If you look 7 months pregnant by the time dinner rolls in, then join da club sistah! (or brother, cos bloating doesn’t discriminate).
I went from having no stomach issues, and I mean zilch, to a daily pregnant belly (I even took a pregnancy test just to make sure it wasn’t that). Bro, shit got real. I was getting sharp pains in my stomach, I was constipated constantly, had uncontrollable gas, and when things really got good, I got the runs. Yay.
Fast forward to 14 months of testing every diet regime under the sun, blood tests, saliva tests and even poop tests. I’m finally in a place where I know what foods are good for my gut, and what was causing my symptoms. My episodes have gotten sooo much better, the bloat only pops its melon sized head every now and then, and I can usually pin point it to something I shouldn’t have eaten. I know I still have things to work through in terms of balancing my gut flora BUT I have taken strides in what felt like a lost and lonely cause.
To all my fellow bloated babes, you shouldn’t have to live with the discomfort of gut issues, it shouldn’t be considered your new normal, it’s more common than you’d think.
Here is a list of steps you can take today, to get your gut in tip top shape.
1. Find a great functional medicine doctor
Easier said that done, yet finding a functional medicine doctor you can work with to get the right tests done and work through your individual needs is muy importante. Every gut is uniquely different and each of our symptoms, although similar, can be triggered by completely different root causes.
Note – A parasite test should almost always be done if you have digestive issues.
2. Identify food intolerances
Your bloating could come down to something as simple as eating a food you’re intolerant to. Keep a food diary and write down how you feel after each meal. If there are a few foods that keep coming up as a potential trigger, remove them for 2 weeks then re introduce them1 at a time and make note of how you feel. A great place to start is gluten, conventional dairy, sugar, soy and eggs.
Alternatively you can take a food intolerance test like Pinnertest
Or a more in-depth test like Viome, this one tells you what to eat across the board not just what you can’t eat. (read about my experience here).
3. Find a probiotic that works for you
One of the biggest reasons we experience digestive upset is due to a lack in beneficial bacteria and too much of the unhealthy kind. By taking a probiotic you are feeding the good bacteria in your gut. But know that not all probiotics are created equal and what works for me may not work for you.
Pro tip: Take it with a meal or no more than 30 minutes before a meal
Can’t be bothered looking up probiotics? – this is the brand I use – Silver Fern Brand They’re broad spectrum and have 100% survivability rate which means the probiotics don’t die from your stomach acid which essentially deems it ineffective.
4. Digestive Enzymes are your friend
Digestive enzymes don’t get enough love in the gut health world. They are the life boat to my choppy sea. They save me at impromptu dinners or for harder-to-digest foods (ie raw salads, smoothies, heavy meals etc) Digestive Enzymes work by breaking down the food particles you’ve just ingested and sort through what needs to be extracted for nutrients and what needs to go out the other end (💩). They take a lot of stress off your stomach and do the work for you. These are important to take when you’re trying to repair your gut.
Think of it like this.. If you have a broken leg but you run on it each day, is your leg going to heal? Hell no. Same thing applies to your stomach. You gotta give it the break & support it needs in order to heal itself.
5. Chew your food
Digestion starts in your mouth people. If you’re one to eat on the go, rush through meals or scroll through insta while you’re having breakfast then you could be putting unneeded stress on your digestive system. Your stomach has to break down the food particles that come from your mouth, so the larger (or more un-chewed) the item the harder it will be to digest. Result? Bloat.
So slow it down, make time for your meals and chew your food. You should be aiming for 25 chews per bite.
6. Reduce the stress
There’s a reason why they say your stomach is considered the second brain. When you’re stressed, so is your digestion. Your body ultimately has two states: A rest and digest state, and the fight or flight state. You’re in fight or flight when you exercise, stressed about a work deadline, or when you’re watching Handmaids Tale (cos that shit is too close to home)
Instead of flogging yourself at the gym every day, opt for longer but slower cardio sessions like walking uphill. Try not to eat within an hour of working out, and take time to do yoga or meditate. Don’t eat dinner while watching Handmaids Tale or any other stressful show for that matter and quit eating your meals in the car. If you’re stressed about getting to work on time while shoving a breakfast burrito in your mouth, your stomach aint going to be very happy.
7. Go Organic
Foods that aren’t Organic are sprayed with Pesticides. Pesticides are toxic chemicals that are designed to kill, repel or otherwise harm living organisms. Our gut is made up of living organisms so you can only imagine what eating non organic produce does to your gut flora.
If money is an issue or organic produce isn’t widely available to you, start with the below fruits and veggies. In 2017, these were reported to have the highest levels of pesticide residues in the USA. Otherwise known as the Dirty Dozen.
- strawberries
- spinach
- nectarines
- apples
- peaches
- celery
- grapes
- pears
- cherries
- tomatoes
- sweet bell peppers
- potatoes
8. Break up with sugar
Bad bacteria breads on sugar. They love it more than me during my monthly flo. If you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria or parasite, your sweet tooth will come out of hiding. The cravings can be so strong you feel like a crack fiend looking for their next hit. Sorry to get heavy on you, but that’s the truth of it. I went through it. It bloody sucks.
As much as you crave the sweet stuff, stay strong because it’s going to be a detriment to your gut healing process if you give in to those cravings.
9. Avoid raw foods (including smoothies)
I know for a lot of us girls, we think eating salads and drinking smoothies will lead to a flat tummy, but it can actually mean the opposite. Put simply, raw (and icy) foods are harder for the body to digest. They dampen our digestive fire, over time this puts strain on the digestive system which leads to the almighty bloat, gas, and inadequate nutrition absorption.
I was using raw frozen cauliflower and kale in my smoothies with a ton of other ingredients and wondered why I felt so bloated all the time? Nowadays, if I crave a smoothie, I’ll use ice cubes to make it cool, and add avocado, a plant protein powder, ground flax seeds, and almond milk. Maybe pop frozen blueberries but thats as far as ill go with the raw foods. Same thing goes for salads. During summer I crave cooler foods so I will opt for easier to digest foods like cherry tomatoes, cucumber (skin off), and avocado with a light base like romaine.
Bottom line – Just cook your food. Your tummy will thank you for it.
10. Drink Bone Broth daily
Bone Broth is one of the most beneficial foods to consume to restore gut health. Collagen/gelatin and the amino acids proline, glutamine and arginine help seal the openings in a leaky gut lining and supports the growth of good bacteria in the gut. Be sure to buy from organic & grass fed sources. Liquid bone broth can be found in the freezer section of most wholefoods or health food stores.
My go to brands are:
