It is not all that uncommon to suffer from a bit of a belly bloat from time to time, but a lot of my clients and the people I speak to it seems to be a recurring, and painfully lingering ailment. The core reason for abdominal bloating ultimately comes down to the individual and I will start by saying if you suffer chronic abdominal bloating to seek advice from a health professional, this post is designed as a guide and to shed some light onto the issue. As many people I come across suffer this chronic discomfort that is bloating and neglect their poor little bellies by not taking any action. 

What is Bloating?

According to Naturopath Carey Hanna – Abdominal Bloating is a condition in which the abdomen feels full and tight. It is also known as distension.  There are different types of bloating – continuous distension is a serious bloating problem while intermittent distension refers to a series of bloating occurring at different times.

What Causes Bloating?

As mentioned the core issue for the belly bloat is case by case, so it is important to remember that what may work for one belly may not work for another belly. In saying that generally speaking, belly bloat is often the result from excessive intestinal gas. A lot of the time excessive intestinal gas can be a result from a food intolerance, think lactose intolerance, fructose intolerances – these occur when the body cannot break down the sugars in certain foods – Lactose in milk products and Fructose in certain fruits. Other common causes are food allergies, overeating, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, gas-producing foods, intestinal parasites, nervousness conditions, menstruation – just to name a few.

What Foods Cause Bloating?

As mentioned, there are certain gas-producing foods that can aggravate the belly bloat so below I have listed some common foods that are known to cause such discomfort; imagine if you just eliminated the onion from your meals your bloating days would be long gone! So here is a list of top foods that may cause bloating.

• Broccoli
• Baked Beans
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carbonated Drinks
• Chewing Gum
• Hard Candy
• Lettuce
• Fruits such as apples, pears and peaches
• Onions
• Soft Cheeses
• Milk
• Ice Cream
• Corn
• Wheat

What Can I Do in The Meantime?

There are certain foods that are really great in aiding digestion. So in the interim perhaps attempt to incorporate the following foods in your daily intake: