Top Tips to beat bloating

Many people suffer with a bloated gastrointestinal tract every day. So much so that it often becomes normal to them.

There are many different reasons why you could feel bloated, especially after eating.

Here I am just going to give you some basic tips that should help you feel better. Anyone is different, and the origin of the bloating might be more specific for some people. But if you start applying those easy tips, you can give yourself a chance to get over that excessive bloating.

1. Food sensitivities

The best way to track food sensitivities is to keep a food diary and write down how you feel daily: digestion, sleep, bloating, cramps and even mood, fatigue... Your body may react to some foods you have been eating 2 days ago. So it is important to fine tune your own diet.

Next best thing is to eliminate the most common sources of allergies or sensitivities:

• -Gluten (be grain-free for at least 1-2 months)
• -Dairy (choose coconut milk instead)
• -Peanuts
• -Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews...)
• -Soy
• -Eggs
• -Tomatoes
• -Corn (and high fructose corn syrup as well...)
• -Sugar and Yeast

Usually, eliminating those foods truly makes a big difference quite quickly. People start feeling more energized and less bloated.

2. Fungus and Parasites

No one likes to talk about it but still. Fungus overgrowth and parasites infection can dramatically impact your digestive system, and overall health. So yes, if you are having a real big problem with your digestive tract, I would advise you to get tested. In the meantime, make those organisms starve by going on an anti-fungal diet. To start with, cut out all sugar and starchy foods, and add good healthy fats, especially coconut oil (a potent anti-fungal food).

3. Chew your meals, and drink before and after meals, not during meals

Your stomach is meant to be an acidic environment. This is crucial to protect you from outside parasites or harmful bacteria, but also to continue the process of digestion by breaking down the foods. If you drink too much while you are eating, you are diluting the acid gastric juices and therefore making digestion much more difficult. That is why I would advise you to drink 15-20 minutes before eating, and wait 15-20 minutes after your meal to drink again. Also, take time to really chew your food and be mindful during your meals.

4. Manage your stress

Whenever you are stressed, you are in a "fight or flight" mode that pushes your blood flow towards the extremities of your body, out of your organs. And this is why you can't have a good digestion if you are stressed on a continual basis. It is mostly important to manage your stress, whatever the sources are: emotional, mental, physical, spiritual...

A good way to start dealing with it is to do deep belly breathing every day, starting with 5 minutes and up to 10-15 minutes. Meditating is also a very efficient way to help you deal with your daily stressors.

5. Move your body gently

Many people think they have to work out in order to be fit and often to out-exercise a bad diet. Well this is a wrong approach to what "being active" means.

If you are too stressed, then overexercising, especially doing hours-long cardio, could potentially make things even worse. This increases your stress hormones levels (cortisol especially).

Many people just need to rest, and make gentle movements, like some stretching, or Tai Chi, or Qi-Gong. Those gentle movements keep you active, pump your fluids and help your body regenerate by moving the oxygen around. Gentle exercise is often what people need to become fitter and healthier.

Conclusion

There are many things you can do to help your digestive system work. If you have pain, cramps, feel bloated more often than not, you have to address it as it can evolve in a much more serious condition. Being bloated most of the time is just the sign that something is not going well, and you shouldn't wait long before addressing it. All diseases start in the gut. These first basic steps should help you feel better.

In Health and Happiness,

Stephanie