|Today, I want to talk about how to overcome the bloat. If you are someone that struggles with stomach distention, bloating, gas or digestive distress of any kind I want to share with you why this might be happening and a few remedies to BEAT THE BLOAT!
Okay let’s break it down and make this simple. The first thing we will want to do is eliminate some of the reasons for the bloat, gas or constipation:
- Excess Fluid Retention (excess sodium): We tend to bloat on the cellular level if we have too much fluid and sodium and if we have too little. We need enough water to keep things flowing and saturated so that our bodies aldosterone (homrone that is in charge of regulating salt and water stays in check).
- Did you eat something that causes inflammation (I will discuss bloat promoting foods below and yes some are healthy foods).
- Do you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) *I have a few tips below that can help with symptoms of IBS.
- SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) bloating is an indicator (know what foods to avoid and what foods might help along with what supplements help to get rid of it).
- Yeast or Candida Infection can overgrow in the gut
- Too much or too little fiber.
The American Heart Association Eating Plan suggests eating a variety of food fiber sources. Total dietary fiber intake should be 25 to 30 grams a day from food, not supplements. Currently, dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 grams a day. That’s about half the recommended amount.
So what Now?!?!?! Let’s discuss some Bloat Promoting foods and some Bloat Fighting Foods and Herbs
Bloat Promoting Foods
Sugary Foods and Drinks (feeds candida and yeast/bad bacteria)
Carbonated beverages
xylitol
Sugar Alcohols
Chewing Gum (robs digestive enzymes)
Conventional Dairy Products (pasteurized kills the good bacteria)
Processed Grains
Difficult do digest Vegetables (raw and Cruciferous vegetables)
Unsprouted beans or legumes (soak them or canned is better)
*Peanuts and Cashews are legumes that are not soaked so it can be very difficult to digest*
Artificial Sweeteners (can cause leaky guts)
NOW WHAT FOODS HELP???
Bloat Fighting foods
Fermented Vegetables (probiotic foods such as kem chi, sauerkraut, pickles)
Raw Dairy in some forms can help (most will exacerbate it but some can help it)
Examples: keifer, fermented yogurt
Chia seeds is a great bloat fighter
Water rich vegetables (cucumbers)
Organic fruits and organic vegetables
Examples: oranges, kiwi, blueberries, blackberries
Herbs and Spices
Ginger and Peppermint (fights inflammation)
Chamomile (calms upset stomachs, inflammation, GI Spasms)
Now that we looked at some of the causes for bloat and how to can kick it to the curb with some foods and herbs now let’s take a quick peak at some Bloat Beaters and how to Seal and Heal your gut.
Bloat Beaters
Jumping (like a jump rope helps move things along)
Reduce stress (exercise)
Hydrated (raw diluted juices, water, bone broth)
SEAL and HEAL the Gut
Add Aloe Vera Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Probiotics
Digestive Enzymes for Meals
Glutamine
Feeling Bloated is the WORST! It is so uncomfortable and in most cases we can do things to improve it. Plus when we have chronic inflammation we are setting ourselves up for potential problems later in life (in particular autoimmune I commonly see).
100% of people deal with it bloat at some point in their life so I hope that you found this helpful. If you, or anyone you know, needs help with how to manage their gut health please feel free to reach out. My team and I would be happy to help.
