Why am I STILL bloated???

Image Source

Quiz Questions

1.
How do you approach mealtime?
- A.
  I often eat quickly, sometimes even on the go or while doing other things, like working or scrolling through my phone.
- B.
  I can't eat very much at one time because I get full very fast.
- C.
  I drink most of my water during meals
- D.
  I try to eat a variety of foods, but I react to many
- E.
  More than one of these applies to me.
2.
How does your bloat feel when you wake up in the morning?
- A.
  My stomach is completely flat.
- B.
  My stomach is a little bloated, but not more than other times of the day.
- C.
  I already feel bloated and my stomach feels heavy.
- D.
  Every morning is different.
- E.
  I experience a mix of all these issues.
3.
How long after eating do you start to feel bloated?
- A.
  Immediately after
- B.
  ~1 hour after
- C.
  My bloat is not always associated with eating.
- D.
  My bloat starts in the morning and gets worse throughout the day.
- E.
  More than one of these.
4.
How do your hunger levels feel between meals?
- A.
  I get full quickly and feel full for hours.
- B.
  I am always on the go and don’t always notice I’m hungry.
- C.
  I feel like I should be hungry, but that I don’t have room in my body for more food.
- D.
  I’m hungry, but I’m so confused about what to eat.
- E.
  It's not consistent and can be a combination of all these factors.
5.
Do you experience any of the following symptoms?
- A.
  Reflux and/or nausea
- B.
  Brain fog/trouble concentrating
- C.
  Have a hard time swallowing pills
- D.
  More than one of these
6.
We’re going to get personal here, but what are your bowel movements like?
- A.
  I feel like food moves right through me, especially when I’m feeling anxious.
- B.
  They are sometimes a color other than brown.
- C.
  I can see undigested food in my stool (not counting corn or quinoa).
- D.
  I go daily, but I don’t feel relieved or like I get everything out.
- E.
  I'm dealing with multiple symptoms, it's complicated.
7.
What other symptoms do you struggle with?
- A.
  Skin rashes/other reactions
- B.
  Frequent burping/belching
- C.
  Frequent headaches/migraines
- D.
  Having more than 2 or less than 1 complete bowel movement per day.
- E.
  More than one of these.
8.
What does a typical morning look like for you?
- A.
  I try to eat breakfast, but I start to blow up like a balloon after one sip of water
- B.
  I often wake up feeling a little nauseous and have some reflux.
- C.
  I wake up already feeling full and a little bloated.
- D.
  I wake up, get ready in 30 minutes, and grab a coffee to go. I don’t usually eat breakfast because I don’t feel hungry in the mornings.
- E.
  Ugg, I’ve experienced all of these at different times.
9.
Does your medical history include any of the following?
- A.
  A concussion or other traumatic brain injury.
- B.
  Taking an acid-reducing drug, like Prilosec, Nexium, or Pepcid).
- C.
  A food sensitivity test that indicates you’re sensitive to more than one or two foods.
- D.
  Frequent antibiotic use (i.e 3 or more times in one year).
- E.
  More than one of these.
10.
How do you space your meals and snacks out throughout the day?
- A.
  I usually only eat 2 meals per day and don’t snack.
- B.
  I’m constantly snacking throughout the day.
- C.
  I eat really fast and don’t think much about chewing.
- D.
  I have a hard time eating because I’m afraid of how my body is going to react.
- E.
  More than one of these.

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Low Stomach Acid
Stomach acid is an early stage of digestion. It is a common cause of reflux, uncomfortable bloat, feeling like you get full too quickly or like food sits in your stomach “like a brick”. It can also cause a lot of belching & result in undigested food (aside from corn & quinoa) in the stool. Our digestion works like a river - anything that’s not working well at the beginning is going to negatively affect what happens downstream. Simple strategies to increase your stomach acid include:1.Focus on high mineral foods, like sodium, zinc and magnesium. We need these to make stomach acid.Magnesium-rich foods: avocados, leafy greens, legumesZinc-rich foods: oysters, beef, nuts/seeds, beans, yogurt2.Bitter flavors help stimulate the body to make more stomach acid, so start your meals off with things like arugula, dark chocolate, chamomile tea, and artichoke.3.Focus on drinking fluids between meals, not during them. This dilutes the stomach acid you already have, making it less effective.
2.
Stress
Stress (of all kinds) is probably the most common root cause of bloat. It lowers saliva, stomach acid & enzyme secretion, which are essential for breaking down food. It also increases the body’s release of stress hormones, like cortisol, which can lead to “leaky gut” over time. Stress isn’t always obvious, but here are a few foundational practices to have in place to promote healthy digestion & reduce bloat: 1.Make sure you’re eating enough protein & food overall (especially in the morning). Blood sugar imbalances are huge stressors on the body. 2.Pay attention to HOW you eat. Slow down, chew your food, & limit distractions like work & social media. Take a few deep breaths before starting to eat to get yourself into “rest & digest” mode. 3.Think critically about your go-go-go mentality & never ending to-do list. Are there things you can start saying “no” to? If it feels like you've tried everything & are still struggling with gut issues, addressing stress is likely a missing piece.
3.
Slow Gut Motility
If you are having less than 1 complete, satisfying BM every day, you have constipation. And if you’re also waking up bloated or your bloat gets gradually worse throughout the day, your motility is slow. This can be a result of a lot of things like inflammation in the gut, snacking all day long, other diagnoses (like hypothyroid, POTs, or EDS), nerve damage from food poisoning, a head injury, & not eating enough. 1. Keep your blood sugars stable by pairing carbs with protein, fat & fiber & eat every 3-4 hours. Chronically unstable blood sugars cause nerve damage, including in the gut 2. Incorporate movement into your daily routine (doesn’t have to be intense) 3. Eat 25-30g of fiber per day 4.Strengthen your vagus nerve by gargling 2-3 min per day, humming loudly, or ending your shower with ~30 sec of cold water.
4.
Suppressed Gut Immune System
Reacting to everything you eat? No clear bloat patterns? Experiencing more than just gut reactions - skin rashes, brain fog, slow metabolism, depression, fatigue? Your gut immune system is struggling, most likely related to too much stress. 70% of our immune system lives in the gut & plays an important role in determining what is safe & what is harmful in what we eat. If this is suppressed, our body would rather be safe than sorry & will react to everything we put in our mouths, treating our food as potentially harmful. Over time this can lead to leaky gut, SIBO, & other GI conditions. 1. Start by being intentional about increasing your body’s tolerance to stress. What relaxes you? What do you like to do for fun/what makes you laugh? 2. Have good sleep hygiene. 3. SLOWLY increase plant variety - goal is 30 different plants each week (you may need support with this, especially if you’re very symptomatic right now). 4. Focus on getting enough vitamin A & D from foods.
5.
Mixed
Low stomach acid, slow gut motility, stress, and a suppressed gut immune system are all root causes of your bloat. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Most people have more than one root cause of their gut issues, which is what makes resolving them for good so tricky. But it’s not a lost cause. Take things one day at a time & be patient with yourself. 1. Start by keeping your blood sugars stable by pairing carbs with protein, fat & fiber & eating every 3-4 hours. 2. Pay attention to HOW you eat. Slow down, chew your food, & limit distractions like work & social media. Take a few deep breaths before starting to eat to get yourself into “rest & digest” mode. 3. Have good sleep hygiene. 4. Focus on drinking fluids between meals, not during them. This dilutes the stomach acid you already have, making it less effective. 5. Be intentional about increasing your body’s tolerance to stress. What relaxes you? What do you like to do for fun/what makes you laugh?

Why am I STILL bloated???

Uncover the root cause of your persistent, uncomfortable bloat with this 10 Question Quiz!(It might not be what you think it is 😲)Based on your results, you'll also receive personalized strategies to find fast relief that actually sticks.Check it out!

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes