Even in the UK, with a population significantly smaller than China's, millions suffer from abdominal bloating. British nutritionists have developed a "bloat-busting diet" to address this—let's take inspiration from it!
Foods to limit:
1. Sugary foods (including cakes);
2. Fermented foods: bread, beer, wine, etc.;
3. Malted foods, such as certain breakfast cereals containing malt;
4. Alcohol, vinegar, pickled onion relish, or gherkins;
5. All fruits except green apples (restricted for a maximum of two days), dried fruits, and fruit juices;
6. Fungal foods like mushrooms and hard cheeses.
Suitable foods:
1. All grain products;
2. Fresh vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.;
3. Rice and oat cakes;
4. Popcorn and maltose-free oatmeal or whole grain cereals;
5. Naturally fermented yogurt and soft cheeses;
6. Eggs.
Dietary Remedies for Bloating:
1. Anti-Bloating Stomach-Strengthening Porridge: Take 3 grams of amomum villosum, 6 grams of dried tangerine peel, 6 grams of citrus aurantium, and 6 grams of citron. Decoct these four herbs in water, strain out the residue, then add 60-90 grams of white rice and an appropriate amount of water. Simmer into porridge and consume in two to three servings throughout the day.
2. Anti-Bloating Drink: Take 2 grams of dried tangerine peel (shredded) and 1 gram of rose petals. Steep in hot water and drink as a beverage to relieve gas.
3. Amomum and Crucian Carp Soup: 3g amomum, 1 crucian carp, scallions, ginger, and salt to taste. Scale, gut, and clean the fish. Wash the amomum and stuff it into the fish cavity. Place the fish in a pot with sufficient water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until the fish is cooked. Add seasonings and simmer for several minutes.Consume the meat and soup. Promotes qi circulation, drains dampness, strengthens the spleen, and dries dampness. Suitable for poor appetite, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and abdominal pain caused by spleen-stomach deficiency.Cut the pigeon meat into chunks. Place in a clay pot with codonopsis, astragalus, Chinese yam, salt, seasonings, and sufficient water. Simmer gently for 50 minutes. After steaming until tender, consume the soup and meat. Take every other day for 10 consecutive days. This tonifies qi, strengthens the spleen, and harmonizes the stomach. Suitable for poor appetite and postprandial bloating due to spleen-stomach qi deficiency.
5. Pinellia and Magnolia Honey Decoction: 6g Pinellia ternata, 6g Magnolia officinalis, honey to taste. Decoct Pinellia and Magnolia to extract the medicinal liquid, then add honey and boiling water before consumption. Take once daily. Suitable for restlessness, abdominal distension, and fullness.