As Chinese medicine practitioners, we hear about all sorts of ailments from our patients. We always dive deep into the nitty-gritty details in our consults as the more details we can get, the clearer picture we can get of your overall health and tailor your treatment plan appropriately. And often this means sailing into uncharted waters you may not typically mull over with your health practitioners.

Yep, we’re talking about farts. Wind, flatulence, gas, whatever you want to call it, it can be a big problem for a lot of people. The silent but deadlies often being particularly troubling for some. But what about the other side of this? Instead of passing too much wind, what if you have wind to pass that simply won’t set sail?

Trapped gas is actually quite common and can be rather uncomfortable. Trapped gas will typically be accompanied by bloating and abdominal discomfort.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, this is all down to weak digestion, and in particular, weak Spleen Qi. The Spleen Qi is in charge of transforming and transporting the food and drink we consume around the body as fuel and energy. If the Spleen Qi is deficient or compromised, there is difficulty with the transformation and transportation functionality and things can become stuck. When things aren’t moving in the digestive system, they have a tendency to ferment, this can lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, and gas production.

To help strengthen the Spleen Qi and encourage the movement of gas out through the body, we recommend:

● Starting the day with hot water and lemon to stimulate the digestive system
● Reduce/avoid processed sugars, processed grains, and alcohol that can accelerate excessive fermentation in the gut.
● Increase intake of warming and cooked foods (roast veggies and soups).
● Eating cooked root vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, and beetroot.
● Sip on ginger tea throughout the day to help support digestive functionality.
● Walk regularly throughout the day to encourage digestive function and bowel movements.
● Self abdominal massage to help gut motility (always going in a clockwise direction)

Yours in wellness,
Your Tea
Traditional Chinese Restoratives

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