Being bloated isn’t a weight issue, it’s a digestive problem.
As women, we can often look at symptoms or changes to our body from a self-damaging lens. We’re trained that way through media from a very young age!
But bloating isn’t superficial. It’s rooted deep in the gut and can be one of the first signs that your digestion needs support.
And this week, we’re going to deep dive into what causes bloating, and what you can do about it. It’s one of the most common symptoms clients come to see me for – and it can be prevented.
So, why are you bloated? Here are some common root causes:
Stress
It lowers your stomach acid making it harder for your body to breakdown your food. These large food particles irritate the gut and cause it to react through bloating. Chronic stress can also lead to malnourishment and chronic inflammation.
Low Stomach Acid
Too little stomach acid is a common problem these days. It can be genetic, due to chronic stress, or illness. Without enough stomach acid, your digestive system can’t breakdown your food. This can also aggravate the gut, leading to gut permeability.
Gut Permeability
Also known as leaky gut, this occurs when the gut becomes aggravated. Little holes can develop in the intestinal lining allowing particles or bacteria to leak out (or in!). This can cause inflammation, malnourishment, gut dysbiosis and food sensitivities.
Food Sensitivities
They are super common these days, and chances are you have some. Food sensitivities are when your body is unable to breakdown, digest, or absorb certain foods. Your body’s reaction can be to bloat due to inflammation or the gut microbiome. If you don’t address food sensitivities, gut permeability will happen.
Inflammation
This is your body’s first line of defense when there’s a problem. It stems from the gut and is a common cause of bloating as your body is trying to tell you there’s a problem. Chronic inflammation can lead to gut permeability also.
Gut Dysbiosis
A fancy term for a gut bacteria imbalance. This can also refer to when bacteria creep up into the small intestine, known as SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). When the bacteria feed on prebiotics it can cause bloating. So if you’re eating a healthy diet and suffering with bloating, this may be why.
Addressing the root cause is key to preventing damage and healing the gut quickly.
So, what can you do about it?
- Focus on stress reduction. It’s one of the cheapest and most effective things you can do to reduce bloat and improve gut health. Focus on including daily exercise, deep breathing, and good quality sleep each night.
- Increase your stomach acid. This supports digestion for the proper breakdown of your food. It also helps the right bacteria make it to the large intestine, and prevents them from entering the small intestine. Try lemon water 30 minutes before a meal or a shot of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) 10 minutes before.
- Chew your food really well. If you’re like most people, you eat in a hurry. Focusing on chewing your food until it becomes liquid helps support digestion. It breaks down your food for better absorption and is less aggravating to the gut. Chew your food a good 20-30 times before swallowing.
- Eat more anti-inflammatory foods. While removing inflammatory foods is helpful, sometimes what you add in is more important. Anti-inflammatory foods will help to reduce inflammation, relaxing the gut and preventing reactions. Include a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Focus on healing your gut. A key step to improving your digestion, health, and symptoms. It may require a food sensitivity test and some work to reverse damage. But I promise, this step is worth it to feel better again!
Listen, I’m a nutritionist. I can give you loads of information on health and nutrition. But it still comes down to you as an individual. Try these things mentioned first. But if you find it’s not working, book an appointment with me. I can help uncover the root cause, and address it using personalized nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations.
Nutrition is confusing, but even more so when it’s generic and doesn’t feel like it’s working. But trust me, food can be your medicine!