Hey guys! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Spent mine catching up with friends, nourishing my body with delicious foods and taking some time to reflect and reset for a productive week ahead.
One of the most common complaints my clients express to me in nutrition coaching sessions, bloating. Not fun, I know but identifying common culprits is a good starting point to beating the bloat. Today I’m sharing 10 tips for helping to manage abdominal discomfort.
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1. GO SLOW
Digestion begins in the mouth. Chew food to a pureed consistency; think mashed potatoes or applesauce. Chewing well activates salivary enzymes and it gives the lower gastrointestinal tract a heads up that food coming its way. Everyone could benefit from slowing down but especially for those with sensitive stomachs. Slow down, chew well before swallowing to make digestion easier.
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2. CARBONATION
Beverages like soda, tonic, sparkling water, club soda and yes champagne all have carbonation, which means they have air pumped into them to make them bubbly. This air can cause abdominal pain and bloating for some. Straws also cause more air with entering your G.I. tract. If you find yourself becoming bloated easily try to avoid these. Besides the air factor, the heap of processed fructose in soda is likely a contributor to bloating.
3. FODMAPS
FODMAP stands for “Fermentable Oligo, Disaccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols. These are carbohydrates that some people have difficulty digesting.
- Fructose- a simple carbohydrate from fruits
- Lactose- disaccharide found in dairy foods
- Fructans- carbohydrate in grains like rye, barley, spelt, and wheat
- Galactans- carbohydrate found in legumes
- Polyols- sugar alcohols like sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol
FODMAPS draw water into the intestine and are fermented by the gut creating an alcohol, which can cause pain, gas and bloating when undigested.
** If you suspect FODMAPS to be an issue reach out to your primary care physician or dietitian for more guidance.
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4. SALT
Salt is added to foods to enhance flavor, preserve food and is an essential electrolyte, but it could also make you feel super bloated likely because it is good at holding onto fluids. Cooking more meals from home (where you control the salt shaker) and cutting back on processed foods are great ways to control salt, as well as other additives that may be throwing your stomach for a loop.
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5. FIBER
If fiber is not something you eat regularly enjoying a bowl of high fiber greens like spinach, romaine, kale, could make you feel bloated. It is best to slowly introduce fiber and stay hydrated too. Fluids assist by moving the fiber through the digestive tract helping to prevent bloat and constipation.
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6. MAGNESIUM
Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds are full of important nutrients, like fiber and magnesium, which are essential digestive aids. Stomach cells need magnesium to initiate digestion and keep stomach acid at the proper pH.
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7. FATS
Think of the way in which fat acts as a lubricant when sautéing something like an onion. Fats behave similarly within digestive tract. Good quality fats from avocado, nuts and seeds will make digestion run smoother. Plus nuts contain magnesium, which can relax stomach muscles so they can do there job better. Soak nuts and seeds in water before enjoying makes for easier digestion and absorption of nutrients.
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8. DE-STRESS
Stress messes with our entire gastrointestinal tract. If a person becomes stressed and a fight-or-flight response is triggered, digestion slows or stops completely so the body can invest all its energy into facing a perceived threat. Stress can physically damage cells on the intestinal wall affecting the regulation of bacteria. Bacteria are an important part of a healthy gut, but a bacterial overgrowth (caused by low stomach acid) can result from persistent stress as seen in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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9. GINGER
Ginger stimulates digestion speeding up the process, which is great for alleviating gas and de-bloating. It has also been shown to relieve nausea. Boil ginger root in hot water for ginger tea or season food with ginger root powder to reap the benefits.
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10. Peppermint
Both peppermint tea and peppermint essential oil can be used to reduce pain, bloating after a meal. A couple drops of peppermint oil (use sparingly its potent) or a peppermint tea can put the stomach at ease since peppermint oil relaxes gastrointestinal smooth muscle. However peppermint is not recommended for someone with gastric reflux as it can make symptoms worse.
Hope these tips for managing abdominal discomfort helped. I’ll be sharing more about achieving better digestion in coming posts. Would love to hear your thoughts on this post and suggestions for future posts in the comment section below!
Be Well,
J
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