It makes me so sad when clients come in thinking that they'll be bloated forever!
Because nobody else can see it, or feel how uncomfortable it is, AND you don't know what to do about it, I find it's the most common symptom that clients will live with for a long time.
Rest assured it's possible to reduce and even eliminate bloating for good! Read on for more!
Bloating is defined as a swollen state caused by retention of fluid or gas.
What's really happening in the body when you experience bloating?
A fermentation process akin to making beer, fermentation of improperly digested food is the most common cause. Second to that is food intolerances.
And at the root cause of both of these are usually inadequate Hydrochloric Acid, Bile and enzymes production.
Imagine you are washing a greasy pan, without any dish soap.
OR trying to melt a marshmallow without any heat.
Similarly, when food isn't broken down and emulsified, it ends up in the small and large intestine in large particles that the intestines need to FERMENT in order to break them down into smaller pieces.
What results is rampant inflammation, that results in feelings of fatigue, pain, discomfort, and in some cases inability to sleep.
Chronic Bloating is associated with:
Nutritional Deficiencies; iron is a common one!
Poor Memory
Brain Fog
IBS; constipation, diarrhoea
Poor Sleep
Weight gain
Headaches
How to Reduce Bloating: Root Cause
Eat Bitters: Gives the Liver, Gall Bladder & Pancreas a Big Kick to produce bile & Enzymes to break food down properly. Lack of these leads to fermentation resulting in Bloating. Bitter Foods Include: WILD Rocket, Endive, Citrus Peal, Coffee, Cacao
Fire Up! Your Digestive FIRE is likely warm-cold. This happens due to chronic stress & illness resulting in low HCL Production. Include ACV, Fire Tonic, Sauerkraut.
AVOID The Instigators: Usually the foods you're intolerant to. You can get these assessed in a Nutrition Appointment with Jenna here Commonly dairy, wheat, eggs, corn, sugar.
BREATHE: Activate the parasympathetic nervous system, or rest & digest system. When you're stressed, cortisol displaces the gut microbiome. Chronically this leads to low HCL, tight abdominal muscles, dysfunctional Psoas muscle activity resulting in bloating.
Symptomatic Relief:
Ginger: fresh with meals or in a tea ginger has a carminative effect, decreases pressure on lower esophageal sphincter, reduces intestinal cramping, and prevents dyspepsia, flatulence, and bloating.
Peppermint tea; opens up the valves at either end of the digestive track allowing trapped gas out. Yes you'll fart and burp it out!
Peppermint Essential Oil/ DigestZen: Add 2 drops of essential oil to a carrier oil such as olive/ coconut oil and rub onto your stomach to relieve trapped gas
Fennel: chew as seeds, or brew in tea; helps the smooth muscles of the gut relax, reducing gas, bloating, and stomach cramps
For a gut health assessment and personalised advice you can book a consult here
Happy Day!
Jenna Poole
Functional Nutritionist
P.s. Love this article? I would be so grateful if you shared it with those you love!
Sources:
Nikkhah Bodagh, Mehrnaz et al. “Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials.” Food science & nutrition vol. 7,1 96-108. 5 Nov. 2018, doi:10.1002/fsn3.807