What your tummy is trying to tell you
It’s round, bloated, painful – and maybe comes with a side of diarrhoea. Here’s how to uncover the problem and find the solution that will keep your gut happy.
You ate a big kale salad and now feel pretty bloated
Your stomach’s saying: You piled on too big a portion. Obviously, veggies are super healthy for your body, including your GI system. In fact, they supply the fibre that basically helps clean you out. But that’s also why it can be too much of a good thing. “If you give anyone enough veggies, they’ll end up pretty uncomfortable with bloating and gas,” says David Meyer, MD and gastroenterologist. Don’t think you have to limit the amount you eat. Instead, be more conscious about having smaller portions – and more of them – throughout the day. This is when incorporating veggies into at least one snack (like crudités and hummus in the afternoon) can come in handy. Here are 12 reasons why your belly might be bloated.
When you eat mangoes, you get…bloating and gas
Your stomach’s saying: Rethink your fruits. If you’re gassy in response to certain foods, doctors often suggest patients educate themselves on the FODMAP diet. (It stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. Whew!) Often recommended for people with IBS, FODMAP teaches you how to avoid the carbohydrates in foods that are more likely to cause trouble, and eat more of the ones typically more tolerable. In terms of fruit, the ones to limit include apples, pears, peaches, cherries, mangoes, cherries, and watermelon. Better options are bananas, blueberries, and grapefruit. “It’s very simple to try and often effective. You can be as strict as you want with it,” says Dr Meyer. Learn more about what eating a low-FODMAP diet really means. Find out more here on how to eat your way to a bloat-free belly.