Bloating is a common feeling we get during the digestion of food and it is though to affect 1 in 6 people worldwide. Its when we feel tight and gassy in our abdomen. Although this is a natural feeling to have, it can get uncomfortable at times and lead to abdominal pain, burping and constipation. Over the past couple of months I noticed that this was becoming a daily occurrence because of the different types of foods that I was consuming and thus had to follow an elimination diet in order to find the root cause of my discomfort. The results were interesting to say the least but, before I get into that, let’s first breakdown how and why we get bloated.
Inception
When we eat food, it is transported into our stomach where it is broken down into smaller pieces before being shifted into our small intestine where further breakdown occurs. This is where vital nutrients are absorbed for our body to be utilised however, not all these nutrients are digested and absorbed. The unabsorbed nutrients are shifted into the big intestine (colon) and consumed by bacteria. Consumption of these nutrients allows the bacteria to grow but that also results in them producing gas which leads to that feeling of a distended stomach.
Causes for bloating
There are a number of symptoms that can lead to bloating and if you do suffer from bloating then it is possible that there is more than one cause leading to your discomfort. The most common causes include the following:
Indigestible foods
Foods that are difficult to digest can promote gas and discomfort. Legumes are a great example of this, they contain a type of carbohydrate called oligosaccharides. For some people (including me), digestion of oligosaccharides in the digestive tract does not occur and instead they are transported into the large intestine where it is consumed by our gut bacteria. Consumptions of these nutrients by our gut bacteria is beneficial because it helps support growth however, in return, the bacteria produce gas which can leave your abdomen feeling ‘puffed’ up. These types of foods are called probiotics (whole grains, cruciferous vegetables, bananas and more.)
If you have issues of bloating after eating oligosaccharides then one thing to consider is soaking your food for an extended period of time before cooking it. For example, instead of cooking brown rice right away, I soak the rice in water for 4 hours or more. This allows the rice to be easily digested since it is softer when cooked. The same can be done for beans and lentils.
Constipation
Constipation is a condition in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels, basically when you can’t do a number 2. It often goes hand in hand with bloating. This occurs when nutrients move too slowly through the digestive tract. This enables the colon to absorb more water than necessary from waste nutrients and in turn, creates solid matter called stool (poop) which then becomes very difficult to be excreted.
One way to prevent constipation is by consuming fibre rich foods such as fruits, oatmeal and vegetables and increasing your daily fluid intake.
Too much salt
Eating too much can be another reason why we may feel bloated. This is because salts (sodium) make our body retain water which can make us feel uncomfortable. When we eat excess salt, the body retains extra sodium which increases the amount of fluid circulating in the body. Take-outs and potato chips are usually high in salt.
The solution to this is simple, drink more water! That sounds counterintuitive, to get rid of excess water you have to drink more water? Yes, its sounds strange but drinking more water is the remedy because it helps flush the excess salt out of our system.
Air
Swallowing air is a common cause for bloating and I had to find out the hard way. Over the past months I started to feel gassy almost constantly, my stomach would growl and I would be burping frequently. I was very confused because I am very mindful of what I eat and usually when I sense discomfort from food, I usually know the cause of it. But this was new to me, I was still eating what I normally eat and wasn’t drinking any lactose products. This led me to do some further investigation and I realised that I was swallowing too much air which led to excess gas. Air can be swallowed when we drink carbonated drinks, when we eat too quickly and when we chew gum…… I was doing all three! This in turn left me feeling bloated and often gassy.
Fixes
Herbal Teas
Teas consisting of chamomile, ginger and turmeric can aid digestion and help process gas.
Eat enough fibre
Fibre is found in fruits and vegetables. It may cause you to feel gassy at first but when your system gets accustomed to it, it starts sweeping your digestive system making it easier for foods to be digested while leaving you feeling fuller for longer.
Avoid processed foods
As mentioned earlier, processed foods are low in fibre and high in salt. This will result in water retention and slow digestion which can result in constipation.
Mindful eating
90% of the time I’m good at this but there does come a time where I just binge and eat whatever I feel like eating. As good as that is in that moment, I always feel sluggish afterwards. I’m learning to take my time when chewing and having a clear knowledge of the food that I am ingesting and the consequences that come with it.
Elimination diet
This is a pain but has been very helpful in my life. If you find that you are constantly battling with bloating then it could be because you ingest too many different ingredients on a daily basis. The best way to ease this is by doing an elimination diet, this means for each meal you have, it should contain only 5 ingredients or less.
This was very difficult for me to adjust to at first because I couldn’t add certain flavours/ingredients to my meals but it did help me understand my body better. I realised I couldn’t have sweeteners, carbonated drinks, beans, gum and butternut. Although it sucks that I can’t have these foods/treats regularly, at least now I have a clear understanding of how my body operates.
Exercise
I don’t even know if this does help with bloating but if you’ve read through this article then you’re probably someone who does exercise or wants to start so get up, go out there and get after it!
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