First things first – answer these questions to know if you’re bloated.
Do you frequently have to undo your pants after eating?
Do you feel like you gain weight throughout the course of a day?
Is your belly hard and/or gassy and/or crampy?
If yes, these might be the reasons why…
- You don’t chew your food – Take a chill pill when you eat. Start chewing.
- You don’t produce enough stomach acid – Take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or bitters before you eat. Stop taking zantac, TUMS, and antacids. They aren’t good for you and they won’t solve your problem.
- Your body sucks at making digestive enzymes to break down food – Take enzymes. Especially if you are an older adult. Enzyme production plummets as we age.
- You’re eating a food that your body doesn’t like, creating inflammation – Get help to figure out what the offending food is.
- You eat a crap load of fibre or beans – Good for you. Get an enzyme that breaks down fibre.
- You’re stressed to the high heavens and it’s taking a toll on your nervous system – GET. HELP. TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL. STOP THE MADNESS.
- You eat frankenfood – Eat real food. If you don’t know how, find someone to help you figure it out.
- You have a serious digestive disease like Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease – get nutrition help and a gastroenterologist and regular colonoscopies. Get to know your body. Get a health team in place.
- You have funky bacteria in your large intestine – Take a probiotic.
- You have funky bacteria in your small intestine – Don’t take a probiotic. Follow a specific carbohydrate diet. I can help you figure that one out. This is called S.I.B.O.
Need more guidance? Come and see me.
Dr. Lydia
