Depression can quickly spiral out of control, until the only way to control it is seemingly with medication. We are forgiven for taking this path if so, due to lack of information on the conditions itself; the causes, aggravators and ramifications of.

Depression is often treated in a reactionary manner, less so pro-active manner. This can often be due to the urgency of situations that depression can bring about. There is no right or wrong path when it comes to dealing with and addressing depression; with the most important factor being personal safety.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, depression is perceived to be derived from a multitude of aggravators, that if addressed early, may not result in such severe and difficult consequences for those suffering.

To elaborate, some words by Letha Hadady;

‘Digestive causes of depression: are you ‘fed up’? ‘Sick of it?’ Have you ‘had it up to here?’. We often use digestive terms to describe frustration or depression. There is good reason for it. Deficient chi (weakness), indicated by a pale tongue, hinders processing foods as well as ideas and emotions. A coated tongue indicates phlegm. Phlegm, obstructs the senses. It clouds perception and thinking. This implies hormones and chemicals and all subtle physical reactions that affect emotions. Excessive phlegm makes you moody and obsessive. With an excess phlegm condition, you may become too confused to move forward. You may also crave foods that aggravate the problem. Sweets, fried foods, fats and oils increase phlegm.”

As you can see, TCM is passionate about the link between digestive phlegm and depression.

But how do we address phlegm and how easy is this unfamiliar term to relate?

Letha Hadady continues on; ‘by reversing phlegm with pungent drying foods and herbs, we reverse one underlying cause of depression. Eating the right foods is important, but without enough digestive chi, all benefits are lost.

Ensuring sufficient vitality from digestion, respiration, circulation and immune strength is the basis of energetic medicine’.

We will jump in here and break down a few basics; even if your diet is on point, unless your digestive system is functioning then all that brilliant nutrition is going to waste. Why? Because if something is broken, it needs fixing first.

Now of course, every single body is different, privy to inherent conditions and those earnt through lifestyle and eating – however from a fundamental level the digestive system and excess phlegm can be addressed with Chinese herbs on a basic level.

This is what our Digestive Herbs, formerly Tiny Tea is designed for.

On a more intricate level, visiting a Chinese Medicine practitioner one on one will provide you with individualise treatment, which is ideal.

However, Digestive Herbs, formerly Tiny Tea aims to address basic digestive weakness with the idea to strengthen it to a level of digestive acceptability. Which for many, is a massive increase from where they were.

When you take our Happy Tea for example, even these herbs work directly on the digestive system – because in TCM it is so notably linked with happiness, or lack thereof.

The moral of the story is; if your digestive system isn’t firing then you could be wasting precious time and energy on care for your body. Which in itself, is depressive and discouraging.

Knowing that the emotional can affect the physical and that the physical can affect the emotional, allows us to move forward treating our grief or physical, in a realistic manner.

Yours in health,

Your Tea.