Many
people around me regularly complain about their bloated stomach and the
positive news is that this condition can be usually treated from the moment we
have discovered its cause. Feeling bloated all the time can be quite unpleasant
especially in women as it affects their self -esteem and the way they feel
about their appearance.
When a person is feeling bloated the doctor is usually looking for
this usual conditions
Irregular
meal-times
Intestinal
yeast overgrowth
Gluten
sensitivity or celiac disease
Insulin
resistance
Poor
food combining
Intolerance
of certain types of food
Lack
of digestive enzymes (including lactose intolerance)
Other
causes of dysbiosis – bacterial proliferation or parasites in the small
intestines.
Certain
conditions can be tested for – gluten sensitivity, food intolerance, insulin,
celiac resistance, and in other cases the doctor heals the patient led by
his/her symptoms and history of the disease.
1.Irregular meal-times
Another
common cause of bloating is eating whenever you can. When you spend long hours
without meals, and then overeat before bedtime, your digestion (and metabolism)
will slow down. For example, when you skip breakfast, and then have a large
lunch will nearly always make you feel bloated – this comes as a shock to the
digestive system, and will also increase blood sugar levels as well as the insulin level as described in
the text bellow. At the end you will feel bloated and tired, consuming coffee
to stay awake in the afternoon.
We
need to have regular and consistent meal times so our bodies could function
properly, and our digestive system will work better as well. Have breakfast
within 1 hour after waking up, a regularly timed mid-day lunch, and dinner
before 7pm. Consume mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks if you want.
2.Intestinal yeast overgrowth
Intestinal
yeast overgrow is quite common condition, and in most cases it comes as a result
of prolonged antibiotic use. And these are the most common reasons – excessive
use of antibiotics in the childhood against ear or tonsil infections, using
antibiotics against acne in a longer period of time(tetracycline or minocin),
as well as for persistent urinary tract
infections. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to changes of the digestive flora
which allows yeasts to win the fight against good bacteria
Too
much yeast in your body will make you feel bloated and gassy. Gassiness is
caused by yeasts that ferment food. There is also a possibility that some
people will have greater desire for sugar and carbs, fatigue, brain fog,
vaginal yeast infections, binge eating disorder and perhaps fungal skin
infections.
Luckily
this condition is curable but you need to rebalance your intestinal flora and
clean the yeasts with: taking supplements against yeast, no-sugar diet, and
restoring the intestinal flora with probiotics.
3. Gluten sensitivity or celiac disease
Gluten
intolerance and celiac disease (a more serious form of gluten-intolerance)
affect more and more people every day ,and the great changes in wheat over the
past 50 years is mostly the reason, as well as regular intake of grain products
.A lot of people with gluten sensitivity have problems with bloating,
constipation, with or without gassiness or diarrhea.
You
can run some tests for gluten intolerance and celiac and many people do these
tests, but even those who have negative results, feel much better without
consuming products with gluten. People with low level of vitamin B12 who are
not on vegan or vegetarian diet can suffer from gluten intolerance.
If
you think that gluten is the reason for your problems, you first need to run
certain blood tests to confirm it, or another way is to start avoiding gluten
the next 5 weeks and see the results. After 5 weeks without gluten, it is vital
to start consuming it again so you could clarify the problem. There are a lot
of foods without gluten that are beneficial as: quinoa, rice, squash and sweet
potato, millet are one of them.
4. Insulin resistance
Because
of glucose (sugar) in the blood, Insulin (hormone) is secreted from the
pancreas. After consuming a meal, the insulin levels increase. In a healthy
person when insulin is produced it activates the body’s cells to use the sugar
and fats from the bloodstream. Insulin resistance appears as a result of
damaged cells which do not react on the insulin signal. This triggers the body
to produce more and more insulin, and in this way toxic levels of glucose are
created in the blood, known as high blood sugar levels.
Common
symptoms of insulin resistance are: strong desire for carbohydrates and sweets;
increased appetite; rapid weight gain (in a period of 2-3 years) and feeling
tired and bloated after meals.
If
you have experienced any of these symptoms, and especially if you have a family
history of diabetes, you may suffer from insulin resistance. Insulin resistance
can be confirmed with the help of blood tests. The positive side is that with
diet changes and exercise this condition can be controlled.Do not consume too
much sugar and carbohydrate foods, eat more vegetables, fibers, proteins and
healthy fats; exercising regularly is highly recommended.
5. Poor food combining
Are
you familiar with the fact that combining different types of foods can affect
how well they are digested? There are people that react more sensitively than
others. Bloating and indigestion can appear as a result of improperly combined
foods which slow down the digestive process.
The
main rule of food combining is to consume your fruits alone, and is forbidden
to consume them with other foods, particularly proteins. For most people, this
rule is sufficient. For example, never eat melon or a fruit salad immediately
after consuming fish!
Another
crucial rule is to avoid combining proteins with carbohydrates. This is quite
problematic almost impossible when it comes to vegetarian diet, but for those
who consume meat, fish, or poultry try splitting your starches and proteins and
see the outcome. You may have improved digestion. For example, have fruit juice
for breakfast; nuts for mid-morning snack; consume meat, poultry or fish with
various vegetables for lunch; and then have a more carbohydrate-heavy meal for
dinner as a baked sweet potato combined with grilled vegetables.
6. Intolerance of certain types of food
Food
intolerance unlike food allergy is a postponed reaction to a food, rather than
an instant response like swelling, itching or anaphylaxis. Immune stress and
inflammation are caused by food intolerances and in that way the intestinal
tract is irritated as well which results in bloating. Foods that mostly cause
intolerances are: eggs, certain fruits (citrus, pineapples, bananas) dairy,
wheat, gluten, corn, sometimes nuts (peanuts and almonds are most common) etc.
In
order to find out which foods you cannot tolerate you need to run blood tests
so you need to choose wisely what to eat. This condition is most likely in
people with a history of eczema, asthma, allergies a family history of
autoimmune disease as well as can be linked with numerous skin conditions, lack
of energy and problems with digestion. It is expected that the bloating will
disappear in 4-6 weeks with excluding any food that is not good for you.
7. Lack of digestive enzymes
Pancreas
secretes digestive enzymes which breakdown food into smaller parts that can be
absorbed by your body. Enzymes dissolve carbohydrates, proteins, lactose and
fats.
When
body is not producing enough digestive enzymes, indigestion, bloating, pain,
and irregular bowel movements can appear as a result. A deficiency of digestive
enzymes can be caused by: 1) overgrowth of bacteria; 2) food intolerances
causing low-grade inflammation in the intestinal tract / yeast / parasites; 3)
chronic stress; 4) low stomach and 5) aging.
Another
form of enzyme deficiency is Lactose intolerance, where there is insufficient
lactase enzyme to dissolve lactose, which causes problems with digestion of
dairy products.If you want to know if you suffer from Lactose intolerance you
can take a breath test, or within 2 weeks to avoid dairy products, after which
you should start consuming them again (so you can see what will happen)
You
may take digestive enzymes as a temporary solution within your meals, and not
to consume dairy products if you suffer from lactose intolerances. But it is
very important to find out the root of the problem, and solve it in order to
encourage the body to produce enough enzymes on its own.
8. Other causes of dysbiosis – small intestinal bacterial
overgrowth or parasites
Digestive
tract imbalance is very common condition, and together with yeast as written
above, a lot of people also carry many pathogenic bacteria and even parasites
in their digestive tracts. This happens mostly in people who travel (especially
to Asia, Africa or South America), but even if you eat outside you can pick up
some nasty germs. This digestive imbalance typically goes with diarrhea,
fatigue and weight loss.
You
can run some tests for bacterial proliferating and parasites with a suitable
digestive stool analysis in order to find out
what is in the intestines. Once the organism(s) are identified the
treatment is then much simpler.
Overview
To
conclude many things can cause bloating, and this condition can be easily
treated. It is not normal if you unbutton your pants each night after dinner,
or to feel bloated when the day ends. After reading this article you can improve your digestive health by yourself!
Source= www.healthyfoodteam.com
Enjoy
and Share with friends !