The dreaded bloat!
Bloating is something I have suffered with constantly for years.
It took me a long time to find out why it was happening, what I could do to prevent it and better still how to manage it if it occurred.
Firstly lets look at the symptoms;
The most common symptom associated with bloating is a sensation that the abdomen is full or distended.
Pains that are due to bloating will feel sharp and cause the stomach to cramp.
I have learned over the years to avoid Dairy and Wheat/ Gluten when possible as these have an immediate effect on my system and I bloat in a matter of minutes.
So, what causes bloating; it is different for everyone.
You just need to figure out what your triggers are and avoid them!!
You just need to figure out what your triggers are and avoid them!!
Causes
There are many causes of bloating, including: diet, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, reflux, and constipation, to name a few.
Specific medical conditions like Crohn's Disease or bowel obstruction can also contribute to the amount of stomach bloating experienced.
Gas and bloating is a sign that food is not being digested correctly by the body.
An inadequate intake of water will also cause excessive stomach bloating. Water benefits the body by aiding with digestion because it supports a majority of the body's daily functions.
An inadequate intake of water will also cause excessive stomach bloating. Water benefits the body by aiding with digestion because it supports a majority of the body's daily functions.
Fatty foods cause a formation of fat cells to develop throughout the body and contribute to bloating as well.
A build up of fat cells slows down the body's ability to empty the stomach.
Dairy products also contribute to excessive cramps, gas, and bloating.
People like me that are intolerant to lactose products experience this effect more than others.
Once these foods are digested, the bloating will fade.
Once these foods are digested, the bloating will fade.
Common causes of abdominal bloating are:
Overeating
Gastric distension
Lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance and other food intolerances
Food allergy
Irritable bowel syndrome
Partial bowel obstruction
Gas-producing foods
Constipation
Menstruation
Polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian cysts
Massive infestation with intestinal parasites
Diverticulosis
Celiac Disease
How do I find relief?
How do I find relief?
The most important thing to remember here is prevention is better than cure, we all know this.
Sometimes though we slip and break away and 'treat' ourselves.
I have learned over the years that for me, it really is not worth it.
BUT it happens every now and then.
I have introduced a couple of things into my diet which I find really helps to prevent bloating on a daily basis and also really helps my digestive system function much more efficiently.
My favorite:
Aloe Vera Juice
Every morning I have gluten free porridge oats for breakfast and I steep them the night before in boiling water and a tablespoon of aloe vera juice.
I love this aloe vera juice, I will admit it took some time to acquire a taste for it but now I couldn't live without it.
I also add a tablespoon to my protein shake, my green tea, to my water bottle in work and to my sauces and salad dressings.
I have tried a few different brands and this is my favourite.
The cranberry falvour makes it a little easier on the tastebuds as well.
Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:
Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6.
Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.
Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.
Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
Aloe Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids.
All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion.
Aloe Helps with Digestion
Poor digestion is related to many diseases.
A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion.
The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your bowel movements in whatever way you need.
Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance.
Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System
I think given the stresses of our daily lives, every one can use a boost to their immune systems.
Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat free-radicals which contribute to the aging process.
Weight Loss
Improving your digestion, and detoxifying your body will have a secondary effect in promoting weight loss because when we start to improve our digestion we naturally eliminate more efficiently.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is one of the most potently healthy substances on earth.
I LOVE IT!
Since I’ve been using wheatgrass I’ve noticed my energy levels go sky high, my skin clear up and colds and coughs disappear, and these are just a few of the benefits I’ve noticed!
Others have seen their Rosacea clear up, bad breath subside, allergies clear up and a whole lot more.
Wheatgrass benefits are so easy to achieve because:
30mls of freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice (a wheatgrass shot) is equivalent in nutritional value to 1kg of leafy green vegetables
Wheatgrass contains over 90 minerals, contains the essential enzyme that assists in protein digestion, it also has really powerful anti-oxidants.
Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots!
It also contains 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein making this one of the most powerful wheatgrass benefits!
I add it to almost everything I make and I drink a shot first thing every morning.
This is my favourite brand of powdered wheatgrass:
Charcoal Capsules
These I take only when I find I am bloated or have discomfort.
Charcoal has the ability to absorb many times its weight in toxins and is commonly used by doctors to remove poisons and other harmful compounds from the body.
It has been found to be an effective method for neutralising stomach acids associated with gas, indigestion and acid reflux.
Charcoal also can absorb fats in the bloodstream, reducing cholesterol levels in the body.
It was first recommended to me by my doctor after I had undergone multiple tests for colitis and other stomach and intestinal diseases and when thankfully all my results came back clear, we put the issues I'd been having down to food intolerance.
If you suffer with bloating you know how uncomfortable the sensation is.
If you haven't found a solution I encourage you to try introduce one or all of these into your diet.
Or, if you have found a better solution please comment or mail me so I can share with everyone.
Sometimes though we slip and break away and 'treat' ourselves.
I have learned over the years that for me, it really is not worth it.
BUT it happens every now and then.
I have introduced a couple of things into my diet which I find really helps to prevent bloating on a daily basis and also really helps my digestive system function much more efficiently.
My favorite:
Aloe Vera Juice
Every morning I have gluten free porridge oats for breakfast and I steep them the night before in boiling water and a tablespoon of aloe vera juice.
I love this aloe vera juice, I will admit it took some time to acquire a taste for it but now I couldn't live without it.
I also add a tablespoon to my protein shake, my green tea, to my water bottle in work and to my sauces and salad dressings.
I have tried a few different brands and this is my favourite.
The cranberry falvour makes it a little easier on the tastebuds as well.
Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:
Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6.
Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.
Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.
Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
Aloe Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids.
All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion.
Aloe Helps with Digestion
Poor digestion is related to many diseases.
A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion.
The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your bowel movements in whatever way you need.
Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance.
Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System
I think given the stresses of our daily lives, every one can use a boost to their immune systems.
Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat free-radicals which contribute to the aging process.
Weight Loss
Improving your digestion, and detoxifying your body will have a secondary effect in promoting weight loss because when we start to improve our digestion we naturally eliminate more efficiently.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is one of the most potently healthy substances on earth.
I LOVE IT!
Since I’ve been using wheatgrass I’ve noticed my energy levels go sky high, my skin clear up and colds and coughs disappear, and these are just a few of the benefits I’ve noticed!
Others have seen their Rosacea clear up, bad breath subside, allergies clear up and a whole lot more.
Wheatgrass benefits are so easy to achieve because:
30mls of freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice (a wheatgrass shot) is equivalent in nutritional value to 1kg of leafy green vegetables
Wheatgrass contains over 90 minerals, contains the essential enzyme that assists in protein digestion, it also has really powerful anti-oxidants.
Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots!
It also contains 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein making this one of the most powerful wheatgrass benefits!
I add it to almost everything I make and I drink a shot first thing every morning.
This is my favourite brand of powdered wheatgrass:
These I take only when I find I am bloated or have discomfort.
Charcoal has the ability to absorb many times its weight in toxins and is commonly used by doctors to remove poisons and other harmful compounds from the body.
It has been found to be an effective method for neutralising stomach acids associated with gas, indigestion and acid reflux.
Charcoal also can absorb fats in the bloodstream, reducing cholesterol levels in the body.
It was first recommended to me by my doctor after I had undergone multiple tests for colitis and other stomach and intestinal diseases and when thankfully all my results came back clear, we put the issues I'd been having down to food intolerance.
If you suffer with bloating you know how uncomfortable the sensation is.
If you haven't found a solution I encourage you to try introduce one or all of these into your diet.
Or, if you have found a better solution please comment or mail me so I can share with everyone.
Hi Geraldine, great post!
ReplyDeleteI went to see a Body Talk practitioner to solve my bloating which was getting worse and worse over a couple of months to the stage of really bad pain. She discovered that I was intolorant to three different types of sugar and balanced my body to it and now I have no problwm with sugar anymore. Heres a link to what Body Talk is. It also addresses emotional, physical and environmental factors that are affecting your body and health. I love it and swear by it!
http://www.bodytalksystem.com/learn/bodytalk/
Thanks Shonagh! Just had a look, I have heard of it but have never tried it. Great to get a recommendation. There is a practitioner close to where I work so I am def going to give it a go! Thanks so much x
DeleteNice post. Well what can I say is that these is an interesting and very informative topic on gut bacteria bloating
ReplyDelete