Easy Ways to Live Well: Steph McGovern discusses bloating
We are all aware of that uncomfortable feeling of overindulging and being left in agony. The stomach swells out and the pain can sometimes be unbearable. With Christmas around the corner, days of overeating and living the good life will be all too common. Experts advise one of the best remedies to help soothe the bloated belly and ease abdominal pain is sleep.
Some of the most common causes of bloating are eating or drinking gassy carbonated foods, stress or anxiety and in some cases, conditions like Coeliac disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
What a person eats and drinks is often at the source of the bloating problem.
According to Tamara Freuman, a New York based registered dietitian who specialises in digestive disorders and author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer: “Many people find that overnight sleep provides a bit of a ‘reset’ when it comes to food-related bloat.
“Having eight or more hours with nothing going into the GI tract allows for the intra-bowel contents (food volume and gas) to be whittled down a bit and for bloating to subside.”
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As Freuman explained, this process often means the morning time is typically a bloated person’s best time of day.
However, for the sleep to take effect, Freuman warned against eating late at night: “People with slow-to-empty stomachs may wake up bloated if they ate a large or late dinner the night before
She also acknowledged that the problem may persist if it is being caused by a more serious underlying condition:
“People who suffer from chronic constipation and aren’t able to move their bowels sufficiently each day may struggle with a chronic, low-grade bloating that never really goes away,” she said.
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Getting enough good sleep is important for everyone, but it is especially important for those living with chronic disorders such as gastrointestinal issues like bloating.
Lack of quality sleep can impact the digestive system. Conversely, symptoms of bloating can also impact the quality of one’s sleep.
It’s also advised that once in bed, help relieve any tension and get the digestive system working by doing a few stretches.
Bringing the knees into the stomach and hugging them to you, followed by twisting of the legs from side to side, can help not only the bloating feeling but also for any mild discomfort caused by the bloating.
According to Healthline other ways to ease your bloating can include:
- To ease your indigestion, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as:
- Identifying and avoiding foods that trigger your indigestion
- Reducing or eliminating caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Replacing three large meals a day with five or six small ones
- Managing your anxiety and stress
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining your weight
- Avoiding specific pain medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen
Food intolerance can lead to bloating, said the NHS.
The national health body added: “The most common foods to cause problems are wheat or gluten and dairy products.
“The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely.
“Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles, you most.
“But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.”
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