My myth busting of so-called ’causes’ of common symptoms continues… does this bloating story sound familiar?
You feel bloated after you eat some foods. You think it’s after you eat onions, or maybe garlic? But some days it feels like everything you eat makes you bloated. There’s no way you can eat lentils and then go out in public!
Common suggested solution: you are told you have food intolerances, so advised to eat a ‘clean diet’ and cut out all the problem foods (indefinitely).
Actual cause(s): it’s likely there’s an imbalance of bacteria in your gut meaning there aren’t enough good guys to break down certain types of fibre. This means fibre in lentils, onions or garlic sits there and ferments, causing bloating and gas.
OR it could be that you’re eating on the run, while stressed, which means your body isn’t producing enough digestive secretions to break down food easily. This can also lead to bloating.
Finding the cause in this case means taking a look at your overall gut health and probably doing some work to provide your body with the resources it needs to digest and absorb food properly. You might need to stop eating certain foods in the short term, but there’s a good chance you’ll be able to tolerate those ‘problem’ foods in the long term once your gut has healed.
Want to find out more? Contact me today.