Bloating

Most of us have experienced that horrible feeling of bloating at some point in our lives (if not, I’m certain you’ll unfortunatly experience such discomfort at some point) where your tummy feels stretched, puffy and well...bloated! You might suffer from bloating after an overindulgent weekend or around the festive season; But for some people, bloating is more of an occasional/continuous inconvenience.

If you’re feeling or suffering from bloating it could be due to:

• Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or excess gas.
  
• Constipation which might be caused by not eating enough fiber or drinking enough fluids.
  
• Swallowing excess air! Yep, that’s right people who tend to eat or drink too fast swallow excess air which can fill your gastrointestinal tract leaving you bloated or constipated. You may also suffer from heartburn or indigestion from doing so.
  
• Coeliac disease, this is where the small intestine becomes inflamed and unable to absorb nutrients.
  
• An intolerance to certain foods which causes difficulty in digesting certain foods like milk, eggs or fish.
  
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) a common digestive issue that affects the large intestine.  
  

Cut down on the following food that could be contributing towards your bloating and gassiness:

• Beans, beans are good for the heart but the more you eat them, the more you…Beans are very rich is fibre, if you eat a fair amount of Baked Beans, Kidney Beans, Soy Beans or Chickpeas in your diet this could be the cause of your bloating.
  
• Lentils (like beans) are also legumes meaning they’re high in protein and fibre. This can cause bloating in some sensitive individuals.
  
• Carbonated drinks are full of bubbles, gas and sugar which can get trapped in your GI.
  
• Wheat also contains protein called gluten which could be the root cause of your bloating problems. You need to cut down and/or test to find out if you’re gluten intolerant.
  
• Cruciferous Vegetables like Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Collard Greens (but remember, it’s still important to get your 5 a day!).
  
• Onions contain fructose, these soluble fibres can cause your stomach to stretch and bloat.  
  
• Dairy products are an excellent source of protein and calcium, however, 75% of the population struggle to break down lactose the sugar found in these products.
  
• Sugary alcohol and beer are difficult for our bodies to digest and are also sometimes heavily carbonated.

Beating Bloating

When you’re suffering from bloating it can be difficult to workout exactly how to remove it, because you’re feeling so uncomfortable and yucky people avoid food and drinks through the fear of feeling worse...but that’s not always the case. Here are some smart ways of removing bloating and resetting your body.

1. Drink up and increase your water intake. This helps to flush your system, if you’re feeling constipated this will help get things moving. I also find taking a short, gentle walk afterwards also helps your digestion, relieving constipation.

2. Eat more Fibre. Snack and/or introduce more high-fibre foods like strawberries, blueberries, dried apricots and plums into your diet - but try not to over do it. Your body needs time to get used to processing the increased bulk.

3. Cut back on gassy foods and foods that may irritate your digestive system as mentioned above. 
   

4. Don’t bite off more than you can chew - Limit your portions (portion control) and avoid overeating also avoid, spicy and fatty foods.
   
   If you’re still struggling with stubborn and persistent bloating then we have a number of solutions that could help eliminate bloating and reset your gastrointestinal tract.