Let's get into a common issue faced by most of us at one point or another - bloating and digestive discomfort

What is bloating?

Abdominal bloating occurs when your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or gas. Most people describe bloating as feeling full, tight, or swollen in the abdomen. Your abdomen may also be swollen (distended), hard, and painful. Bloating is often accompanied by:

• pain

• excessive gas (flatulence)

• frequent burping or belching

• abdominal rumbling or gurgles

Bloating and digestive discomfort is a reason many people think they will fail on a plant-based diet. But why is this a common concern?

Fibre….

Over 80% of Irish people are not eating enough fibre. This is a problem. We are more concerned about protein and not concerned enough with fibre. Fibre is the primary fuel for our gut microbes. Without it, it can lead to a wide host of GI issues such as bloating.

Now when we start adding fibre back into our diet, we don't have the gut microbes to digest it. They have been starved for so long. But the amazing news is that we can build them back up again. However, in doing so, we must take it very slow and steady. 

Let's train…

Think of your gut like a muscle you need to train. Like going to the gym for the first time, you will not go for the heaviest weight in there as it will most likely cause an injury. You start with the smaller weights first, ones you can handle and enough to start building up strength until you can move to the next weight.

Your gut is exactly the same when it comes to fibre. It needs to be trained to build up the gut microbes that can digest that fibre so that it can start healing your whole body.

There are times when you will have bloating, we all have it from time to time. What we want to do is optimize your gut to make bloating infrequent so it doesn't negatively impact your life.

The key is training it very slowly to avoid injury and upset. Your gut microbiome has its strengths and weaknesses. It can be good at processing some foods but not so good with others. We want to hit that spot where your dietary choices are matched to the strengths and weaknesses of your gut so you avoid digestive distress and can heal your gut and body.

In many cases bloating can be managed by adopting a few simple lifestyle changes:

• Be mindful of the air you swallow when drinking and eating.

• Take smaller sips of water, avoid using straws, fizzy drinks & chewing gum, eat slowly and chew food well before swallowing.

• If eating a lot of beans, grains and nightshades (potatoes/aubergine), decrease the amount until your bloating calms and then reintroduce these fibre foods slowly and in small amounts (an amount that does not cause you discomfort - you need to train your gut bugs)

• Keep a diary where you note times of bloating discomfort and the foods you have eaten the day before and on the day so you can start identifying the foods that trigger your symptoms.

• If bloating is a constant issue for you, I recommend you get checked for medical conditions associated with bloating such as irritable bowel syndrome, crohns disease, ulcerative colitis or food intolerances (such as gluten).