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Perhaps you think that the Chinese philosophy of naming each year after an animal has no meaning, you might be right? On the other hand perhaps there is something in it. This ancient tradition is based on a 12 year cycle. Apparently the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, held a "Great Race" across the river and the first 12 animals to reach the palace had a year named in their honour. 17 February 2026 marks the start of the Year of the Horse, sometimes known as Fire Horse, replacing the Year of the Snake who slithers off, having shed its skin for another 11 years before returning.

Bitter herbs are plants with a distinctly sharp, bitter taste that have been used for centuries to support digestion, cleanse the body, and anchor many healing and seasonal rituals in folk traditions. They work primarily by stimulating the body’s digestive reflexes and vital organs, while carrying a rich heritage of myth, magic, and everyday use in kitchens and health clinics alike. 

How Bitter Herbs Support Digestion and Affect the Body

Bitter herbs contain compounds, often called “bitter principles” that strongly activate bitter taste receptors on the tongue and throughout the digestive tract. When these receptors are stimulated, several coordinated responses occur:

Over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates, often called the “Father of Medicine,” shared a simple truth that continues to echo through the centuries: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

In our fast-paced, convenience-driven world, this quote feels more relevant than ever. Today, food is too often treated as a quick fix for hunger rather than the foundation of our health. Yet Hippocrates’ wisdom reminds us that every bite we take has the potential to heal—or to harm.

The Power of Everyday Choices

At this time of year we naturally think about our immune system, wanting to be sure that it is functioning well and fully to manage the transition from the warm and hot summer days to cooler days and colder, longer nights. Vitamin C is perhaps the one vitamin that stands out as it plays an important role in helping the body fight both bacterial and viral infections more prevalent at this time of year.