Tips To Reduce Bloating 

We all know that uncomfortable feeling when your stomach feels bloated and sometimes painful.

There are several reasons this can happen. You might have eaten too much, too fast, or the wrong kind of food. Foods high in salt, fat, or sugar can cause gas, weight gain, constipation, or water retention.

Certain health issues like coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or ulcerative colitis can also make bloating more likely.

Also, during menopause the hormonal changes can play a big role, so it’s important to watch for symptoms related to too much or too little oestrogen or progesterone.

Foods that cause gas and bloating

We often joke about baked beans and camping, and beans are a good source of fibre and protein. However, they contain a substance called raffinose, which can produce gas when it is broken down by bacteria, leading to bloating.

How much gas this causes can differ from person to person, and other foods like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts also contain raffinose.

Your body may get used to these foods over time, but it’s wise to avoid having too many of them in one meal.

Find the FODMAPs

FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates that can be hard to digest for some people and they can cause bloating due to gas and fluid buildup. It stands for:

Fruit can also cause bloating, so if you are sensitive, try to eat no more than one portion a day if sensitive to reduce the risk for this.

Keep notes on how your body handles different foods so you can design your own diet to minimise bloating.

Slow down!

Eating quickly makes you swallow more air. This air can make your stomach swell, and sometimes it moves into your intestines.

When you eat fast, you also eat more food as it can take up to 30 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know that you are full.

You might eat too much before your brain gets this message, which can lead to bloating.

Watch what you eat and drink

Limit fizzy drinks, such as beer, champagne, and soft carbonated drinks, including watere. The gas you swallow from these drinks fills up your digestive system.

You burp some of the gas, but some stays in your body and eventually “passes” out in another way. This is why it’s called “passing gas.”

Watch how many simple carbohydrates you eat as your body uses these simple carbs faster than protein or fat, which take longer to digest.

After using the carbs it needs for energy, your body stores the extra as glycogen, which makes you hold on to water, and later as fat cells. Both can cause bloating.

It is better to choose “complex” carbs, like whole grains and vegetables, instead of “simple” carbs, like white bread and pastries, since they take longer to digest.

Eat just enough

Your stomach is about the size of a fist. When you eat, food gets smaller during digestion. However, if you eat too much, it can stretch your stomach, making you feel bloated.

Eating too much food can lead to extra salt, carbs, fats, and calories, which can also cause bloating.

Limit salt

Your body needs salt, but if you have too much it makes your body hold onto more water and that can cause bloating. It can also result in kidney issues and high blood pressure.

You may get more salt than you think from processed and fast foods so always check food labels for salt (sodium) content, and remember that you might not taste it even if it’s there.

Feeling constipated?

Constipation can make you feel bloated. It often happens when you need more water, fibre, or exercise. Dietary changes, illness, or stress can also be factors.

It usually goes away, but drinking water, exercising, and adding more fibre and probiotics can help.

Important: Do not use laxatives for more than a week. If you still have issues after that time, or if you are losing weight without knowing why, see your doctor.

This is especially important if you also experience dizziness, stomach pain, or blood in your stool, as these may signal a more serious problem.

Check your weight

Have you gained ten or more pounds in the last year? Many women who feel bloated experience this and it often ends up around the belly, leaving less room for your stomach to stretch.

Check your diet and hormone balance plays a balance here too. Women tend to put on weight round the stomach at menopause as the body shifts its production of oestrogen from the ovaries into the fat cells of the belly, abdomen and thighs.

Check your fat intake

It takes your body a long time to digest fat, so it can stay in your stomach and make you feel bloated.

Fat is also high in calories, which can add up quickly and lead to weight gain, possibly causing more bloating.

Medical conditions

Some gut issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, or infections, might be the reason for your bloating.

Always talk to your doctor, and you can help yourself by getting good sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet.

Helpful information

Weight gain and bloating are common during menopause and are often linked to hormone imbalance.

Check your symptoms to see if they might improve with Wellsprings Serenity, a bioidentical progesterone cream which can help with bloating and weight loss.

If you need more help from your diet, then this article can give you some tips.

https://blog.wellsprings-health.com/20-foods-and-drinks-that-help-with-bloating/