Please advise on excessive gassiness

This is in no way to express a judgement on your current practitioner, but I would personally see someone else if you are not getting results. While many practitioner express things to patients just to simplify what we do, there is no possible way for someone to treat one symptom in Chinese Medicine when properly used. In other words, you cannot separate out the anxiety and then work on the digestion later, you have to do it all at once. That is, in fact, the basis and the strength of Chinese Medicine - it&#39s systemic approach.

Your issues are things that should at least move towards much better function in a matter of weeks to months when properly treated. Sometimes just a different set of eyes and techniques does wonders.

Hello, when you described your gas and lack of odor, I first thought that this may be due to cold condition. Then whn you described your very healthy diet, I also thought your diet is on the "cold" side (smoothies, raw veggies, salads...). Too much cold food is not good for digestion. I suggest you switch to room temperature or warm drinks and steamed vegetables. It not always what you eat. Foods have properties that we need to be aware of. Here is a an article I wrote that I think will help in this case:

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Nutrition and Wellness: It is not just about what you eat

Did you know that the nature or properties of the foods you eat, how you eat and your frame of mind, affects nutritional intake and ultimate wellness?

The stomach and spleen are paired in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and together this system, along with the lung/large intestine system, provides the life-giving energy the body needs to feed and protect itself. Many imbalances and health issues according to TCM diagnosis, start with stomach/spleen issues. Western medical practitioners and naturopaths also believe many problems related to health, such as inflammation, allergies and autoimmune disorders, start with digestive problems.

According to TCM, the stomach and spleen are responsible for transformation and transportation of nutrients and fluids. The stomach likes dampness, warm temperatures and is affected by emotions. The stomach and spleen dominate muscle strength, control blood and transform dampness. Examples of symptoms related to issues with the spleen and stomach show up as pale colouring to the mouth/lips, yellowing of complexion, fatigue, diarrhea, easy bruising, prolapses, varicose veins, edema, nausea, digestive issues (bloating, gas, pain), lack of taste, heavy limbs and prolonged menstruation or bleeding.

The nature of the food is important. Overly spicy food or dry food can aggravate the stomach causing “heat” or “yin deficiency” problems. Cold or raw foods can cause stagnation with bloating, gas, flatulence or pain. If you already have a “cold” imbalance then it is OK to eat spicy foods. If you already have a “heat” imbalance then cold and raw is OK. The situation is different for every person. If you find you are ravenous for food at certain times of the day, chances are you have stomach heat. Food consisting of a warm, moist, neutral balance is best.

In terms of how you eat, it is important to chew well and eat meals at regular times. Don’t over-indulge, eat too fast, nibble, read while eating, eat too late at night, think about work, worry, or be sad or angry while eating. Emotional strain is a detriment to good digestion. A positive frame of mind is best. In particular, worry, over thinking and over analysing, even when not eating, can affect digestion over a long period of time and can lead to chronic deficiencies.

So my advice is: be mindful of your eating habits, maintain a balance of temperature and moisture, chew well, eat on a regular schedule and most of all, be happy when eating!

I recommend that you try food therapy, especially if the practitioner that you visit does not seem to be helping with the gasiness. To me, this sounds like a vacuity of the stomach/spleen meridian as gwilliams has already said. These organs can easily be replenished in a matter of a few months (generally 2-3 months) with lasting results. I experiment on myself and friends and family with food therapy, and for such a simple thing it works wonders.

The Chinese have observed that each yin and yang organ in the body has two hours during the day in which it is at its peak condition. The stomach is at its optimal time between 7am and 9am, and its yin pair the spleen is at its optimum between 9am and 11 am. This means that we should focus on replenishing the spleen and stomach around 9am. I highly recommend eating a warm cooked millet porridge for breakfast with honey. You can choose between oat milk, almond milk, rice milk and soy milk to cook the porridge in. It is not recommended that you use cow, sheep or goat milk, because these create phlegm in the body and they burden the spleen and stomach further. Also stay away from pork, pork products(ie: bacon), duck, dairy, raw foods and bananas in the morning, as these also create phlegm. I also recommend that you drink a warm drink with or before your porridge to optimise and help the digestive function of your stomach. A fennel seed, ginger and green tea blend works brilliantly, and also nourishes both the spleen and stomach and should help reduce gasiness.

For lunch, any food is fine, but you should focus on eating warm cooked veggies, cooked meats and grains (such as pasta). Red wine in moderation is okay at lunchtime as it helps the digestive function of the stomach and nourishes heart blood vacuity which is sometimes associated with mood swings and general moodiness, depression, etc.

Dinner should be a smaller meal and should focus on regenerating the kidney network (between 5pm and 7pm). Pork and duck at this time is excellent, as are salads and raw fruits. Dairy is also acceptable to eat.

There are no foods that you cannot eat, you just need to learn the times at which they are most beneficial to consume. This way you can enjoy eating anything and nourish your organs at the same time. Thus, you can be healthy without living on herbal remedies 24/7.