Ways to deal with bloating and IBS

Ever get that feeling that your clothes are getting tighter from one day to the next? That bloated feeling that comes and goes and makes your life difficult. Well it’s a pretty common problem in today’s lifestyle. For those that have done the Body Type test, Blue body types are especially susceptible to this problem.

Sometimes, it may be just your belly not playing nicely but other times it can be joined by other unwanted friends like belching, excessive wind and even nausea. All these are symptoms of trouble arising from your food processing factory that we know as ‘digestion’.

Bloating is commonplace in modern lifesytles

The food you’re eating isn’t getting digested properly – the process is taking longer than it should so instead of that food being digested, nutrients assimilated and waste eliminated efficiently, food items are hanging around too long in your gut (some more than others). These then start to putrefy and ferment and so those unwanted symptoms start to appear.

if you improve your digestion, you will manage your bloat

So, if you can improve your digestion, you’ll be able to manage your bloat and everything that comes with it. And what you eat and how you eat it can make a big difference to that.

A check list for managing bloating

Symptoms
These are your body’s warning lights to tell you to take some action:
• Bloating
• Belching
• Excessive wind
• Nausea
• Tiredness
• Poor concentration
• Low appetite

Causes:
Here are 10 common causes, both physiological and psychological:
1. Poor eating habits (such hurried eating and not chewing food enough)
2. Food sensitivity
3. Low levels of stomach acid (resulting in weak digestion)
4. Incompatible food combinations
5. Imbalance in gut flora
6. Interface between gastric and other hormonal systems
7. Sedentary lifestyle (whether it’s a habit or enforced)
8. Being stressed
9. Being in a bad mood
10. Compromised function of organs (maybe resulting from trauma, injury or surgery)

Irritants:
When you’re in a state of distress, there critters will not help your cause!
• Sugary foods
• Stimulants like alcohol or coffee
• Excessively sweet fruits (such as many tropical fruits)
• Fatty, processed foods (particularly fatty fried foods like donuts or fried chicken)
• (Dairy – for some people)
• (wheat / gluten – for some people)
• Ice-cold drinks or foods

Helpers:
Your food first aid kit should consist of these guys:
• Fermented foods (like live yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and pickles)
• Garlic (if there’s not a sensitivity to sulphur)
• Ginger (for some people who generally feel cold)
• Papaya and pineapples (they contain enzymes that support digestion and are )
• Flaxseed/Linseed infusion (boil a tablespoon of seeds in two mugs of water for 3-4 mins until it becomes gluey and drink it before meals)
• High fiber foods (if you also have constipation)
• Warm water!

Gut aid

Generally speaking, while fermented foods improve our gut flora by helping redress the microbe balance in our gut (the ‘gut microbiome’) by populating it with more of the good guys, processed foods do the complete opposite. Also, remember that getting into the habit of mindful eating – being calm, collected and distraction-free – is a big helper when you’re struggling with digestion.

Sometimes life’s not as simple as that and certain foods can trigger reactions that we’re familiar with and that’s our body telling us it doesn’t need or want a specific food. In that situation, it’s good to know the culprit(s) through a process of elimination. This is something you can do yourself using a set of simple guidelines or you can ask a nutritional therapist.

Just remember that if you’re getting the bloat, it’s what you’ve eaten and/or how you’ve eaten it that got you into this mess and what/how you eat will get you out of it. If it doesn’t it could indicate a more chronic underlying condition for which it’s worth reaching out to an expert like a registered nutritional therapist

This self-care health hack is from Superfied expert nutritional therapist Beata Rachowiecka

To find out more, read our ‘Rethink your wellbeing’ guide