How often do you find yourself feeling blah after eating? You pants suddenly feel tigher and you feel like your stomach is swollen. You try to go to the bathroom but nothing happens, in fact, you can't even go to the bathroom to get any relief. If you're feeling these symptoms, you're probably in a cycle of constipation and bloating.
Constipation and bloating are not symptoms we should be feeling every day. It is actually NOT normal to feel very bloated after a meal or to be having episodes of constipation throughout the week. But the typical American diet puts us at risk for dealing with these symptoms with all of the processed food we eat as well as the inadequate intake of fiber.
To beat bloating and constipation we don't have to take a special supplement or try a detox. We definitely don't have to go on an all liquid diet either. You've probably even asked your doctor about what to do but the response you always get is, you have IBS, this is your baseline.
It is SO frustrating to feel like you can't do anything about it and that this is your new normal. But don't worry, NWE is here to help you stop the bloating and constipation WITHOUT having to buy supplements, go on medication or change your ways completely.
Here's why you're probably feeling backed up and bloated. The typical American eats only 13g of fiber a day. Why is that? Fiber comes from whole grains, fruits and vegetables. When we highly process these things, take them from their original form and make them into something else, we lose a lot of the fiber. An apple has 5g of fiber but a half cup of applesauce only has 1g of fiber. Whole Wheat bread has 5g of fiber per serving, white bread only has 2g per serving.
Through the processing, especially of grains, we take away and break down the main sources of fiber, the germ and the bran. When we do this, we are left with just the endosperm which has nutrients but not as much as the bran and germ. This results in less of the nutrients that help you feel better and less constipated.
Grains provide us mostly with soluble fiber, which helps to keep us feeling fuller for longer but fruits and vegetables are going to give us INsoluble fiber which will help reduce bloating and act like a sweep for our system. When having more rough fruits and vegetables, they can help to stimulate the GI tract and keep things moving as normal. Without these in our diets, we can get the backed up and bloated feeling. Getting in some sort of color with every meal is going to prevent the yuck and bloated feeling and help you feel good.
While we increase fiber, we also have to increase our water intake. Water is ESSENTIAL for good GI health and movement and without the water, we will stay plugged up and bloated. Water helps to keep things moving along inside of our intestines, then when the waste hits the colon, the water is finally absorbed and the waste is pushed out. If you're feeling constipated, water will help relieve some of that feeling.
Lastly, try to limit foods that are higher in fat, like fried foods or fatty cuts of meat as they can casue the digestion to slow down and intern causing constipation and bloating. Incorporating more color and water into your diet can help take away these symptoms easily and help you feel good!