Oct 16

Oct 16 Bloated Belly Blues: How I Soothe My Stomach, and Improve Digestion

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve hopefully noticed that I try to keep it real, as much as possible. However, something I don’t often talk about on the ‘gram are my digestive issues. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty open person when it comes to most things (including “bathroom talk”), but AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, talking about bathroom habits on Instagram isn’t necessarily at the top of my to do list. That being said, I, like I’m sure many of you, deal with bloat, gas, poor digestion, regularly (if not daily).

In the past year, I’ve tried to make many changes in my life to get my health back. That has included taking an Organic Acids Test from Equilibrium Nutrition, which determined the fact that I have candida overgrowth (too much bacteria in my gut, causing daily digestive discomfort). While this didn’t come as a surprise to me, it gave me the tools necessary to (hopefully) heal my gut and get rid of my candida.

I am hoping this blog post will be able to coincide with an IGTV video on my Instagram, but in case I never get around to that IGTV video, hopefully this will be a helpful resource to live on my blog. As my tips and tricks change, I will share new things that help reduce or eliminate bloat!

Big Bloated Bellies…Plaguing me on the regular since 2015

Tips, Tricks and Products for Bloat, Gas and Constipation Prevention/Relief:

Drink More Water: I know we’ve heard this all before. But I’ve found I always feel my worst digestively after a weekend when I’ve eaten poorly, and haven’t had enough water. In fact, it will usually take me days to rehydrate after just a day or two of not having enough water. I like to add a squeeze of lemon to my water to give it a boost of vitamin C. After a few good days of consistently drinking enough water for my body (about half your body weight in ounces per day is a good rule of thumb), I always feel as though my digestion is moving more regularly, my bloat has reduced, and my skin looks clearer. Or you can try my favorite Gas & Bloating tea (shop below). I will also say, I find my digestion works best when I start my morning with warm water with lemon. Gotta lubricate those insides after hours of dehydration from sleep!
Daily Probiotics: I have to say, as much as we’ve all heard probiotics are good for us, I tend to have minimal results when taking them. This could be because I have candida, so my gut bacteria is all out of whack, or I just wasn’t taking the right kind. Now, I take the Candida Pre & Probiotic with Enzymes from Mary Ruth’s Organics. I wouldn’t recommend this product to someone who doesn’t have candida, but they have a liquid probiotic on their site that is supposed to be very good!
Atrantil: I’ve recently started taking this natural supplement made to reduce bloat, and I will say…it works pretty well for me (GasX does not! So that’s saying something)! You can take the capsules several times a day, and I have noticed it helps beat the bloat when taken regularly. I think this will be great to have on hand when we’re traveling to New Zealand.
Magnesium: I take magnesium for a couple reasons. To aid in sleep, and to help get my digestive tract moving. One form of magnesium you’ve probably heard of is Magnesium Citrate which I take via Natural Vitality’s Calm Drink. I don’t love the taste, but taken 30-ish minutes before bed helps me fall asleep, and usually helps me go to the bathroom the next day. Word to the wise: DO NOT buy the unflavored version. It’s nasty.
Metabolism Boost from Sakara: I recently discovered this product. While I don’t use it to boost my metabolism, it definitely helps me fight bloat, which of course I like. I’ve ordered a few more of their products to try (like their digestive tea), and will keep you posted on my thoughts!
Fiber Support: If I am feeling really backed up (which has been happening to me for months), I up my fiber BIG TIME. It really is essential for me to keep things moving, and sometimes you need to call in the big guns. My current favorite for fiber support is Now Foods Psyllium Husk capsules. I don’t love taking supplements in liquid form, so these capsules make getting my fiber much easier.
Dry Brushing: I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this before, but one of the biggest game changers in helping reduce bloat for my body is dry brushing. I am TRULY obsessed with dry brushing. There are SEVERAL benefits when it comes to dry skin brushing, but I mainly do it because it helps promote detoxification, and lymphatic drainage. It increases blood flow, which gets things moving. I really like to focus on my legs, thighs and midsection, as those are the areas that seem to retain fluid for me most. Shop my 3 favorite kinds below.
Warmth: When I am feeling super bloated or if my stomach is hurting, I like taking a warm bath, or putting a heating pad on my stomach. Something about the warmth is soothing and really relaxes me. I tend to get stressed or upset when my stomach is HUGELY bloated, so anything that soothes my nervous system is essential (plus stress can upset your stomach further, no one wants that!). I LOVE this warming bear. He is made from natural materials, and I personally love how it smells when heated. I also love laying on my acupressure mat too! So many options for warmth.
GET MOVING! Whenever I am feeling puffy or bloated, I force myself to take a gentle walk or get in some light movement or stretching. The movement always helps me both physically, but more importantly emotionally…as I am usually really in my head when I’m bloated. Movement definitely helps in more ways than one