Blog #3 - The 5 BEST Methods to Help Reduce & Prevent Bloating

Have you ever eaten a meal and upon finishing, immediately looked like you were ready to give birth? 🙋🏽‍♀️

Unfortunately, bloating is something that MANY women experience, whether it’s periodically, or frequently!

Let’s be honest, it’s UPSETTING and DISCOURAGING to see bloating appear while you’re working so hard to shed some pounds during your weight loss journey.

But do you know what’s EVEN MORE frustrating and upsetting than seeing bloating appear?

Not knowing WHY the bloating is occurring in the first place or even having the answers on HOW to fix it.

So what DOES cause bloating and HOW can we reduce the symptoms and prevent it from happening again in the future?

Luckily, I’m revealing ALL of that in this post!

What is Bloating & the Common Causes Of It?

I’m assuming most of us have experienced bloating before, but how many of us actually know WHAT bloating is?

*Fun Fact - bloating occurs when the organs in our digestive system are overstretched, resulting in a BUILDUP of solids, liquids OR gases within the stomach and intestines (primarily gas).

Crazy concept, right? Who would’ve thought our organs could get OVERSTRETCHED?!

But what CAUSES this overstretching to even occur in the first place? 

Let’s break it down even further - the most common causes of bloating include:
👉🏽 High Cortisol (stress hormone)
👉🏽 Menstruation
👉🏽 Hormone Imbalance
👉🏽 Gut Disorders (i.e. IBS, SIBO, Celiac Disease, etc)
👉🏽 Gut Dysfunction (i.e. diarrhea, constipation, cramps, gas, etc)
👉🏽 Consuming Cruciferous + Leafy Vegetables (i.e. spinach, broccoli, onion, cabbage, etc)
👉🏽 Consuming High FODMAP Foods (i.e. dairy, carbonated drinks, wheat, beans, lentils, etc)
👉🏽 Food Intolerances + Malabsorptions
👉🏽 Overeating + Binging

Unfortunately, bloating occurs more frequently in women than it does in men, primarily due to hormones. 

So since there are numerous reasons as to why bloating may occur, what can we do to REDUCE the symptoms and PREVENT them from coming back in the future? 

5 Methods to Help Reduce Bloating & Prevent Future Reoccurrences

Let’s take a look at the 5 BEST methods you can start implementing into your daily routine NOW to help reduce current bloating symptoms AND prevent bloating from reoccurring!

Method #1 - Change the Way You Cook Cruciferous + Leafy Vegetables

If you have a hard time remembering which ones are cruciferous vegetables, just remember that they are the vegetables that have a head or a bulb. Some examples of these types of vegetables include:
✔️ Cauliflower
✔️ Broccoli
✔️ Cabbage
✔️ Brussel Sprouts
✔️ Onion

Some examples of leafy vegetables that can also cause bloating include:
✔️ Spinach
✔️ Swiss Chard
✔️ Kale

So now that you can identify which vegetables are cruciferous, WHY do these specific vegetables cause bloating in the first place? 

Cruciferous vegetables are actually very high in sulfur and raffinose (sugar). Both products remain undigested until the bacteria in the gut ferments them and breaks them down to convert into energy. Once the gut bacteria breaks those two products down and they are converted into two separate byproducts, we are likely to experience gas, which then leads to the bloating and abdominal cramps as a result due to the chemical process of separation and conversion.

So HOW can we prevent the gas and bloating from happening…just avoid cruciferous vegetables for the rest of our lives? 

Absolutely NOT! 

While you CAN limit your consumption of cruciferous vegetables to help avoid the gut dysfunction and maintain optimal gut function, you can also just cook the vegetables in a DIFFERENT way, such as steaming or roasting. 

By steaming, boiling or roasting these types of vegetables, you’ll be able to soften the vegetables and fiber, which will make it MUCH easier for your body to digest rather than if you consumed them raw. Not only does softening the vegetables and fiber content allow for an easier digestion process, but it also provides the body with more bioavailable nutrients, which ultimately help to prevent gut dysfunction from occurring, such as gas, cramps and bloating.

But if you’re really adamant about staying away from cruciferous vegetables all together, then you can incorporate other types of vegetables into your diet that are filled with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help you have a smooth digestion while also reducing inflammation and pulling water from the body. These types of vegetables include:
✔️ Asparagus
✔️ Squash
✔️ Zucchini
✔️ Green Beans

Method #2 - Manage & Reduce Stress with De-Stressing Activities

Your Cortisol level is a VERY important concept to understand, manage and control because it is the center of EVERYTHING!

If you didn’t know, Cortisol is your stress hormone and whenever your body encounters stress, whether it’s physical, mental OR emotional stress, your body WILL feel the effects of it due to an increase in your Cortisol level. 

Unfortunately, once that hormone starts increasing, it can be very hard to stop it from continuing to increase UNLESS you change some habits and behavior within your daily routine to help manage it better.

If you DON’T take proper care of your Cortisol level and keep it under control, then things WILL start to spiral, which will cause EVERYTHING within the body to go out of whack! 

High Cortisol levels can lead to MANY health complications and illnesses, such as:
❌ Inflammation + Water Retention
❌ Insomnia
❌ High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol + Blood Sugar Levels
❌ Depression + Anxiety 
❌ Gut Dysfunction (i.e. diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, etc)
❌ Acne + Skin Problems
❌ Bone Loss + Muscle Weakness
❌ Headaches + Fatigue
❌ Weight Gain (primarily in the face and abdomen)
❌ Decrease in Memory
…and the list goes on! 

So what can we do to properly manage our Cortisol and NOT allow our body to become overly stressed? 

In order to keep hormones in check and prevent any future problems from occurring, we have to incorporate de-stressing and decompressing methods + practices into our daily routine. 

Some examples of de-stressing methods + practices you can start incorporating NOW into your daily routine to help reduce and better manage your Cortisol level include:
✔️ Taking Daily Walks (20-30 minutes)
✔️ Not Partaking in Extreme Workouts or Diets
✔️ Working Out for Only 1 Hour, 3-4x/Week
✔️ Meditating, Praying or Doing Yoga
✔️ Reading or Journaling
✔️ Taking a Bubble Bath with Epsom Salt (lavender is a calming flavor)
✔️ Painting
✔️ Digital Detox 1-2 Hours Before Bed 

Taking time to step away from the outside world, along with the daily demands & rigor, to just be with yourself for a bit will DRASTICALLY reduce your Cortisol levels, as well as help to boost your dopamine and serotonin levels (aka your “feel good” and motivation hormones). 

You’ll notice once you start incorporating these practices regularly, you’ll feel MUCH lighter mentally and emotionally, which will lead to positive changes and results for you physically!

Method #3 - Reduce or Eliminate the Consumption of High FODMAP Foods

In case you didn’t know, FODMAP foods are fermentable carbohydrates that are poorly digested and absorbed within the gut (they ferment in the colon). Foods can either be considered low FODMAP or high FODMAP, depending on the sugar content and quality.

Low FODMAP foods are “safer” to consume because the body can easily digest these types of foods due to them not having the high sugar content that causes distress within the gut. Even though these foods are easier on the digestive tract, this type of diet ISN’T meant to be consumed long term due to it being a very restrictive elimination diet. 

If utilized for too long, this type of diet can result in nutrient deficiencies in the long run. Ideally, this diet is only meant to be used short term (about 1-2 months) as a way to help people with severe gut dysfunction identify food triggers + sensitivities, as well as to give their digestive tract a break and a chance to recover from constantly being overworked.

Some examples of Low FODMAP Foods include: 
✔️  Protein (i.e. eggs + meat)
✔️  Grains (i.e. quinoa, oats + rice)
✔️  Almond Milk
✔️  Nuts 
✔️  Certain Cheeses (i.e. Feta, Cheddar + Brie)
✔️  Certain Fruits (i.e. strawberries, blueberries, pineapple + grapes)
✔️  Certain Vegetables (i.e. eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers + potatoes) 

High FODMAP foods are the foods that you want to avoid because they are HIGH in sugar and are EXTREMELY hard on the digestive tract. As a result of the digestive tract having a hard time digesting these types of foods, the body will experience higher amounts of fluid in the intestines, causing severe gut dysfunction, such as gas, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. This is a result of the high FODMAP foods being easily and quickly fermented within the gut, causing the bowel to be distended and affecting the bowel’s wall muscles when it contracts.

Some examples of High FODMAP Foods include: 
❌. Carbonated Drinks
❌  Artificial Sweeteners
❌  Dairy
❌  Beans + Lentils
❌  Wheat
❌  Certain Fruits (i.e. apples, pears, peaches + cherries)
❌. Certain Vegetables (i.e. asparagus, onion, garlic + artichokes)

So if you’re someone who is always experiencing severe bloating, gas, abdominal cramps or any other form of gut dysfunction, then it MIGHT be best to remove some high FODMAP foods from your diet and see how your body reacts.

Method #4 - Incorporate More Supplements Into Your Daily Routine

If you’re a woman who suffers from gut dysfunction, acid reflux or severe PMS, then you’re going to want to take notes on this section because these supplements are going to enhance your quality of life BIG TIME! 

✔️ Let’s talk about Magnesium first because this supplement should HONESTLY be your best friend! 

Believe it or not, the properties in Magnesium not only help to combat the typical PMS symptoms, such as cramping and bloating, but they also help to reduce muscle cramping, fight against gut dysfunction and heal the digestive tract as well. 

How?

Magnesium helps to neutralize stomach acid, reduce inflammation within the GI tract and relax the stomach muscles, which are all KEY factors that are needed to help alleviate the bloat and distress within the gut!

Since Magnesium’s properties are essential in helping to relax the nervous system, your quality of sleep will ALSO improve once you regularly start to incorporate Magnesium into your daily routine.

I take 2 magnesium tablets per day, one in the morning and one at night, and I honestly notice a difference in how I feel overall when I consistently take them and when I don’t! 

✔️ The next supplement that helps TREMENDOUSLY to fight against bloating is Digestive Enzymes!

Digestive enzymes are capsules that should be taken right before eating to help your digestive system break the food down and speed up the chemical process/reaction so the nutrients from the food can be absorbed into the GI tract quicker. By having these nutrients absorbed into the digestive tract quicker, your body is less likely to experience symptoms of gut dysfunction, such as bloating and gas. 

So what are you waiting for? Go get you some digestive enzymes NOW!

✔️ The third supplement that you should DEFINITELY have in your arsenal is Activated Charcoal!

I absolutely LOVE this supplement because not only does it respond quickly, but it can be taken AFTER you might have eaten something questionable to help prevent any dysfunction or illness from occurring. 

For example, if you go to Mexico and accidentally drink the water or you eat some bad sushi and are worried about whether or not you’re going to get sick, you can take a couple capsules of Activated Charcoal (within the hour of finishing eating) and will be JUST FINE. 

Activated Charcoal stops the process of the poison or bad bacteria of whatever you consumed from being absorbed from the stomach and being dispersed throughout the body. Ultimately, it assists the liver and kidneys with the filtering and detoxification processes by filtering out the undigested consumed products. 

So make sure you stock up on some Activated Charcoal (especially if you’re going to Mexico anytime soon 😉).

✔️ The fourth and final supplement that you should incorporate to help fight against bloating is Peppermint!

Peppermint has some AMAZING properties to help fight against bloating and gut dysfunction. Just like Magnesium, Peppermint helps to relax the stomach and bowel wall muscles, which helps to alleviate stomach cramps, bloating and gas. 

Peppermint also helps to speed up the flow and transit of food and bile through the digestive tract, preventing things like constipation and indigestion from occurring. 

Clearly having Peppermint is an essential and must-have, so make sure you stock up on that product too! 

Method #5 - Eat Slower, Chew More + Focus on Mindful Eating

The fifth and FINAL method to help reduce and prevent bloating from occurring is something that I know we ALL tend to neglect, ESPECIALLY when we’re in a hurry or have had a stressful day.

This may sound cliche, but we must SLOW DOWN, chew more, savior the moment and concentrate on mindful eating. 

A lot of times when we eat (especially Americans 😅), we’re usually in a rush. We try to rush and eat in between classes or in between meetings or at the red light. When we’re rushing like this, it’s SO EASY to just scarf down the food and swallow it after only chewing it 2-3 times. 

While doing that can help to save time, it is SO BAD for your digestive tract and gut health. 

Honestly, we SHOULD be chewing about 15-20 times BEFORE swallowing EACH BITE…but let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure most of us DON’T emphasize or focus on chewing 15-20 times before swallowing. 

And to be quite honest, this is probably one of the MANY reasons as to why gut dysfunction and poor gut health is SO COMMON and prevalent these days, because we’re not being mindful or cognizant of what we’re eating or how we’re eating, let alone focusing on making that mind-body connection. 

So instead of rushing when we eat and eating on the go or eating in front of the TV, try to section out 20 minutes of uninterrupted time where you can just sit at a table and focus on mindful eating, where you’re chewing 15-20 times before swallowing and drinking water in between each bite. 

This way, your body will have a MUCH easier time breaking down and digesting the food, which will prevent larger food particles from entering the digestive tract and causing things like gas, bloating and constipation to occur.

*Moral of the story - SLOW DOWN and enjoy those 20 minutes to yourself where you’re not rushing and, instead, are focusing on mindful eating and proper digestion…your body will thank you later for it! 

Where Do You Go From Here?

So remember, bloating IS something that can be worked on and prevented: you just have to slow down and take a closer look at your daily habits, behaviors and routines to be able to TRULY identify what the underlying issue could be and then make the proper adjustments to improve upon it. 

If you need help with motivating yourself, creating a sustainable supplement routine OR coming up with a nutrition plan that is filled with nutrient dense foods that are macro and gut friendly to help keep the bloat down, then this special bonus is JUST FOR YOU!

And that special bonus is the Sculpting Bodies’ EBook Bundle!

This bundle provides you access to ALL of the Sculpting Bodies’ EBooks that can be found within the shop, including:

✔️ Sculpt My Diet - The CookBook Bundle (all 3 of the Sculpt My Diet cookbooks)
✔️ Sculpt My Motivation
✔️ Sculpt My Supplements
✔️ Sculpt My HIIT Workout
✔️ Explanation of the Rainbow

And as an EXTRA bonus, you’ll ALSO get access to the:
✔️ How to Eat & Train While on Vacation Survival Guide
✔️ How to Eat & Train During the Holiday Season Survival Guide

Having access to ALL 9 of these ebooks will give you the PERFECT kickstart to your weight loss journey so you can get on the right track with your fitness, nutrition AND mindset, whether you’re at home, on vacation or at a Christmas party!

So what are you waiting for?

Click the link below NOW to get your copy of the EBook Bundle AND get 15% OFF when you use promo code: KICKSTART15 at checkout!👇🏽

Link: https://www.sculptingbodies.com/shop/p/ebook-bundle

If you have any questions about bloating and how to manage it better or you just want to share how these methods and the EBooks have helped improve your bloating, then shoot me a DM on Instagram: @sculpting.bodies OR send me an email at: SculptingBodiesLLC@gmail.com.

Can’t wait to chat with you soon and hear about all the progress you’ve been making!

Xo, 
Monique 💗