Molly McNamee | Why Am I Bloated?

Why Am I Bloated?

Bloating can be really uncomfortable and frustrating. It can ruin a night, prevent you from sleeping, and put you in a bad mood. Today I want to help you find the reason you may be feeling bloated.

Here are some common causes of bloating, for a list of foods to eat to reduce bloating check out my previous article on the topic.

You don't drink enough water.

This is one of the most common reasons people feel bloated. A lack of water can cause you to feel bloated. Make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day by keeping a water bottle by you at all times.

Eating too much sugar.

Some people struggle with digesting fructose. If it doesn't digest properly, it will stay in your GI tracts and produce gas and make you feel bloated. Try to eliminate all added sugars from you diet to reduce bloating and also because that stuff is no good for you anyway!

Intolerance to certain foods.

It's possible you have an intolerance to certain foods. The best way to discover what food sensitivities you have is through an elimination diet. This "diet" will restrict you from eating certain foods for a couple weeks and slowly add them back in to see how your body reacts. If your body is sensitive to a certain food, you may feel bloated, breakout, or feel sick after consuming it.  Eliminating these foods from you diet will certainly help you fix bloating issues.

Eating on the go.

When you eat your food in a hurry and while moving around, you are not allowing your body to properly digest.  We all have busy lives, but it's important that we still take a moment to sit down and enjoy our meals. Moving around while eating is putting your body in that "fight or flight" stressed state, which switches off your digestive stomach acid and enzymes.

Eating fruit after a meal.

Fruit should always be eaten alone or on an empty stomach. The reason for this is because the digestion process is fast and different than the process with other foods. Protein and fiber-rich foods take hours to digest, whereas fruit can take as little as 20 minutes. If you eat fruit after a meal, you may feel bloated and experience burping or heartburn because of the combination of the food and fermentation of the fruit. The two digestion processes don't mix well -- so eat the fruit at a different time.

Consuming too much salt.

This one is pretty simple -- salt makes the body retain water.