Why do I feel so bloated?

Do you often feel bloated and tired? We’ve all experienced bloating at some point or maybe all the time.

There are a number of reasons that can cause bloating and fatigue and I see it so often with clients for a range of different reasons. Its common but not normal to feel bloated. Its also important to consult a health professional to work out what is causing the problem rather than second guessing and eliminating foods that you think are causing the problem. So here are some common reasons for feeling this way, which are not always food related.

Stress

This probably doesnt seem that logical but it can happen especially when we spend the day running around and inhaling our food as we go. Properly chewing our food is so important for a healthy gut and good gut function. Its just the beginning of the process of breaking our food down but it’s a game changer if we want our digestion and gut to be working optimally.

Also the gut and our brain are in constant conversation via the gut-brain axis so when we are operating throughout the day in a state of low grade stress or busyness, this can communicate with our gut that things are not right and then our gut function is compromised which can lead to not only bloating but fatigue and other gut issues.

Food intolerance / allergy

Food is not designed to make us bloated however if you are intolerant or suspect an allergy then this can be the cause. A food intolerance is an obvious one but not always easy to diagnose and I recommend talking to a nutrition professional to work out what is your trigger. There are a few obvious foods that can cause bloating such as high FODMAP foods, lactose in dairy foods or you may be coeliac. If you suspect an intolerance or allergy, its important to have this diagnosed properly so you dont eliminate foods unnecessarily.

Fibre

I see many people who do not have a bowel movement every day, which is not normal. Not eating enough fibre and I mean not enough different types of fibre can cause constipation, which then leads to bloating. Its important to keep our bowels moving so waste and toxins are eliminated from the body. Also our gut bugs depend on prebiotic fibre for their food so they can thrive, reduce inflammation and keep the gut environment happy.  The reasons for eating plenty of fibre are varied but not eating enough can manifest in all sorts of ways which leads to fatigue and bloating.

The gut is central to our health and wellbeing and if bloating is seriously impacting your life contact me so we can investigate the cause.