I’m sure just like me you’ve suffered from bloating from time to time. There is nothing worse than that horrible feeling like you’ve swallowed a football. We’re not talking about layers of fat on the belly.  Bloating is the expansion of your lower abdomen and although it may not feel like it at the time, it is temporary. Bloating can be caused by lots of different things and you may experience bloating because of some or all of these reasons at different times.

There are more reasons than I can go in to here, but the main causes of bloating are:

• A build up of gas or constipation
• Swallowing air (while eating)
• Food allergies/intolerances
• Hormones
• Dehydration
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

High speed wind…

We all get gas/wind – even if you don’t want to admit it…. This isn’t bad, it’s completely normal! It is most often caused by the foods you eat and although everyone reacts differently to foods, the most common causes of wind are things like beans, onions, and the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower! Oh no! yep all those yummy pulses and veg! But don’t fret, as I said, not everyone will react to these foods and often it’s about quantity, so don’t give up on these great foods.  For many if you eat these foods in small amounts, frequently then you’ll be fine, so just work them in to your diet slowly until your body adjusts to the gas-causing compounds. If however you react strongly to them and are always ending up feeling bloated, then don’t eat them!

Other foods that may cause bloating are very fatty or greasy foods (like deep fried food), artificial sweeteners (like sorbitol), spicy foods and other fruits and vegetables including – apples, pears, bananas, raisins, asparagus and potatoes. This is thought to be due to the high levels of complex sugars and starches they contain which are harder for the body to break down. So as with the cruciferous veg and pulses, don’t avoid them completely (unless they really make you feel awful), just try reducing the amount of them that you eat.

A change in diet can also cause gas build-up. So bear this in mind if you’re trying new foods or diets and expect it. Unless it’s causing you pain then try to just go with it. Do your best not to hold gas in – I know it’s unpleasant but the old saying, better out than in.. is true! You may just want to give yourself (and other people!) some space when you do!

If you are suffering from constipation make sure you are drinking plenty of water – at least 3 litres a day, and also ensure you’re getting plenty of fibre in your diet. So lots of vegetables (avoiding the ones listed above if you’re sensitive to them), lots of fruit, whole-grains,  nuts, seeds and pulses.

You can also try a few of these remedies

• Drink peppermint tea with or after your meals. This helps to relieve wind/gas.
• Try to eat only until you feel satisfied not overly full
• Chew your food properly
• Try not to drink VERY hot or VERY cold drinks as these can also cause gas to accumulate.
• Avoid fizzy drinks
• If you’re taking medication (even painkillers like paracetamol and nurofen), unless it states to take it on an empty stomach, then try to take it with food and plenty of water.
• Avoid big creamy coffees – the combination of coffee and a lot of milk can cause you to bloat. Instead go for an Americano or go for a non-dairy milk option like soya instead.

Gulp like a fish….

Yep, swallowing air will make you bloat. We all swallow a bit of air from time to time but if you’re finding bloating a problem then just take stock of how you eat and drink and see if maybe you’re actually swallowing a load of hot air with your meals!

So what can you do? Slow your eating down – don’t gulp food or drinks down. Take your time with your food – take small mouthfuls and chew it (with your mouth closed!). If you’re drinking don’t drink too fast and avoid using a straw as that can make you swallow air too. Do you chew a lot of gum? if so try cutting back – when you chew gum you often end up taking in air too. Sit down to eat too and avoid slouching over.

Food allergies/intolerances

So before you rush to cut out wheat, diary, gluten etc from your diet it’s worth checking if you are really intolerant/allergic to them. Food allergies are real and serious and should only be diagnosed by a Dr or certified nutritionist – not by reading facebook posts or internet articles 🙂  Many people self-diagnose these conditions and unnecessarily eliminate healthy foods from their diets so do take care. Coeliac disease is a commonly mentioned “food allergy” and is when the intestine can’t absorb gluten (found in wheat, barley, rye etc) – symptoms include bloating but also diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue. It is in fact an autoimmune disease and should only be diagnosed through a blood test – this is pretty straight forward though so if you are concerned just go chat to your GP and you can be tested. If you do have Coeliac there is no cure but avoiding gluten completely will lessen the symptoms.

Intolerances are a bit more of a grey area as they are harder to diagnose. Food intolerance can lead to bloating by preventing the bowel emptying properly, causing trapped gas or causing too much gas to be produced. The most common food types that may cause this are wheat, gluten and dairy. IF you have a food intolerance the best option is to reduce the amount of that food in your diet. But how do you find out if you have an intolerance? The best approach is to keep a detailed food diary for a couple of weeks – note down everything you eat and drink, and record when you are feeling bloated. You can also try removing food groups one at a time and continuing with the diary – but this is best done under the advice of a GP. So first things first – write the diary and take it to your GP 🙂

Hormones

Ladies – this one’s for us! I don’t need to tell you that our hormones are often responsible for bloating. Premenstrual water retention can cause a bloated, heavy feeling up to 2 weeks before your period begins. The exact causes aren’t clear but hormonal changes seem to play a role (which is why these symptoms continue or often increase when you are on the pill – which is essentially a dose of more oestrogen or progesterone, or both!). There’s also a genetic factor at play and your diet also plays a part which means there are things you can do to help reduce the effects.

So what can you do?

– Reduce salt intake. This helps to reduce fluid retention. Be mindful of hidden salt in your food – for most of us there’s no need to add extra salt to anything we cook.

– Keep hydrated – drink a little more water than usual

– Avoid greasy or deep fried foods as these can cause more bloating

– Exercise – studies have shown that women who regularly exercise report fewer symptoms of PMS. I know it’s hard when you’re feeling bloated but do try if you can.

– Eat lots of fruit and veg

– Supplements – there’s quite a few studies out there that have shown that supplementing with magnesium, calcium, evening primrose oil, B vitamins (thiamin and riboflavin) and vitamin E may help reduce symptoms. Only follow the recommended dosage and obviously check with your Dr if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are taking any other medication.

Drink like a Fish!

I’ve already mentioned drinking plenty of fluids so this will come as no surprise. Not drinking enough water can cause bloating – I know it sounds counter intuitive but if you don’t drink enough your body will retain fluid – it’s a survival mechanism. This is an easy fix – if you’re feeling bloated try drinking a bit more 🙂

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a long-term, fairly common condition which can cause stomach cramps, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain etc. One of the symptoms of IBS is bloating and in this case it doesn’t seem to be linked to a build up of wind. Instead it’s to do with the way the contents of the bowel are moved through the digestive system. Symptoms vary between people and can last from a few days to several months. They can be related to food or stress. It can affect up to 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives but most commonly starts in people’s 20’s – 30’s.  If you are concerned you may be affected by IBS then do speak to your GP for advice. It may help to cut down on very fatty foods and  foods that are extremely high fibre. Peppermint tea and probiotics may also help.

So there you go – a few tips to help with bloating. I’m not a medical Dr and no one should ever take medical advice from the internet anyway so if you are suffering from bloating regularly and none of these tips help then it’s definitely worth a visit to your GP just to check things out.

Take care!