5 Bloat Causing Foods

We all dream of having flat stomaches that don’t stick out over the tops of our jeans. I noticed recently that mine has been sticking out quite a bit. Part of that is probably because I’ve reintroduced sugar back into my diet, aka un-needed extra calories. When I have done different detoxes in the past, I remember them talking about different foods to avoid to help maximize the results. When they were talking about maximizing results, they meant inches lost, more particularly around the stomach area.

Dairy

Another reason for me to continue on the vegan path. Dairy is one of the most common irritants. Over 75% of people in the world don’t breakdown lactose, the sugar in milk. The inability to break it down can cause bloating, diarrhea, upset stomach. Not only that, but the hormones in dairy that our bodies aren’t built for can cause acne, too. Did you know that the hormones in our body actually affect our gut health? Think about it ladies, when our favorite week of the month rolls around, how does your digestive process do? Makes sense that the hormones in dairy can cause that upset also.

Beans

…the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you, um… I think you get my point here. I’m not saying to avoid beans here. They have so much nutritive value, I’d eat them even if it’s causing me a bit of bloat. The more regularly you eat beans, the better your body adapts to processing the gas inducing sugar in beans. Soaking your beans before cooking them helps to pull out the sugars that cause gas.

Lentils

Lentils are loaded with fiber. Sometimes eating a lot of fiber if you aren’t regularly consuming it can cause a bit of stomach upset. If you switch to the lighter lentils, they actually have a lower fiber content. Maybe try starting with the lighter colored lentils to help your body adjust.

They are also a legume like beans and have the same gas causing sugar in them. You can also soak and sprout lentils to make them easier to digest.

The more in-depth I’m getting with researching all these things, the more I’m realizing how much sugar is affecting my body. This gives me even more reason to cut back my sugar intake.

Carbonated drinks

Carbon dioxide is a gas, that’s what gives carbonated drinks their bubbles. The gas bubbles can actually get caught up and cause bloating, it can even give you a cramping feeling. Awful right? And there’s the sugar…

Beer

Beer is made by fermenting different grains, the fermenting of those grains makes gas. (Grains/carbs also break down into sugar.) Not only does that cause bloating but it also is loaded with empty calories that are the culprit cause of beer gut.

Apples

An apple a day may keep the doctor away because it’s loaded with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, but there are also lots of other beneficial fruits out there. The fiber and sugar (fructose) can ferment in the intestines and cause gas and bloating. Both are in most fruits, but apples are particularly high in fiber. Eating cooked apples may help with that process, but cooking them can reduce other beneficial nutrients.

The Sugar Factor

Did you notice about the sugar content in almost every one of the things I listed? FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols) is basically a form of carbs that aren’t easy to digest. People who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome are recommended to eat a low-FODMAP diet. It’s definitely something I’m going to start looking into myself. Not only do I want to avoid looking bloated, I want to feel good from the inside out.

If you’re interested in learning more about the FODMAP, this website has loads of information.

Check out 5 More Bloat Causing Foods here!