You know when you feel five months pregnant… but you’re not? And in actual fact, your stomach just grew four inches after you ate lunch? Or maybe it happens to you out of the blue, or perhaps it’s like that when you wake up every morning.
What the eff?!
This is SO frustrating and has happened, or happens regularly, to most of us. What’s the deal? What is our gut so up in arms about? And why does it feel the need to report to us that it is NOT happy? And why, oh why, does it report this in the most uncomfortable way, the kind that makes us need to unbutton our pants and hope that our coworkers don’t notice? And last but certainly not least, just what is it that our gut is unhappy about?
The answer to that last question will differ from person to person, but I’m going to give you 3 tips that so many people have found helpful in reducing the belly bloat.
1. Take a probiotic.
If there is one thing that most people think of when it comes to reducing a bloated belly, it’s this one. By now, most people have heard of probiotics and know at least a little bit about what they do for us. Probiotics are key players in our digestive system; they work synergistically with other bacteria in our gut to keep us healthy (and by the way, we all have some “bad” bacteria as well, but this is kept in check by our “good” bacteria). Probiotics help to keep our digestive tract running smoothly, and they also produce some B vitamins as well as vitamin K2. Smart little guys, they are. Beyond digestion, probiotics are a hugely important part of our immune system.
Now, there are SO many probiotics out there… I know! It can be super duper confusing and make you want to turn around and walk right back out of the health food store and forget about all of it. I totally get it. Just know that you can’t really go wrong with any that you choose; each is a source of different types and amounts of probiotics, and that is perfect. I typically recommend choosing one that has a minimum of 10 billion bacteria per capsule, and many people take as much as 50 to 100 billion or more, depending on their digestive issues. If you want a specific brand recommendation, ask me in my private Facebook group.
You can (and are encouraged to) also eat fermented foods. They contain a real food, synergistic blend of probiotics, and thus are extremely nourishing for the gut. My faves include kefir, sauerkraut and kombucha. They’re tangy and oh-so-tasty.
2. Take a digestive enzyme.
This one is less well-known, but oh dearie me, it shouldn’t be! Digestive enzymes are like little Pac-Men whose goal in life is to break things down. They live for digesting our food and breaking it down into smaller pieces, which allows for better absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste. If we don’t have enough digestive enzymes, our gut will have a really hard time dealing with the resulting undigested food… and that can mean heartburn, bloating, gas, pregnant bellies in non-pregnant people… and just all-around discomfort. Not to mention the fact that the reason we eat food (besides pleasure) is for fuel, AKA nutrients, and if we can’t extract the nutrients from the food, we become nutrient-deficient, exhausted, and, well, hungry for more food, even though we just ate. It’s a vicious cycle that I don’t want to be a part of, thank you very much.
At our upcoming Thanksgiving meal, my family knows that I will be passing around the bottle of digestive enzymes, because, well, that is a meal that is just ASKING us to overeat. And you know what? It helps so much, and we all feel the difference.
Just like probiotics, there are a ton of digestive enzymes to choose from, but again, you can’t really go wrong. Choose one to start with and see how you feel (I suggest starting with 1 capsule at the beginning of each meal, but you may choose to just take 1 capsule with larger meals or when you’re at a restaurant or eating foods that you know will cause you to bloat). My follow-up question to that, though, is: Why are you eating foods that you KNOW are going to bloat you? Do your bod a favour and stay away, my friend.
Fun side note: We’re all human so there will be times when we choose to eat those foods, so in these cases, make sure you take your enzyme!
3. Eliminate or Drastically Reduce Possible Triggers
I know, I know… you don’t want to be told to cut out certain foods. And I get it, believe me! But when it comes to bloating, I gotta say, when you eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, certain foods, it can help so much! Common triggers include wheat and other grains (but mostly wheat), as well as dairy. Many people find raw cheese easier to digest compared with pasteurized, as well as goat or sheep dairy products (vs. cow). Some people also find that eating too many raw veggies can cause bloating, and if that’s you, try cooking more of them to make them more gentle on the digestive tract. Lastly, Mr. Sugar comes into play here as well. He can absolutely cause bloating, so this is yet another reason to push him out of your life.
On the whole, it pays to be more aware of our digestion and to know when things go awry (like in the case of bloating). Recognize that your body is speaking to you in symptoms, and it’s your job to take steps to heal it. I encourage you to incorporate the above, and let me know how you feel! Write a comment below to fill me in on the steps you’re going to be incorporating. Or, maybe you already do these things, in which case, awesome! Let me know how you feel since making these tweaks.
Now, go kick that bloat in the pants!