Bloating: The WHAT, WHY and HOW to avoid

Bloating can not only disrupt your progress but can also be very uncomfortable. Before I go into the ways to limit bloating from happening and how to relieve it quicker when it does I want to make clear that bloating FREQUENTLY is NOT NORMAL and you should not avoid it!! 

Bloating is normalised in today's society and yes everyone bloats sporadically like around your menstrual cycle, after a large meal etc. However it is NOT normal to be bloating on a frequent basis - that is your body giving you a pretty obvious sign that something is wrong, don’t ignore it!! 

So if you are bloating regularly please firstly use the advice below on how to identify WHAT and WHY is making you bloat to see if you can stop it. If not, go to a doctor. 

What Causes Bloating 

There are a lot of things that cause bloating but lets address the three main common ones 

Hormones

Food

Stress 

For most people these are the three main reasons why they bloat. For most their body can regulate the bloating can quickly and without a lot of discomfort. For others their bodies cannot which results in regular and uncomfortable bloating 

Hormones 

A standard cause of bloating for women is around your menstrual cycle - unfortunately this is unavoidable for most. However if you are suffering a lot of discomfort then go speak to your doctor and DO NOT accept the first solution they will give you, which will be to put you on the contraceptive pill, always ask for an investigation, for blood work etc first before you put medication in your body that simply masks over the pain etc incase you miss something your body was trying to make you aware of. 

A hormone imbalance could be causing you bloating. If you are sure its not food or other factors and have gone through the tools to identify those below then and only then should yo0u go to your doctor for a blood test to get your hormone levels looked at. The reason i say go AFTER looking at things l8ike your food is because for the vast majority of people it will be food related so if you go and get your hormones tested and start going down that lengthy path you are simply ignoring a very simple problem that can be resolved by looking at your nutrition. 

Food 

A lot of people can be SENSITIVE to foods without being INTOLERANT to them. Getting food intolerance tests done are great as they can quickly identify foods you should eliminate. However these tests do not show foods that your body is sensitive to and would perform better if removed. So keep that in mind. An easy way to identify what foods you are sensitive to is to keep a food diary. Write down what you are eating across a 2 week period and note how your body feels after consuming the food. DON’T change your food across the 2 weeks on the basis of what you are identifying as foods causing bloating. Eat normal for 2 weeks (or more, depending on how often you change your food sources) 

The reason i say not to eliminate any food before you have a complete set of information is because say on day one you eat some white bread and bloat, if you immediately think “Oh no i must be sensitive to bread” and eliminate ALL bread you might miss that on day 6 you eat some wholegrain bread and you were absolute fine so you wouldn't know that you are really sensitive to WHITE BREAD not all bread sources. 

For example, I am sensitive to peanut butter but not peanuts. 

Once you have done 2 weeks of eating you will be able to see what foods in your typical diet cause you issues and should be eliminated. 

Be mindful of things like sauces, butters, oils etc as they can cause people to bloat. So remember to list all the ingredients in your meals when doing this instead of just the meal name. 

Yes, it requires a bit of work but if it helps you not bloat anymore its worth it 

Stress

Stress unfortunately causes our intestines to inflame causing bloating. When people go through stressful periods they can easily become bloated. 

Our bodies release a stress hormone called cortisol and this impacts or digestive system to cause things like bloating and constipation. stress causes inflammation in the gut and any time your body inflames you can experience bloating. 

You can do everything you can to ensure you fuel your digestion correctly and to avoid bloating but sometimes it just happens and its out of your control 

12 ways to help relieve Bloating

Below are some ways you can relieve the bloating when it occurs 

1. Go for a walk 
2. Try yoga poses - the downward dog is GREAT for relieving uncomfortable gas
3. Drink peppermint tea
4. Abdominal massage 
5. Take a warm bath 

Long-term solutions for bloating when you have eliminated any foods causing issues 

1. Increase your fibre intake. If you track your food you should aim for around 20-25g of fibre every day to help aid digestion 
2. Replace soda with water
3. Avoid chewing gum 
4. Increase your daily activity levels 
5. Eat at regular intervals so your digestion can work at a level pace
6. Cut down on salt (salt causes are body’s to retain water) 
7. Review any supplements you take. Things like iron can cause constipation for people 

Great foods for added fibre 

Broccoli 

Berries

Avocados

Popcorn 

Whole grain carbs

Apples

Potatoes

Nuts

Ignoring bloating is simply ignoring your digestion. Our digestive systems require the most amount of energy each day from our body so when people come to me saying their energy is low the FIRST thing i do is look at how optimally their digestion is each day. If you are bloated regularly and your body is requiring more energy to break down foods its struggling with then all you are doing is draining your energy unnecessarily 

OPTIMIZE your digestion for more energy! 

Coach Laura