Digestive Health
July 12, 2022

Your "Super Healthy" Diet May Be Causing Your Belly Bloat

a woman's torso in black sports bra and shorts with two hands on her belly
1
min read
Key Takeaways

๐Ÿ™‹๐ŸพDoes it feel like there's a ๐ŸŽˆ balloon inside your stomach? Is it causing you discomfort? ๐Ÿ˜•

Belly bloat can be a result of Gastroparesis, indigestion or constipation but can also be a consequence from eating a "very healthy" diet that consists of bulky, high volume, high fiber foods. ๐Ÿฅ—

How Your Stomach Works

๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ™‚What does that look like? Let's first talk about how your stomach works!

โœจYour stomach is like a blender โžกits job is to blend, mix, + break down food using muscle contraction + acid. Food is then liquified + sent to small intestine where most nutrients are actually absorbed.

๐Ÿฅ•๐ŸŽ๐Ÿฅฆ ๐Ÿฅœ If you're eating a lot of insoluble, fibrous fibers throughout the day, that could be a lot, maybe too much work for some people's stomach.

โœจHere is what a sample day might look like for someone who is experiencing belly bloat from a diet that consists of too much bulk, fiber, and volume:
๐Ÿฝ Breakfast: High-fiber cereal w/ raspberries
๐Ÿฝ Snack: Yogurt sprinkled w/ wheat bran + sliced apple (skin on)
๐Ÿฝ Lunch: Large kale salad w/ pumpkin seeds, carrots, radishes, walnuts + shredded chicken
๐Ÿฝ Snack: Bowl of popcorn + pear (skin on)
๐Ÿฝ Dinner: Black beans tacos w/ carrot + cabbage slaw + a side of romaine salad

โœจWhat if you were to lay all the salad ingredients out on a table? What would the volume + texture of that food look like compared to, say, a kale smoothie? That's how much work your stomach has cut out for it! Wouldn't the smoothie be a much meal to process?๐Ÿ™„

๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ“ฃ It's not about these foods individually, but how MUCH of these types of foods you're eating throughout the day that can correlate with the level of belly discomfort you're experiencing!

โœจTips for less belly work:

โ€
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Blended/softer foods (sushi, smoothies, soups)
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Sub soups or smoothies for salads
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Nut butters for nuts
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Sub pureed fruits or fruits with skins removed for whole fruits
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Roast veggies whose skin can easily be peeled off: bell peppers and tomatoes
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Add in more soluble fiber-rich foods like oatmeal and sweet potatoes (without the peel)

๐Ÿ—ฃIf you experience loss of appetite, early satiety, nausea, or vomiting, you may want to reach out to your gastroenterologist!๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿพโš•

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