One out of four of us has some kind of digestive problem, and right up there among the top is bloating!
Although it tends to affect women more often, bloating is a very common condition that causes misery for millions of people.
Bloating can be extremely uncomfortable and is commonly associated with pain, gas and constipation.
Occasional bloating is one thing...but many people have it a LOT, as in several days a week or even every day. This is chronic bloating and is nothing to take lightly.
If you've been feeling like a pan of Jiffy Pop popcorn most days, let's explore what might be behind YOUR bloating and ways you can get relief.
The rise hath many causes
There are several medical conditions that can cause chronic bloating including:
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Poor gallbladder function
- Diverticulosis/diverticulitis
- Food allergies or sensitivities
- Celiac disease
Plus gas and bloating are common side effects of many medications including antidepressants, acid reducers, antibiotics and pain killers.
But in the absence of an underlying disease or medication factor, some of the most common causes of chronic bloating are:
- Intestinal dysbiosis
- Poor digestion
- Stress
Let's take a closer look at each of those:
- 1. Intestinal Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis is the term for having an imbalance of bacteria in your gut which favors the unfriendly, harmful organisms living inside of you.
Many factors can cause dysbiosis including stress, environmental toxins, smoking, lack of sleep, oral contraceptives, steroids and antibiotics.
But one of the most common culprits is the standard American which is heavy on bad fats, sugar, processed and fast food, with very little fiber and very few naturally occurring nutrients.
These factors encourage an overgrowth of viruses, dangerous bacteria, yeasts and fungi in your gut wall which in turn can cause severe gas and bloating.
Dysbiosis can also lead to diarrhea, constipation, low immune function, chronic, repeated infections and low energy.
In addition, the dangerous microbes can produce toxins of their own which damage the intestinal lining and lead to chronic inflammation, leaky gut and poor nutrient absorption.
- 2. Poor Digestion
Poor digestion is a major cause of chronic gas and bloating. Simply put, if your foods are not broken down properly, it's never a pretty sight further "down the road."
Although poor digestion can be related to dysbiosis, it's most commonly the result of eating foods and meals that are just too difficult for your body to break down efficiently.
You see, each type of food you eat requires a specific kind of digestive enzyme--some foods are broken down by an acid enzyme and others by an alkaline enzyme.
When your meals are include several different types of foods requiring different enzymes, the presence of the opposing acid and alkaline enzymes in the stomach may cause the enzymes to be neutralized and weakened.
This can impair your digestion and lead to a ballooned-up belly.
- 3. Stress
Your body must be in a relaxed (parasympathetic) state for digestion to take place properly. If you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system is in control instead, and that will most assuredly impair your digestion and cause bloating.
How to pop YOUR bloating balloon
In order to say goodbye to bloating, you need to look at what may be causing yours and do something about it.
If you suspect you have an underlying medical condition, by all means see a doctor.
Plus if you're on any of the medications I mentioned above, talk to your doctor about alternatives or weaning off them altogether.
But if there are no other contributing factors, then dysbiosis, poor digestion or stress may be culprits behind your balloon belly.
Here’s how you can tackle each one of those:
1- Destroy dysbiosis
Probiotic supplementation with species of both lactobacillus and bifidobacterium can be very helpful in fighting dysbiosis.
Probiotics help repopulate the friendly microbes in your gut, so the good guys can "crowd out" the bad guys and bring your balance back to where it should be.
Probiotics also help decrease the permeability of the gut wall. This can help to avoid the leakage of poorly digested food particles and toxins into your bloodstream that can lead to illness and food sensitivities.
Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula has five different powerhouse strains of Bifidobacteria and six Lactobacillus strains, plus two other potent strains.
Studies show that a wide variety of strains is important to helping the greatest number of people, since each strain has its own "specialty" in terms of how it helps your body function...and that includes reducing bloating!
2- Encourage easy digestion
Our average diets are loaded with processed foods and hard to digest meals, so it's easy to see why so many of us are popping our buttons left and right.
But that can be turned around very easily by eating for better digestion--like I will show you in the Great Taste No Pain health system.
Great Taste No Pain will teach you why specific food combinations can lead to poor digestion and related health problems.
You’ll also learn how to put together meals that can be much easier for your body to digest and get a collection of tasty recipes to try. You'll be shocked at how great you can feel (and how flat your stomach can be) after eating for a change, and how delicious good-for-you foods can be!
Note: If you have gluten sensitivity, Great Taste No Gluten is for you instead.
3- Reduce stress
Occasional stress is unavoidable, but if you’re chronically stressed, it’s time to chill out.
Helpful measures include therapy, meditation, prayer, deep breathing and exercise. Get help if you need it.
When you take safe, natural measures to address what may be causing your bloating, a whole new world of a comfortable, flat stomach can open up for you...fast.
Start on the path to your bloat-free life today.
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
