Bloated? 5 Reasons Why (and What to do About Them)
Bloating is probably one of the most common symptoms I see in my practice, hear friends and peers struggle with, and is something that I dealt with chronically for years, before I got to the root cause of what the heck was going on.
I’m thinking that you’re probably here because you yourself struggle with bloating, and want to get to the bottom of it - I feel that.
For me personally, being chronically bloated affected my life in many ways. It made me feel really uncomfortable in both my body, and in my clothing. I lived in sweatpants, and leggings if I could tolerate it.
It affected how much I was eating - I was hungry, but being so bloated made me not want to eat.
It started to affect my relationship, by means of my sex life - because who wants to have sex when you’re bloated, and uncomfortable AF?
Can you resonate with any of this?
in this article, you’ll learn 5 reasons that you might be bloated - and what you can do about it:
1. You’re Constipated
If you’re constipated, or not fully evacuating your bowel everyday - we can start to see an accumulation of stool within the gut - which may create the environment for the little critters in our gut to have extra time to ferment, thus causing excess gas production within the gut. (Just FYI - you can be going for a number two 1-3 times a day and STILL be considered constipated, IF you aren’t totally emptying your bowels).
Some microorganisms within our gut microbiome ferment carbohydrates that we eat, and produce various gasses as byproducts of this fermentation process. If you’re constipated, and not fully evacuating - it could be that these gassy byproducts are getting suck in there!
So, what to do?
If you’re experiencing constipation, especially if it’s chronic - it’s probably worthwhile to find a practitioner who can help you get to the root cause of why you’re constipated. You need to get to the bottom of it. There can be many underlying factors that can contribute to constipation - from hormonal imbalances, motility issues, lifestyle, etc.
In the meantime - here are a few things you can try:
Ensure that you’re drinking enough water (2-3L/day)
Move your body everyday
Manage your stress and support your nervous system (breath work is awesome for this!)
Make sure you’re eating enough plant foods (ie. fibre)
Make a routine out of “go time” (ie. sit on the toilet for 5-10 minutes every morning, even if you don’t have the urge to go.. our bodies love routine, and developing this may aid the body back into regulating your bowel movements)
2. You’re Swallowing Excess Air
Believe it or not, this is a thing! Excessive gum chewing, scoffing down your food, and even drinking beverages through a straw can contribute to bloating in the gut. If you’re a frequent belcher, more often than not, it’s because of excess air that’s been swallowed and is trying to get out (this air needs to go out one way or another)!
So, what to do?
If you notice that you’re bloated and potentially burping more than usual - this is a great place to start. Nix the gum for awhile, and see how you do. Try not to drink your beverages or smoothies through a straw, and see if that helps. I also always recommend “chewing” your smoothies! Doing this aids in the digestion process, and enables our salivary enzymes to start their work.
Mindful eating also plays an important role here. If you’re eating quickly, not only can that lead to you swallowing excess air - but it can also mean that you aren’t giving your digestive processes enough time to work properly, and this can cause issues further down in the digestive tract (including bloating). Taking your time to chew thoroughly can help with reducing your bloat, but it can also help with how effectively your system is actually breaking down and using the food you're eating!
3. There’s Some sort of Imbalance in your Gut Microbiome
Have you heard of the gut microbiome yet? It’s basically a diverse community of microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, viruses and arches, that live within us, on us, and surround us. The gut microbiome specifically refers to this community living within you gut!
When there is an “imbalance” in our microbiome (this is also referred to as dysbiosis), where there is an imbalance in the number of “beneficial” versus “opportunistic” bacteria (or even actual pathogens) living in our gut, OUT of symbiosis - we can start to see issues creep up.
Often, dysbiosis within the gut, such in the case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), an overgrowth of fungus, like candida, and even parasitic infections, are associated with symptoms like bloating.
Sometimes, consuming foods that are high in FODMAPS (these are fermentable oligo- di-, mono-saccharides and polyols), can be bothersome for some people, and might contribute to bloating. This can be due to an overgrowth of certain microorganisms that metabolize these carbohydrates, and produce gas as a byproduct of this process, as mentioned above. Not tolerating these foods (which are some of the healthiest!) could mean that you are experiencing some form of dysbiosis in your gut.
So, what to do?
I definitely recommend speaking with a trusted practitioner about this. It’s not sustainable, nor is it an option for long term gut health, to avoid FODMAP foods completely. They are an important part of a well-rounded diet that can support a diverse, resilient, robust microbiome - when any dysbiosis is brought back into balance.
Comprehensive stool tests, and even breath tests to test for SIBO are available, and can provide a lot of information, on top of signs and symptoms, of whether you may be dealing with some kind of dysbiosis in your gut. A practitioner will be able to help take you through the steps to rid of any “bad bugs”, and help the good ones flourish.
4. Food Intolerances and Sensitivities
Certain food intolerances can cause bloating for some people - this is where there’s an inability, or reduced ability in being able to properly digest a certain food, or a component of a certain food.
Lactose intolerance is one example of one that often causes symptoms like bloating and gas in those that it affects. Common food intolerances like dairy, gluten, corn, etc. can cause this in some people.
Sometimes, food intolerances can be a sign of something underlying going on in the gut. It could be connected to a case of leaky gut (aka intestinal hyper-permeability), an imbalance in the microbiome, or insufficient digestive secretions.
So, what to do?
For starters, keep track of what’s triggering you! If you can identify and keep tabs on which foods are bothering you, temporarily avoiding them (if they’re really problematic) WHILE you dig deeper into what’s going on, can be helpful. Definitely reach out to someone to get some help with uncovering what’s going on for you. It could be because of one of the reasons I mentioned above - and thus healing your gut could help you to tolerate these foods again. (I don’t believe in food restriction, or the demonization of foods - BUT, if there are foods that are bothersome for you, and could be compromising your body’s ability to heal, it could be worth exploring avoiding them in the short term)
There are also food sensitivity tests that you can check out. Ask your practitioner about these to see if they might be a good fit for you!
5. Low Stomach Acid or Low Digestive Enzymes
When the body is not producing or secreting enough stomach acid or digestive enzymes, it can start to cause problems.
Stomach acid is needed to start the break-down process of proteins, and to neutralize any pesky bugs that we might ingest through our food. If you’re not properly breaking down your food, OR taking care of bacteria and other microorganisms, it could lead to symptoms like bloating later down your digestive tract.
Digestive enzymes are produced by different digestive organs, and they basically help us to break down the food we eat. Different digestive enzymes help to break down different nutrients. If you aren’t producing or secreting enough enzymes, it could mean that you’re not digesting your food fully - and these un-digested food particles further down the tract, be fermented by certain bugs in your gut! We’ve already talked about fermentation and how it can contribute to your bloating above ^^
So, what to do?
To support stomach acid production, and the secretion of digestive enzymes - it can be helpful to have a little bit of apple cider vinegar (ACV), ie. 1 tbsp, in a small glass of water before a meal. You can also explore the use of digestive bitters!
Another really important part of this is stress and mindful eating. Nourishing your nervous system and taking care of stress can really help to support your digestive processes.
So, bloating sucks. Been there. Had enough of it for one lifetime.
This isn’t to say that experiencing bloat from time-to-time isn’t OK, or “normal”, even. Sometime’s it happens - maybe you eat something funky, or rush through a meal, or eat highly-fermentable foods. That’s fine.
It is something to look into, however, when it’s occurring CHRONICALLY, and is really impeding on your quality of life.
Getting to the root cause of why you’re bloated is really important in order to resolve your chronic symptoms, long term.
It’s not an option (IMHO), to rely on laxatives (even Senna teas), and stay clear of FODMAPS forever. There’s a reason you’re struggling with chronic bloating.
If this resonated with you, and you’re ready to get to the bottom of what’s going on for you by working with a practitioner who can help - I encourage you took book a discovery call with me, so we can chat about what you’re going through!
