Let’s talk about bloat baby!

10 ways to help reduce bloat.

Let’s be real, at this point in many of our lives, this is the real “B word” that we all would like to banish from our lives! Bloat, sneaky sneaky bloat. Just when we think we have a handle on bloat, we so much as look longingly at a piece of delicious cheese and we bloat! WHY?

Our digestive systems have taken a beating without even knowing it. From too many antibiotics as children, birth control, overly processed foods, too much sugar, not enough fiber, too much fiber…the list goes on and on. SO, what can we do now to help beat the bloat and not feel so ick?

1)      First and foremost, if you are in constant pain and discomfort, consult with your doctor. We never want to look past something and write it off as normal. When in doubt, talk to a physician.

2)      Keep an intake log (aka food diary.) for a few days. This can be tricky. It is not used as a form of calorie counting or restriction. Its sole purpose is to truly look at what you are putting into your system and trying to figure out what is causing the bloat.

3)      Crowd out sugar and processed foods with more whole foods (think fresh fruits and vegetables.) The more whole foods we put in, the less room for the processed foods we have. Trade your afternoon vending snack for an apple with nut butter or for some kale chips and vegan tzatziki dip! Think is it a few simple ingredients, can my body naturally break down these foods and turn these foods into energy. At the end of the day, we eat to nourish our bodies. Let’s try and crowd out the garbage and make room for the nourishing goodies nature give us!

4)      COOK your vegetables. Too many raw vegetables can wreck our stomachs. For a lot of us, it is really difficult to break down uncooked vegetables. Even a gentle sauté helps our digestive system, in turn leading to less bloat.

5)      Green Juice. Make our own green juice or find a local juicer. My go to that instantly helps to debloat is-Celery, lemon, ginger, green apple and cucumber. Hydrating, detoxifying, vitamin C, and gets things “moving” if ya know what I mean!

6)      Walk. As if we needed another reason to enjoy our daily walks. Walking also helps to get things moving in a really gentle way.

7)      Do a debloat flow from studio elevate. The gentle movements and props used in these flows help to massage our digestive system and help you to feel some relief.

8)      CHEW your food! I am sooo guilty of this. We all have our reasons for inhaling our food and not taking the time to savor it. Chewing our food, not rushing our meal, being present while we eat majorly helps our digestion. Imagine eating raw shredded brussels sprouts, and barely chewing because you were in such a rush…the end result is going to be bloat and some major discomfort.

9)      Probiotics. We’ve heard it before, we know we should be taking a pre and probiotic, but lets be real we forget! I have been using Seed and cannot say enough about how much they have changed my gut health for the better. As a collective, lets recommit to taking our probiotics and notice the shift! I also love a digestive enzyme (love wellness has bye bye bloat which is absolutely incredible.)

10)   Magnesium. I love the Calm brand, they have a powder mix and gummies. Magnesium helps to relax muscles and the nervous system. Think of it this way, a relaxed nervous system and a relaxed colon equals an easier time going to the bathroom if you know what I mean!