Sooo, upon reviewing my last bloat causing foods post, I realized I said five and listed six. #notthesharpesttoolintheshed How did no one else catch that? Any how, this time I’m saying there’s only 5 foods but there’s actually seven, so you’re getting a total of 13 foods that can cause bloating. I’m just trying to give you the biggest bang for your buck. #justrollwithit

Some of the foods listed here this time, I know affect me in ways I don’t approve and I definitely try to keep them out of my diet where I can. But then there’s other’s that don’t affect me so much, probably because I eat it almost every day. Maybe I’ve built up a tolerance to those tasty green trees? Our bodies are all so different, something what bothers my system may not bother yours. It’s all about trial and error, we’ve got to test our bodies to see what works for us.

Speaking of tests, one of my friends recently did a blood test to find out the foods that irritate his system. Turned out that the food he had recently reintroduced into his diet were the two foods that bothered his body the most. I’m thinking it will be worth it to have this test done to further my knowledge on the foods that bother me. But until then, I’ll keep building on the knowledge I already have on my own…

Wheat

Wheat has a lot of controversy around it these days. Cough, gluten, cough. It’s actually one of the foods that gets to me the most. Some people are sensitive to the gluten, others may be sensitive to the way wheat breaks down. All that beautiful sugar again. By the way, not everyone is sensitive to gluten, I’m not saying everyone should skip wheat because it’s bad, or something like that.

Cruciferous Veggies

Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Broccoli is my most favorite veggie, and it’s no real surprise to me that it may be causing a little bloat. I have done 3 day detoxes before, one time the veggie I ate was broccoli, the other time I ate a different veggie. My after measurements were better when I didn’t eat the broccoli. Cruciferous veggies contain FODMAPs, which we discussed previously, they can cause bloat. It’s been said that cooking them can help reduce the bloating effect, I always steam mine because eating it raw does seem to bother me more.

I’m not saying to skip out on cruciferous veggies because they are loaded with so many good vitamins. Also loads of fiber, which is great for coronary heart disease and other health ailments. You could try substituting spinach or cucumbers if you’re looking for different options.

Onions & Garlic

Onions are actually really great for gut health. They feed the good bacteria in your gut, which help with the digestive process. Onions and garlic are both high in fructans, which is a type of carbohydrate. Some people don’t have the digestive enzyme to break down the fructans and that results in fermenting in the small intestine.

If you think you’re sensitive to that, you could opt to use other herbs and spices to help flavor your food. It’s believed that cooking onion and garlic helps to minimize the bloating effect also.

Barley & Rye

Both of these contain gluten. Barley and rye are both very high in fiber also, if you aren’t used to eating food high in fiber, that alone could trigger the bloating. I quit drinking in 2015, but just in case you’re wondering whiskey is made from barley…

Luckily barley and rye aren’t super common food ingredients anymore. You could try eating buckwheat, quinoa, or brown rice instead. Quinoa is my favorite because it’s got a good amount of protein.

Sugar Alcohols

Xylitol is supposed to be better for your teeth that the other stuff they put in bubble gum these days. It’s also a sugar alcohol, like sorbitol or mannitol. The reason sugar alcohol may cause bloat is because it stays the same until it gets to our large intestines. That’s where the bacteria feed on it, and cause bloating.

I’m a big fan of avoiding sugar, and substitutes, because I know that it’s super addictive. BUT from what I’ve found, if you’re going to try a sugar substitute, stevia looks to be pretty good, or even monk fruit.

Just in case you missed it…

You can check out my previous post on bloat causing foods here. I’d love to hear if avoiding any of these foods has helped your bloated bellies to feel more comfortable. Or if I missed a bloat causing food that gets to you too!

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!