tea and still water daily. In the evening, a foot bath with an infusion of thyme and rosemary—also herbs described by Hildegard—can promote well-being.

Days 6–7: Winding down and integrating. The last two days are dedicated to conscious winding down. The morning ritual with warm water and herbal tea continues. This is also a good time to reflect on what has changed: Does the body feel lighter? Has well-being increased? Hildegard saw such rest and reflection phases as an integral part of every cure. The diet can gradually become more varied again—but with a newly sharpened awareness of the warming, plant-based cuisine that accompanied this week. The goal is to maintain some of the newly introduced habits permanently.

The heart of the program is not about abstinence but conscious addition: herbal teas, wild herbs in the kitchen, movement in nature, and a regular morning ritual with warm water—all of this corresponds to the spirit of Hildegard’s monastery medicine and can noticeably enrich general well-being during this week.

Nutrition according to Hildegard: What is on the table during the drainage week

Hildegard of Bingen was a passionate advocate of conscious, natural nutrition. Her diet was based on what was regionally and seasonally available—with a clear preference for warming spices, light grains, and fresh herbs. Hildegard of Bingen products In the context of our drainage program, her recommendations provide a concrete nutritional framework that is not only traditionally grounded but also practical for everyday life.

Spelt was the grain par excellence for Hildegard—she called it “the best grain” and recommended it as a basis for bread, soups, and porridges. In modern nutrition, spelt is valued for its good digestibility and characteristic nutrient profile. For the drainage week, spelt is suitable as a base for warm breakfast porridges (spiced with cinnamon and ginger, both appreciated by Hildegard), as bread for lunch, or as a side dish to steamed vegetables. White flour products, which Hildegard believed “burden” the body, are consciously excluded this week.

Vegetables should preferably be eaten warm and cooked during the Hildegard week—raw food in large quantities was intended in her teaching more for strong, warm constitutions. Fennel, parsnips, carrots, leeks, and celery are among the vegetables positively mentioned in her writings. Especially recommended this week is a daily vegetable broth refined with galangal, parsley, and a bit of anacyclus—a kind of liquid extract from Hildegard’s herbal treasure. This broth can be sipped throughout the day or used as a base for soups.

Hildegard’s spelt herb soup—a classic weekly recipe:

Ingredients: 1 cup spelt grains (soaked overnight), 2 carrots, 1 fennel bulb, 1 stalk leek, fresh parsley, a pinch of galangal powder, sea salt, 1.5 liters water.

Preparation: Roughly chop the vegetables, bring to a boil with the soaked spelt and water. Simmer gently for 40 minutes. Add galangal, salt, and fresh parsley at the end. This soup combines central elements of Hildegard’s nutrition and is ideal as a lunch or dinner dish during the drainage week.

Meat is allowed in Hildegard’s nutritional teaching but in moderation—and during the drainage week, it is advisable to reduce it to a minimum. Instead, plant-based protein sources like lentils, chickpeas, and spelt take center stage. Sweets and sugar, large amounts of coffee, and alcohol should be consciously avoided this week—not out of strictness but to give the body the chance to best integrate the plant-based program.

Hildegard of Bingen always emphasized: eating is more than nourishment—it is an act of mindfulness toward one’s own body. Those who consciously choose warming, plant-based, and traditionally rooted foods this week will have an experience that can extend far beyond seven days.

After the week: How to permanently integrate Hildegard’s principles into your daily life

Seven days are a start—but the real goal is sustainable change in everyday life. Hildegard of Bingen did not think in short-term programs: for her, a health-conscious life was a lasting attitude, a daily yes to nature and one’s own needs. Many of the habits introduced this week can be easily transferred to everyday life and unfold their benefits precisely through their regularity. Liver products from Bitterkraft

The morning ritual with a large glass of warm water is perhaps the simplest and most effective habit to take away from this week. Complemented by a daily herbal tea—nettle, fennel, or dandelion depending on the season and preference—it creates a daily connection to the herbal tradition that can deeply root itself in everyday life over time. Hildegard herself described the morning as the most important time of day, when body and mind should be prepared for the day’s demands. Immune system products

For those who want to dive deeper into the world of Hildegard herbs, complementary support through high-quality plant extracts and herbal preparations, as found in modern natural medicine, is recommended. Concentrated extracts of nettle, dandelion, or galangal make it possible to benefit from traditional herbal wisdom even in a hectic daily routine—without having to prepare fresh herbs daily. BitterKraft Original It is important to pay attention to quality: traditionally produced extracts from controlled cultivation that capture the spirit of monastery medicine without compromising on raw materials.

Movement in nature, conscious nutrition, regular herbal rituals, and a mindful attitude toward one’s own body—these are the four pillars on which Hildegard’s health teachings rest. They are so timeless that they can easily be translated into the 21st century. Anyone who uses the 7-day program as a starting point and then maintains even two or three of these habits has already taken a significant step in Hildegard’s sense.

The secret of the Hildegard method lies in its simplicity: no high-tech means, no complex systems—but respectful use of what nature has provided for centuries. This can support general well-being in the long term and give summer the best possible start.

Modern phytotherapy research is increasingly focusing on plants that played a central role in medieval monastery medicine. Hildegard herbs like nettle and dandelion are the subject of numerous ethnobotanical studies documenting their centuries-old traditional use in Europe and re-evaluating them in the context of contemporary natural medicine. (Source: Mayer, J.G. & Uehleke, B.: Hildegard Medicine, Zabert Sandmann Verlag, 2019)