Stomach bloating can happen with or without constipation. I started noticing bloating when my first child was around two years old. I traced this condition down to fresh dairy milk. I loved drinking Nesquik strawberry and banana powdered milk every day. I would put two to three heaped spoons in a glass, shake the milk bottle, and pour it in. I stopped doing this and my bloating reduced drastically. Within a year I still began to feel uncomfortable and this happened usually after I had tea or coffee which was attributed to dairy milk again. I tried powdered and carnation milk, no difference. Besides bloating before and during your monthly cycle, it is fairly common a few years after childbirth, especially for someone like me who did not do any form of exercise apart from walks which was mainly during my journey to work. Looking back now, I began to realise that maybe some sort of regular sit-ups may have helped. If the stomach is bloated then regular exercise in that area or working out the body to affect the stomach would certainly help ease the bloating.
When i stopped my regular job the bloating seemed to get worse. I then decided to make an effort to cut down on tea or coffee drastically and because it is so addictive the only way was to stop buying coffee, but had to consider the needs of others in the house for tea consumption. After a couple of months, I was able to break the addiction, and I am so used to herbal tea (green tea, ginger, peppermint, and digestive/detox) now but still take coffee on rare occasions.
I noticed a difference, but only for a year, and this was not stable. I wondered what the cause was this time. I couldn’t place my hands on anything and decided to try eating gluten-free products. I had not done any research at the time until I went to see a homeopathy practitioner. She tested me with some sort of machine attached to your thumb and, BINGO – yeast was one of the underlying causes. Wheat was also a big challenge. I mean you find this in bread, biscuits, and cakes which I love. How was I going to cope? Since I found out I have been eating more Irish bread, and anytime I eat cakes and biscuits I ensure that I take some herbal tea or hot water boiled via the kettle. My other option was to buy wheat/gluten-free flour-made biscuits and cakes, which turned out to be expensive. Over the years I have reduced my intake of cakes and biscuits.
In all of this though I had my peppermint, ginger, and lemon/ginger herbal tea which relieved me a great deal, especially at night. Herbal teas are great and I would recommend them to any adult. I also found out that another reason for my bloating was eating very large meals at a time. I wait till I am extremely hungry before eating. Small meals are a must to reduce stomach bloating. It is not an easy journey, but I believe things are getting better as I have also changed my mindset to being completely positive. Find out what is causing your bloating.
Do’s to reduce bloating drastically:
*Stress-free/Positive mindset
*Eat dinner between 6 and 6:30 pm
*Eat the right food- non-dairy cheese/milk
*Eat wheat-free foods
*Eat more small meals as opposed to a few large meals
*Drink herbal tea that would aid digestion
Watch out for my next article on balancing your foods and nutrients. If you are cutting off calcium and wheat then what are you replacing it with?
