Wondering Why You’re Always Bloated? Here’s Why!

At Daily Dose, we always believe in reaching for the kitchen cabinet before the medicine cabinet – which is why we’ve partnered with multiple thought leaders in the nutrition and wellness industry to offer a variety of meal programs that can fit anyone’s busy and active lifestyle. Ketotarian by Dr. Will Cole is a plant forward meal plan that uses fat as fuel to provide the body with a more effective and efficient energy source.

Dr. Will Cole has spent years treating patients for different health issues, and has prioritized food as medicine, aligning with Daily Dose’s philosophy serendipitously. He doesn’t believe in dieting as a trend, but rather as an individually-designed, realistic, science-based plan that will help someone live their healthiest life. Chronic illness and dieting are out; science-based eating habits are now in.

In a recent article from Dr. Cole, he explains 9 common reasons why you’re feeling bloated all of the time.

Why am I bloated?

Occasional bloating is normal — especially after a large meal or. stressful day. So the first thing to remember is to not worry too much if bloating happens every now and then. However, if you’re chronically bloated, that’s a sign that something more might be going on in your gut. Dr. Cole has solved hundreds of bloating mysteries with his patients. And he’s narrowed the most common causes of bloat down to nine specific things. Bloating from a FODMAP intolerance. From Dr. Cole’s recent blog:

“FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are a group of fermentable sugars found in foods like onions, cabbage, beans, apples, and rye. Unfortunately, these sugars are not digested. These short-chain sugars are contained in many different foods and are not fully broken down by our digestive enzymes, which means they can end up getting fermented by gut bacteria in the intestines if you have a sensitivity to them This can cause major bloating and distension. And here’s where things get even tricker: High-FODMAP foods aren’t typically excluded when you do a standard elimination diet. If you’ve tried everything to decrease bloat — including an elimination diet — then doing a FODMAP elimination diet is something you should definitely give a shot.”

Bloating from eating too fast.

How Does Your Microbiome Impact Immunity?

“Speaking of fasting, one of my favorite sections in my new book, Intuitive Fasting, is where I talk about the potential health consequences of our snacking culture. When we’re constantly eating, we’re constantly triggering this huge time- and energy-intensive process that is digestion. Our bodies have to release stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and go through the mechanical process of breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. This isn’t something we should be doing a little bit throughout the day, all the time. So, contrary to the 1990s advice to eat small meals throughout the day, if you’re feeling bloated all the time you might want to stick to three square meals a day and see how you feel.”

Bloating from eating and sleeping at irregular times.

“Did you know that your gut microbiome has its own circadian rhythm? It’s true! The bugs in your gut are constantly cycling between different colonies of bacteria throughout the day. When we are sleeping, certain populations of bacteria increase and when we’re awake and eating, others may increase and flourish. This normal microbiome circadian cycle repeats every day but can be hurt when we are eating and sleeping at strange times. The good news is that maintaining a consistent sleep-wake-eat cycle can help. Try spending a few weeks on a regular schedule and see what happens with your bloating.”

Bloating from being stressed.

“There’s a proven link between the gut and the brain (In fact, they call the connection the gut-brain axis!) This means that if your gut is a mess with dysbiosis or leaky gut, there’s a good change you’re feeling the effects in your mood, energy levels, and cognition. It also means that if you’re eating during a work meeting, on-the-go, or right after something stressful before you have a chance to calm down, it can lead to major problems with digestion. Why? Because the way your nervous system is designed, you actually send blood away from the digestive system and towards the extremities when you’re stressed, which means that your body is basically abandoning the digestive process to focus on your stress. If this sounds like it might be the cause of your bloat, try doing 10 rounds of the 4-7-8 breath or another type of breathwork before you dig in.”

Bloating from eating sugar-free foods.

“There’s so much health and wellness advice out there that it can be hard to keep up. But one thing we can all agree on is that sugar is not good for your health. Luckily, there are some pretty great sugar substitutes like Stevia and Monk Fruit that can help you enjoy something sweet without sabotaging your blood sugar health. Unfortunately, an overload of sugar alcohols such as xylitol or mannitol can perpetuate bloating as they are difficult for the body to digest. If you’re bloated all the time, check the labels on the foods you’re eating and try cutting out all sugar substitutes for a week or so.”

Bloating from not getting enough good digestive bugs.

“Your gut is an incredibly complex ecosystem filled with all types of microbes that are smaller than the eye can see — and all these microbes play an important role in digestion. Unfortunately, antibiotic and other medication use, stress, alcohol, and environmental toxins and other factors can reduce the populations of bacteria in our GI tract and leave us vulnerable to bloating. If you think this may be contributing to your bloating, try taking a high-quality probiotic supplement. A probiotic can rebalance the microbiome and help alleviate symptoms of bloat.”

Bloating from SIBO.

“SIBO, which stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, can be a very sneaking cause of chronic bloating. In a well-functioning gut, when you are not eating something called the migrating motor complex (MMC) pushes gut bacteria down into the large intestines. But sometimes this process can fail. In cases of decreased MMC function, bacteria meant to migrate grows up into the small intestines where it doesn’t belong. This wayward bacteria will eat what you eat, fermenting the food in the wrong area, causing gas, swelling, and SIBO. To check for SIBO, you can get a SIBO breath test that measures the gases (methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide) released by the bacterial overgrowth.”

Bloating from hidden food sensitivities.

“Eggs, soy, gluten, diary — these are all examples of common food intolerances I see among my patients. Having a sensitivity to any of these foods can make them hard to digest and lead to gas, bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, and symptoms like headaches and sinus congestion. Luckily, an elimination diet is a tool that I utilize in my clinic to really determine the specific foods that are contributing to your bloat. By taking out certain foods that are most likely to trigger a reaction such as legumes, nuts and seeds, dairy, and grains for a period of time and then slowly reintroducing them back in, you’ll be able to see what foods are contributing to your bloating.”