Looking down at her stomach, the young woman (amused yet disdainful) remarked, “Holy Sh**! Teshia, check out my food baby!”
I giggled along with her, but mainly due to the creativity behind her sentence. Bloating so excessive you feel / look pregnant?! Not good, and certainly, not fun.
There are many things that cause bloating, but let’s start with the main contributor, our diet. Here are the main food related reasons you could be going to lunch only to return appearing three months pregnant:)
Food Allergies (ex: Lactose or Gluten intolerance), constipation, overeating (don’t stuff yourself, eat small meals throughout the day to prevent overeating), consumption of artificial sweeteners (these are not easily broken down by the body, gas producing), carbonated beverages (excess carbon dioxide causes belly expansion) poorly combining foods (proteins and starches for example are best not eaten together), not enough / too much fibre (some people have to work a little harder to find the right balance here), booze bloat (alcohol creates puffiness around the belly and the eyes), too much salt (again, I’ll say it again this week, ditch the processed food!), not enough water (water greatly aids digestion, furthermore, dehydration causes the body to retain water, in other words; being dehydrated will puff you up!), caffeine / chocolate (overstimulate the digestive tract, again, this = bye bye flat belly), eating / drinking too fast (avoid swallowing air! Chew with your mouth closed. Stop talking so much. Chewing gum doesn’t help here either).
So, with all the possible contributors, how do you figure out the cause of your belly bloat? Awareness, intuition, and really listening to your body is absolutely key here. You could keep a food journal, for example, wherein you could list the foods you eat, and how you feel afterwards. What foods disagree with your unique body? In the meantime, to manage symptoms, here are some natural super star bloat reducers; exercise / yoga, taking a walk after meals, lemon water, ginger, peppermint (my fav) / camomile / fennel tea, probiotic foods / supplements (greatly aid digestion), and digestive enzymes (taken with meals this supplement is amazing for reducing bloating /gas / digestive disturbances).
If you need more help in figuring out why you’re having a “food baby,” book a session with me, together, we’ll get to the bottom of your bloat!
Now, sometimes bloating isn’t related to food, so you may need to delve a little deeper here. Are you really stressed? Stress and high levels of cortisol go together, and together, they contribute to belly distress and you guessed it....bloating. Reduce stress, eat well, eat slow, and yoga / exercise at least 3-5 times a week.
STILL bloated?!? See your Naturopath or GP. Some medical conditions affecting the liver / bowels can contribute to abdominal swelling.
Often we go from day to day feeling less than “good.” We are tiered, grumpy, constipated, craving sugar like mad, headachy, and, bloated. THESE human experiences are not our birthright folks! We are supposed to feel good, great even! The symptoms you are categorizing as normal, may (at this point) be “normal” for you, but, they don’t have to be! Stop settling, I’m here to tell you, you deserve more.
GOOD-BYE food baby, HELLO flat tummy!
I giggled along with her, but mainly due to the creativity behind her sentence. Bloating so excessive you feel / look pregnant?! Not good, and certainly, not fun.
There are many things that cause bloating, but let’s start with the main contributor, our diet. Here are the main food related reasons you could be going to lunch only to return appearing three months pregnant:)
Food Allergies (ex: Lactose or Gluten intolerance), constipation, overeating (don’t stuff yourself, eat small meals throughout the day to prevent overeating), consumption of artificial sweeteners (these are not easily broken down by the body, gas producing), carbonated beverages (excess carbon dioxide causes belly expansion) poorly combining foods (proteins and starches for example are best not eaten together), not enough / too much fibre (some people have to work a little harder to find the right balance here), booze bloat (alcohol creates puffiness around the belly and the eyes), too much salt (again, I’ll say it again this week, ditch the processed food!), not enough water (water greatly aids digestion, furthermore, dehydration causes the body to retain water, in other words; being dehydrated will puff you up!), caffeine / chocolate (overstimulate the digestive tract, again, this = bye bye flat belly), eating / drinking too fast (avoid swallowing air! Chew with your mouth closed. Stop talking so much. Chewing gum doesn’t help here either).
So, with all the possible contributors, how do you figure out the cause of your belly bloat? Awareness, intuition, and really listening to your body is absolutely key here. You could keep a food journal, for example, wherein you could list the foods you eat, and how you feel afterwards. What foods disagree with your unique body? In the meantime, to manage symptoms, here are some natural super star bloat reducers; exercise / yoga, taking a walk after meals, lemon water, ginger, peppermint (my fav) / camomile / fennel tea, probiotic foods / supplements (greatly aid digestion), and digestive enzymes (taken with meals this supplement is amazing for reducing bloating /gas / digestive disturbances).
If you need more help in figuring out why you’re having a “food baby,” book a session with me, together, we’ll get to the bottom of your bloat!
Now, sometimes bloating isn’t related to food, so you may need to delve a little deeper here. Are you really stressed? Stress and high levels of cortisol go together, and together, they contribute to belly distress and you guessed it....bloating. Reduce stress, eat well, eat slow, and yoga / exercise at least 3-5 times a week.
STILL bloated?!? See your Naturopath or GP. Some medical conditions affecting the liver / bowels can contribute to abdominal swelling.
Often we go from day to day feeling less than “good.” We are tiered, grumpy, constipated, craving sugar like mad, headachy, and, bloated. THESE human experiences are not our birthright folks! We are supposed to feel good, great even! The symptoms you are categorizing as normal, may (at this point) be “normal” for you, but, they don’t have to be! Stop settling, I’m here to tell you, you deserve more.
GOOD-BYE food baby, HELLO flat tummy!