Do you wake up with a flat stomach and then throughout the day you gradually become more bloated?
Do you wake up with a flat stomach and then throughout the day you gradually become more bloated?
Abdominal bloating is when the abdomen feels full and tight. It commonly occurs due to a build-up of gas somewhere in the gut.
Bloating causes the belly to look larger than usual, and it may also feel tender or painful. Fluid retention in the body can also lead to bloating.
In fact, two in three people experience bloating after meals. Many of you reading this will identity with the symptoms and feelings associated with blasting, and I want to share with you my top tips which can help ease the symptoms.
Here are my Top Tips to help you beat the bloat:
Eat slowly and mindfully:
So that you don't take in too much air and you chew your food properly. Aim for 15-20 chews. If you tend to feel uncomfortable after a meal, the chances are that you overate. To avoid this uncomfortable feeling, eat smaller portions at regular intervals
Reduce:
Certain legumes, lentils, beans, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower can cause an increase in gas production. Reduce the intake of this food or ensure that they are well cooked. Also cut down on starchy food as it can also cause bloating.
Increase:
Eat foods to help beat the bloat, cucumber, melon, green bananas, grapes, avocado, and papaya that help soothe our digestive tract.
Mind your fluids:
Carbonated drinks such as soda contain air, which becomes trapped in the stomach and triggers gas and a bloated stomach. Beer can also trigger bloating in people allergic to gluten as it has wheat content.
Increase movement:
Exercise helps speed up the transit time of food through our digestive system and also helps improves bowel function. Walking, swimming, jogging, or cycling are useful forms of exercise to get the bowels moving.
Keep a food diary:
Write down everything you eat and drink, as food intolerances are responsible for many cases of bloating. They can lead to excessive gas in the digestive tract.
Cut down on salt intake
Beware of hidden salt in foods, as excess of sodium causes the body to retain water. This can cause a swollen and bloated feeling in the belly and other areas of the body, such as the hands and feet.
Increase fibre
We should be aiming fr 25-30g of fibre each day in our diet, but I would advise to increase slowly, if you are deficient as this could cause constipation. Go for wholegrain foods, wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat, or brown rice, apples , nuts are some good examples.
If you have tried the tips above and your symptoms are still continuing there maybe an underlying cause such as:
food intolerances
sensitivities, allergies
low stomach acid
a parasitic infection
imbalance of gut bacteria
vitamin deficiencies
weakened digestive system as seen in leaky gut.
I work closely with clients to identify the triggers, address any causes and manage their stress levels. Stress plays a significant role, whether causing or aggravating symptoms, and so creates a vicious cycle. Where our lifestyles are so busy, people eating more processed foods and refined sugar which have an overall effect on our gut health.