ARE YOU EXPERIENCING BLOATING?
I often hear complains on the after math of high fiber foods as these can cause bloating and discomfort for many.
But how do you know if your bloating comes from too much fiber or other issues due to your diet and/or digestive system?
Before I go over these, keep in mind that a certain level of fullness is normal to experience after eating. Especially when eating high fiber foods(I will share tips on how to decrease or ease bloating from high fiber). However, extreme bloating, gas, and ache-y discomfort is not normal and there are ways to recover from this with the proper attention and care.
Below are some at home self tests to help you determine what type of bloating you may be experiencing.
*Keep in mind these should be done at least 2 hours after eating and not immediately after. Give your body time to digest.
TEST 1: Tap your belly and if you hear an echo-y sound, then you may have stuck gas that could be due to either not flushing out fiber or you may be consuming too much gas producing foods like dairy or meat(please keep in mind that vegan dairy is equally gas producing because of additives such as guar gum among others that have undergone a process making these foods harder to digest. Of course you can eat them but be aware these are not any better than regular dairy. Processed is processed.
TEST 2: Gently massage your belly with the tip of your fingers and if you hear gas moving, then this may be the same as above.
TEST 3: Gently massage your belly with the tip of your fingers and if you hear fluid moving, then you’re most likely retaining water. Of course, unless you just drank tons of liquids;)
TEST 4: Gently massage your belly and if you feel lumpy areas you may be backed up. Aka – CONSTIPATION. You should be able to massage these gently to help get things moving.
*Keep in mind if these lumpy areas don’t go away after a few days, you should rule out other potential underlying conditions. So make sure to consult your physician.
SIGNS OF CONSTIPATION
1.You don’t poop every day.
2.Your poop is hard.
3.Your poop is small even though you eat multiple meals the day before.
4.Your poop is thin, pebbly, or piece-y rather than one full form.
5.You get ache-y when you eat-usually because you didn’t throughly flush out excess waste from the day before. But this could also have to do with what you’re eating so consider that too.
You should NOT have to take laxatives, enemas or do any other form of treatment that helps you defecate on a constant basis. Our bodies should have the ability to get rid of unwarned waste on its own. This is part of a healthy digestive system.
You may want to consider consuming a more simple diet for a while and manage your stress levels with some self care. At the least, don’t forget to breathe!
Below are some tips if you’re looking to add more plants/high fiber foods to your diet but have either experienced too much bloating and gas or simply want to make a jump into a healthier diet.
1.Anytime you add more fiber to your diet, you should ease your way into it giving your body time to assimilate the unique carbohydrates found in many high fiber foods. So basically, don’t go from eating no fiber to eating 5 servings of high fiber foods a day.
If you’re starting from 0, then begin with one to two servings a day and follow the advice on tip # 2.
2.Drink lots and lots of water. I cannot stress this enough. Water helps flush down the fiber.
Fiber – Water = some serious constipation. I personally drink a minimum of 1 gallon a day and even more on sweaty workout days.
Some other ways to aid digestion and discomfort are:
- Breathe deeply while eating.
- Chew your food throughly.
- Do focused belly breathing for at least 5 minutes a day. I personally like to do this in the morning, after meals, in the shower, while working on my computer, before bed, etc.
- Belly massage: with the tip of your fingers, gently massage in circular motions(clock wise) to help move excess gas and fluid. Make sure you’re breathing while doing this.
- Apply a hot water bag if experiencing any gas based discomfort. Be careful to not burn yourself. Use a towel or place on top of clothing if need to.
- Drink lots of water-this one is worth mentioning again because it is literally at the top of the list. Water is essential for a healthy digestive system. So drink tons of it.
- Drink licorice, ginger, chamomile, or any digestion aiding tea throughout the day. Especially after meals.
Please note: None of the information above are a prescription or diagnosis. You should always consult a physician to rule out allergies or other serious underlying conditions. I am not a digestive system expert. All of the advice given is based on personal research, self study, and empirical evidence. It is simply shared for educational purposes and you follow at your own discretion.
Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or requests. I’m here to help in any way I can.
xo,
Vilmaliz
#VBMETHOD
Share Post