Improve your Digestive Health

Reduce bloating and have more energy
By Dr Peter Holsman

One of the secrets to getting your digestive system on track is to keep a diet and symptom diary . This is a powerful tool to bring patterns and habits to conscious awareness.

Consider the food diary of a young lady who was tired and bloated.

• Breakfast one day consisted of an apple and a cup of coffee

• She skipped morning tea as she had no time.

• For lunch , she grabbed a chicken and salad roll and had an extra coffee to boost energy.

• There was no time for afternoon tea.

• Dinner started reasonably with a bowl of pasta. But then she had a diet

Coke –her third caffeinated drink for the day – ……and 4 glasses of wine. Does this sound familiar?

What causes bloating ? :

Gas from fermentation results in a sensation of bloating. This may be due to a lack of stomach acid production or the liver or pancreas being unable to make enough digestive enzymes or bile acids. Eating excessively or too many combinations of foods may overload your body’s ability to digest foods. Some people find that mixing starchy foods such as bread, rice, potato, pasta with animal protein adds to bloating and are better off having either starches or protein at a meal. Fermentation is also increased where there is a build up of yeast, such as candida in the bowel. Bread rises because yeast and sugar creates gas!

How to eat to reduce bloating and have more energy:

Relax , slow down and chew your food well.

Be aware of hunger versus non hunger eating and the influence of emotions. ( A food and symptom diary is a great help)

Thanks to our friends at The Wellbeing Institute