I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with that feeling of bloating; when you’ve eaten way too much at family lunch and you’ve gotta unbutton the top button of your jeans to make room for all of the distention. Bloating is essentially an increase in the production of gas in the intestines which can be due to either lifestyle habits of how we eat, or actual pathology contributing to an increase in gas.

What causes bloating?

Bloating can often be a symptom of constipation, we’ve already gone through the ins and outs of what causes constipation here. First, we need to differentiate between the types of bloating. Our clients always get asked the questions:

Your answers to these questions can help you determine the potential cause of bloating; by determining if there is upper abdominal dysfunction/weakness, lower abdominal dysfunction/weakness, food sensitivities/intolerances, stress or hormone/inflammatory-related?

Do’s:

Do chew your food to begin the process of digestion and to ensure minimal bloating 

• Do have apple cider vinegar in warm water before your meals to reduce the effect of particular meals on bloating by stimulating digestion

• Do ensure you are passing frequent bowel motions to reduce bloating caused by constipation (more on this here). 

• Do take digestive bitters to stimulate digestion and reduce bloating such as rocket and dandelion root tea 

• Do allow at least 3-4 hours in between meals to support the function of the small intestine to contract and reduce gas production that causes bloating 

• Do practice mind-body connection by following the Nerva App for IBS related bloating

• Do trial and error with removing/reducing key offenders of bloating such as gluten, dairy and corn. 

• Do further investigation for underlying causes if you don’t see improvement in a few week’s time

Don’ts

Don’t drink water within 15-20 minutes of a meal as this may reduce your digestive enzyme’s ability to break food down and cause bloating 

• Don’t eat while you are sitting in front of the TV or with your phone in your hand as your digestion isn’t ready to start eating. It’s a recipe for bloating 

• Don’t eat whilst you are on the run, your nervous system won’t be communicating with your gut as effectively which results in decreased enzyme secretion and increased symptoms of bloating 

• Don’t drink carbonated drinks if you are prone to bloating. You’re just introducing more gas into the digestive tract.

• Don’t try to avoid every single food under the sun to reduce your bloating. This will just create long term food aversions and impact your microbiome. 

• Don’t eat fruit or sweets straight after a steak (and I mean, give it some time), sugar doesn’t take as long to break down as protein and fat, so when you’re adding something that is super quick to break down on top of something that is a bit more complex to digest, that sugar will sit and rot and cause an increase in bloating