Why You Might Be Bloated
Let’s talk about why you might be feeling bloated, some things that you can do in the moment to help yourself, and some underlying reasons (that might take a little more time or energy to be able to figure out) that will ultimately help you get out of the bloating cycle.
Here are some of the heavy hitters to consider:
- Stress
- Toxins
- Food Sensitivities
- Infections
- Deficiencies (in nutrients or things like stomach acid or enzymes)
Here’s what I often recommend as a potential “band aid approach” while you’re working on figuring out the deeper root cause:
Digestive enzymes (we recommend Power Enzyme)
I recommend trying something like this 10-15 minutes before eating to see if it offers some type of relief!
If you’re not USUALLY bloated but experience it once in a while when you eat out, are extra stressed, or are traveling – you can have enzymes on hand to support yourself. You can take them AFTER a meal as well! We don’t ever plan on being bloated after eating, but sometimes it happens. 🙋♀️
Another option is trying a digestive bitter. Bitters come in a little dropper and you can just drop them right in your mouth or in a little glass of water if that’s your preference. The bitter taste on your tastebuds is what helps to stimulate digestion (and therefore can assist in bloating).
Side note: if you’re dealing with digestive issues and experiencing bloating, you’ll also often have a burning sensation or straight up heartburn. If that’s the case – try using DGL to help soothe. You can check out what we use HERE.
Testing for Root Cause of Bloating
If you are caught in a cycle of being bloated no matter what you eat, how you change your diet, or even WITHOUT food – it might time to explore a deeper dive. I always recommend taking a look at what’s actually going on in the gut with something like a stool sample test. This can help you figure out if there’s anything in the gut that shouldn’t be, if there is anything missing that should be replenished, what needs healed, what needs supported, etc… This type of testing is never perfect but it really helps organize and prioritize your plan of action. I find that this alone gives you a sense of forward motion and accomplishment.
Here are some things we commonly find on stool sample tests that clients can take action on:
- Candida infection
- Bacterial overgrowth
- Lack of digestion
- Leaky Gut
- Gluten Intolerance
- Poor Immune function
- H.Pylori infection
- Parasites
- Inflammation
- Blood in the stool
Food Sensitivities
This topic deserves its own conversation (maybe we’ll do that next week) but suffice it to say: food sensitivities are a symptom of something else. There is definitely room and opportunity to identify them, remove them from the diet, and then work them back in. But, if you don’t work on the deeper healing at the same time…you might just be running in circles.
Micronutrients
Lack of nutrients can both lend a hand in bloating (from inflammation) and deficiencies can be a result of other underlying issues that are also causing your bloat! If you’re cells are inflamed and you aren’t absorbing your nutrients, you can see how this would perpetuate the cycle of being bloated.
You can take a look at your micronutrients by doing a simple blood test. I recommend this one that will test the intra- and extra-cellular nutrient levels: Micronutrient Testing
Stomach Acid
Check out these resources for how stomach acid plays a role in bloating:
Overall, recall that stomach acid is a vital component of digestion and when digestion is compromised food doesn’t get broken down properly and this can result in bloating, bacterial overgrowth, fungal and parasitic infections, etc…
Chewing
Let’s not forget this very simple aspect. I can’t stress it enough. If you’re not chewing well and, let’s say you also don’t have adequate stomach acid, you’re really setting yourself up to have to do a lot more work further down in the digestive system. A lot more work often will equal bloating, discomfort, pain, gas.
Managing Stress
The last thing that I would like to remind you of is related to stress. Don’t forget that you can create pockets of calmness around your mealtimes. By doing things like the physiological sigh and simple inhales/exhales (check out the conversation on this here).
Some of the simple tools here are going to be enough for some of you. For some of you, you’re at a point where you really can’t continue to guess and get it wrong – you deserve more answers and gut testing is a terrific way to make that happen.
Ask yourself how much longer you can last without investing in guidance and support.
Cheering for you always!
Kylie