Ensure your stomach isn't bloated with these tips
Nothing drains your confidence like feeling bloated, especially when faced with baring all on the beach.
But if Dukan, 5:2 and other faddy diets haven’t worked for you have you considered that it might be a food intolerance holding you back from you perfect beach body?
In fact, 15% of the UK population who regularly suffer from bloating have lactose intolerance and have found that removing lactose from their diet has helped flatten their tummy.
Lucy Jones from Channel 4’s Food Hospital also offers her tips on beating the bloat this summer.
Bloating can be caused by many different factors such as fizzy drinks, chewing gum and not drinking enough water, but a lesser known factor can be lactose intolerance. If the problem of bloating just won’t go away, then consuming lactose-containing products such as milk, cheese and yogurt could be the trigger for unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea, wind, stomach cramps and bloating.
Research also shows that those who suffer from IBS can also significantly reduce their symptoms, including bloating, by reducing lactose from their diet as prescribed in the FODMAP diet which is recommended by nutritionists.
Lucy Jones, nutritionist and presenter of Channel 4’s Food Hospital comments: “Although bloating isn’t a serious condition it can zap your confidence and make you feel sluggish. You can easily find out if lactose might be causing the problem by doing an elimination diet. If you do have a lactose intolerance then you should be able to notice an improvement in your diet by removing dairy and other lactose-containing products from your diet. Simply do this for two weeks (you can substitute your normal dairy for Lactofree – dairy without the lactose). If your symptoms improve in the first two weeks, then it’s likely that you are lactose intolerant.”
Alongside trying the elimination diet there are other measures you can try to reduce the chance of bloating on your holiday this summer, as Lucy Jones explains with her top tips on beating the bloat:
1. Take a step back and evaluate. Poor diets, stress, alcohol and lack of sleep can all wreak havoc on our guts. Start to make sensible changes to your lifestyle, especially your diet, in order to ease bloating
2. Try swapping your milk. A significant minority of the population are intolerant to lactose, present in milk, yoghurt, cheese and cream which can manifest in bloating symptoms. Try Lactofree products instead and see if it helps
3. Try linseeds. Emerging evidence suggests linseeds (whole or ground) can help with bloating and constipation so try sprinkling them on salads or adding to fruit smoothies
4. Bottoms up! Drink more... water. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of constipation which in turn, is one of the leading causes of bloating
5. Hit the gym. Exercise helps to prevent constipation and strengthen abdominal muscles, both thought to contribute to bloating
6. Turn up the heat. Studies have found capsaicin in chilli pepper can help to reduce bloating so try adding a few extra chilies to your diet and spice things up
7. Beans, beans are good for your heart… but. Certain carbohydrates can ferment in our colon which causes bloating symptoms in some people. These include beans and pulses, wheat, onions and broccoli. Try keeping a food diary to see if symptoms are worse after certain foods and contact a dietician for more help if you find consistencies
8. See your doctor - sometimes bloating is a symptom of something more serious like coeliac disease so it’s always beat to get checked out if it persists
Tagged in Nutrition Diet Healthy Body Healthy eating Diet tips