Stomach bloating can be extremely frustrating especially when all your favorite clothes are too tight and uncomfortable or you are doubled up with pain and cramps. So what are most common causes of bloating? How do you achieve a flat stomach again? Read on for all the answers plus ten tips to beat the bloating.
What causes stomach bloating?
Stomach bloating is becoming a very common problem in today’s society. Just look around to see how many people have a bloated stomach. So what’s causing so many of us to bloat? Unfortunately bloating is not the result of just one factor but of several. Here are some of the most common causes:
· Consuming certain foods can cause bloating and flatulence. Many people suffer after eating high fiber foods like beans, Brussels and cabbage. Other foods such as fizzy drinks, alcohol, starchy and sweet foods and sometimes medication can also be the cause of bloating.
· Aerophagia is another cause. This is basically swallowing excess air which gets caught in the intestinal track and in severe cases results in stomach bloating, discomfort and pain.
· Lactose intolerance can result in many symptoms such as nausea, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence and stomach cramps. This is because the body is unable to digest the lactose found in milk and dairy products.
· Gluten intolerance or celiac disease often results in bloating as the body is unable to digest gluten protein found in oats, rye, wheat and barley.
· Food intolerances caused by a leaky gut, due to a candida overgrowth is another cause as the body produces fluid within the abdominal cavity to dilute the offending particle of food. Hence the reason why you can eat 2lb of chocolate and put on 5lbs!
· Irritable bowel syndrome, known as IBS, can also cause stomach bloating due to a very fast or slow bowel movement. Symptoms can also include tummy cramps and pain as well as constipation or diarrhea.
· Obstruction of the intestine due to tumors, intestinal twisting, foreign bodies or intestinal adhesions may also be a cause.
· Other common problems associated include menstruation, food poisoning, eating too much, parasite infection, constipation, ovarian cysts, stress and anxiety.
· A Candida overgrowth can also cause bloating because the yeasts, including Candida, feed on sugar. If the body’s pH balance is upset, the friendly bacteria (like lactobacilli) that normally metabolize sugars cannot thrive and do their job properly, and the Candida albicans have the opportunity to flourish in a sugar-rich environment, which can cause stomach bloating.
If you want to find out if your stomach bloating might be due to a candida overgrowth take a free candida test.
Ten Tips to reduce or eliminate stomach bloating:
1. Don’t rush your meals, eat consciously
2. If possible sit at a table and chew your food slowly
3. Sit still after eating to allow your meal to disgust properly
4. Remove intolerant foods from your diet
5. Take Probiotics, good bacteria, to help calm the stomach
6. Follow a healthy fresh food diet, a candida diet is excellent
7. Increase a low intake of fluids, especially water
8. Reduce high fibre foods
9. Do not chew gum
10. Replace medication with natural alternatives when possible
Natural Digestive Aids
Try to avoid putting toxins in your body by using natural digestive aids to help stomach bloating and related conditions. Here are some of the more popular ones available in health shops and on the internet.
· Psyllium husk fibre cleanses the digestive tract of waste material; absorbs water to soften stools, and to promote the growth of good bacteria. It also contains herbs to help optimise digestive health · A natural, safe laxative for the relief of occasional constipation, rather than using violent chemical purgatives · Ginger capsules a carminative that helps release excessive gases from the digestive system · Digestizyme provides a broad spectrum of plant-sourced enzymes, which digest protein, fat and carbohydrate · Cinnamon has been used for thousands of years to help calm digestive problems · Charcoal tablets give great relief for wind, indigestion, heartburn and mild diarrhoea · Ibisene contains a high-potency extract of artichoke, a herb best known for its effect in maintaining healthy digestion
