If you’re someone who struggles with constant bloating or digestive issues, this is for you. A question I’m asked almost daily from the people I work with and followers is:
What should I cut out to get rid of bloating?
Today I’m answering your question and I’m sharing my 3 things we can all cut out to get rid of bloating:
1. Constant busyness.
I work with a lot of busy individuals: the ones who work really hard and excel at their jobs. The ones who always look after others before themselves be that family, friends or clients. The ones who have one last thing to do before lunch and might skip it altogether in the name of productivity.
And the ones who struggle with chronic digestive issues as a result.
Often they’ll tell me they’re too busy for self care and too busy to take that time out for themselves. Life is just too busy.
They thrive off constantly being on the go and running after everyone else. Sitting down feels unproductive. Stillness is a waste of time when there is so much else to be done. Selfcare is a woo-ey excuse for laziness.
But when we say ‘I’m too busy’ what we really mean is ‘that’s not a priority’ that we are
not a priority and don’t deserve the time we give others
Despite the exhaustion and chronic digestive issues they battle daily.
We are humans, not machines and our bodies need rest and stillness. Even your devices run out of power and need time to recharge their batteries before they can go again. Our bodies are no different.
This constant go go go mentality gets us stuck in a chronic state of fight or flight which disrupts digestive function and contributes to that bloating and discomfort. For some, gut motility is increased, resulting in diarrhoea.
For others, gut motility slows down and results in bloating and constipation. Sometimes we get a mix of the two. And the cycle is never ending.
The best way to break the cycle is to stop.
Slow down and make some time for you, including space for the things that bring you joy. Life is busy but as cliché as it sounds, you cannot pour from an empty cup. The more you fill your cup, the better you’ll feel and the more productive you’ll be overall.
Ask yourself this: am I too busy, or am I just not enough of a priority?
2. Food restrictions.
Anyone who’s suffered with bloating or digestive issues has probably cut various out foods for relief, some with success, many without any improvement at all. A quick Google search will give you lists of foods to cut out for better digestion, but for most people, this isn’t necessary and can actually cause more harm than good.
In my experience, most people that come to me have tried elimination diets without seeing any improvement in their symptoms. Instead of digestive relief, this has resulted in the development of food fears, a restricted diet and more unwanted stress.
Firstly, it’s important to understand what an elimination diet is and it should be carried out.
Elimination diets have three key phases:
1. Elimination: the food is eliminated for 3-6 week (max).
2. Reintroduction: the food is reintroduced to test your level of tolerance.
3. Personalisation: when we know the level of tolerance, you know how much of the food you can enjoy without the tummy upset.
What tends to happen is that people do the elimination phase but never quite make it to the reintroduction or personalisation phase, generally through lack of awareness and of course fear that the symptoms will return.
Without reintroducing foods, we don’t actually know if that food is a trigger or not.
Similarly, we might be able to tolerate a certain amount of that food, meaning we don’t need
to avoid it fully. Reducing the level of restriction and giving some additional variety to our diet.
In terms of the restriction phase, it is important to note that if you don’t see any improvement in your symptoms having removed a food at the 6 week mark, it’s likely that the food isn’t the issue.
Finally, elimination diets should be the last resort option if all other interventions have been exhausted. Unfortunately, the internet doesn’t always tell us this! And this is a conversation I have most days which is generally a relief for the individual
If you’re in a similar position, have a think about how long you’ve restricted the food and if
you ever got to retest it.
If you’ve never reintroduced the food, do you really know if this is a problem food for you?
3. Mindless eating.
We talk a lot about what foods cause bloating but not so much about the role of how we eat.
The digestive process begins before we take our first bite and this is known as the cephalic phase of digestion. When we see, smell or hear food, this sends a signal to the brain that food is coming. The brain then sends a message to the digestive system to prepare for the incoming meal, which triggers the release of digestive juices and enzymes such as saliva and stomach acid in preparation for the incoming food.
Mastication is the process of chewing our food and this breaks it down into a liquid form, ahead of its arrival into the digestive system.
Unfortunately, life is busy and we often find ourselves eating on the go or with distractions such as work, children or devices which may result in less mindful eating.
This means that these first two stages of digestion may be skipped due to eating more quickly. As a result, we may not chew our food as thoroughly and larger particles of food are swallowed into an under prepared digestive system which can contribute to bloating, cramps, gas and changes to our stools.
If we’re constantly on the go and stuck in that chronic state of fight or flight which compromises our digestive function, we have a recipe for disaster resulting in a very unhappy gut!
What can be helpful to keep in mind is that life happens and it’s not always possible to eat our meals 100% mindfully all of the time.
Instead, could you focus on one meal a day or week as a starting point. Remove the
distractions, take 3 slow breaths in and out before you start eating. Notice the colours and
shapes of the food on your plate. When you pick up the fork, can you notice any scents
from the food. Chew slowly on the first bite and let the food be broken down to mush before
swallowing. Repeat and check in with your level of fullness during and after the meal.
Not only can this support your digestion but it can also increase your enjoyment of the meal in front of you!
As you can see, our digestion can be impacted by a wide range of factors beyond the food we eat. Food really is just one piece of the puzzle, which is why focusing solely on what foods to cut out and avoid is preventing you from taking back control and beating the bloat once and for all.
If you’d like to learn how to identify your triggers and to build your own bloating toolkit, my upcoming group programme, How to Beat the Bloat Without Cutting Out More Food will show you how.
Over 5 weeks, my 5 pillar process to better gut health will give you all the tools you need along with teaching you how a regular yoga practice can support better gut health.
By the end of the programme you’ll be clear on your triggers to reduce flare ups and will have built your own personal bloating toolkit.
Because we are all unique and there is no one size fits all approach to better gut health.
For all information click here or book a call here to chat more about if this programme is right for you.