When you wake up, you usually do so feeling good and deflated, on an empty stomach. It makes you happy again to see a normal state in your belly, but it is a matter of going for breakfast, to feel the same again. And for the rest of the day, you will not be focused on the tasks of your work, rather you will be focused on that swollen belly and the waist of your pants digging into your stomach, cursing the moment when it occurred to you to eat that oatmeal that simply you do not tolerate. But don't despair, there are ways to never feel the swelling again.

Swollen belly after eating is such a common problem that we have to deal with it every day; If not, it is ourselves, it is through someone close to us that suffers it. Many end up accepting that feeling bloated all the time is a normal part of life.

This is not surprising, since more and more people are suffering from bloating, and if you have a digestive disorder, such as IBS, the figure shoots up to 66-90%.

And while a chronically swollen belly could be a sign of a more serious condition, so you should check with your doctor to rule it out, most bloating is actually a sign of something else: poor digestion.

5 causes of a swollen tummy after meals

You need to understand the underlying causes of a bloated belly so you can keep your belly flat all day every day.

1. Low stomach acid

Stomach acid is crucial for good digestion and for our immune system. It breaks down food and kills bacteria, parasites, and pathogens.

Stomach acid can be depleted by consuming sugar, processed foods, consuming cold beverages with meals, improper chewing, and high consumption of animal protein.

Low heartburn can cause constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and acne.

2. Leaky intestine

Also known as intestinal hyperpermeability, this is when particles that would not normally be able to pass through the lining of the small intestine, such as gluten proteins, dairy products, grains, bacteria, and undigested food, suddenly have a pass. because the pores in your gut are bigger than they should be. This can occur from eating a poor diet, from a bacterial imbalance, chronic stress, or an overload of toxins.

3. Food sensitivity

When the same foods are eaten every day with a limited variety, repeated exposure to these foods can trigger an immune response, causing symptoms (such as bloating) to appear.

Some foods such as dairy, wheat, potatoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, onions, and FODMAP carbohydrates (poorly absorbable short chain carbohydrates), are simply harder for the body to digest and are more likely to cause gas.

4. Dysbiosis

A fancy way of saying it's an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast, or parasites. Dysbiosis basically means you have more bad bacteria in your gut than good bacteria and considering that the bacterial cells in your body outnumber the human cells in your body 10 to 1, it makes sense that you want the majority of your gut bacteria be on your side.

Especially since good bacteria can prevent you from having leaky gut, keep your immune system healthy and help your body to be able to see the difference between you and foreign particles so it does not attack itself (autoimmunity).

Intestinal dysbiosis can occur if you have a history of antibiotic use, if you eat too many processed foods, are constantly stressed, or it can even occur as a natural side effect of aging.

5. Stress

Chronic stress raises cortisol, can break down the intestinal lining, and cause cravings for sugar, fat, and salt, while overstimulation of the adrenal glands decreases blood flow to the intestine, impeding digestion, and causing a swollen belly all over. weather.

5 ways to never feel a swollen belly

Ready to throw out your fridge and try a better diet? Well, good news, there are actually a ton of steps we can take to prevent indigestion and strengthen our gut health.

1. Make eating a ritual

Eating in a calm and present state is the key to improving your digestion. Known as the cephalic phase of digestion, this is the process of digestion that occurs even before you eat your food: your body uses its senses, smell, sight, touch, and sound to trigger gastric secretion (such as saliva and acid stomach) and hormones.

But this only happens if you are in rested and digestion mode, which means that you are present and not stressed, so get away from the sofa, put the best utensils, and sit at the table. Take a deep breath and chew, chew, chew your food, digestion literally begins in the mouth with the mechanical breakdown of food.

2. Avoid foods that trigger bloating

Eliminate sugar, processed foods, refined grains, and artificial sweeteners from your diet, and if you suspect food allergies, temporarily try eliminating common allergens: gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, nightshades, etc., to see if that makes a difference.

It is recommended to keep a food diary, and slowly introduce one food at a time, to help identify which food sensitivities may be contributing to your indigestion.

3. Stay hydrated

Water is essential to prevent constipation, which can lead to bloating, as water is necessary to keep the colon hydrated. When you are dehydrated, the body has to flush the water out of the stool, making it small and difficult to pass. Go for 2 liters a day.

4. Feed your gut and your gut bacteria

Make sure you eat a diet rich in fermented probiotic foods such as raw sauerkraut, kimchi, Kombucha, kefir and prebiotics, the latter, foods that feed probiotics, foods such as chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion leaves, onions and bananas.

5. Get a digestion toolkit

Maintain an arsenal of tools to ensure proper digestion:

Digestive enzymes: Take one or two capsules of a multi-enzyme formula with your meal.

Probiotics: Look for high-quality probiotics that have a variety of bacteria, including multiple strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, with at least 15 billion CFUs.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that these two strains of bacteria were effective in relieving bloating for its 60 participants over an eight-week course.

Collagen: Essential for intestinal health, collagen increases gastric juices, binds to water to help stool pass more easily, and contains the amino acids proline and glycine that are necessary to repair damaged intestinal mucosa.

Look for collagen that comes from grass-fed cows, and look for powdered collagen peptides if you want something that can easily sneak into your morning coffee or smoothie as it dissolves in liquid and is tasteless.

Herbs: Include carminative herbs and spices, such as ginger, fennel, chamomile, peppermint, and cardamom to relieve bloating. You can sprinkle powdered spices in your smoothie, in your meals or drinks like tea after meals.

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