• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

THE IBS DIETITIAN

Kirsten Jackson Consultant BSc Hons PG Cert RD

  • About
    • About
    • The Team
      • Kirsten Jackson – Consultant Dietitian
      • Kirsty Donald – Specialist Gastroenterology Dietitian
      • Kelly Watkins – CBT Psychologist
      • Serena Bansal – Business Manager
    • Medical Information Reviewers
    • Podcast
  • Client Testimonials
  • Services
    • For IBS Sufferers
      • E Books
        • Low FODMAP E-Book
        • Histamine Intolerance – E Book
        • SIBO E Book
      • Group Programme
      • 121 VIP Programme
      • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 121
    • IBS Training for Dietitians
    • Brand Partnerships
  • Blog
    • The Low FODMAP diet
    • Low FODMAP Recipes
    • Dietary Advice (non Low FODMAP)
    • Treatments, Testing and Diagnosis
    • Mental health
    • Lifestyle Advice
    • Supplements
    • SIBO
  • Book Enquiry Call

How You Can Beat The Bloat | THE IBS DIETITIAN

by Kirsten Jackson Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert Leave a Comment

Updated June 2022 by Serena Bansal Registered Dietitian BSc Hons

Bloating is an annoying symptom that affects most of us some point in our lives, and for the unfortunate few, it affects us on a daily basis. It leaves us feeling tired, sluggish and in some cases with a painful, windy stomach.

The reason most of us suffer with bloating is because our digestive system is extremely complicated in how it works. There are so many processes going on inside it, that just one tiny change to your routine could upset this balance and cause bloating.

So how do we keep our gut in a happy balance? What are these lifestyle factors that could be upsetting us?

Stress

Stress is another complex process which involves a lot of hormones in your body. The original need for stress was so that cavemen had a surge of energy to hunt and fight. However, when stress hits us daily because we didn’t get some work done, then it is not very helpful.

This hormonal change affects the nervous system around your digestive system, causing you pain and bloating. So try and take at least 20 minutes a day to yourself to relax by going for a walk or reading a book.

Fermentable Carbohydrates

This is a group of carbohydrates which are known to give off more gas when being digested. Examples of this would be reheated potatoes, cooked dry pasta or ready meals.

Constipation

You should be opening your bowels every day and your stools should look like a sausage. Anything other than this e.g. rabbit like droppings, cracks in your stool, bowels opening every other day, will lead to a build up of gas which will cause bloating.

If you think you maybe constipated then you need to increase your fluid intake, fibre and exercise.

Bacteria

Your digestive system has millions of good bacteria (gut flora) which help with digestion. These bacteria are extremely sensitive and can be killed off by antibiotics. If you have been on antibiotics recently, consider starting a probiotic to restore your gut flora.

Caffeine & Alcohol

Both of these are drugs which can affect the nervous system around our guts causing us to have more bloating and wind.

Fruit

We all know fruit is good for us but too much can be a bad thing when it comes to bloating. If you do suffer with bloating try to space your fruit out through the day and have no more than 3 portions a day (1 portion= 1 handful). So that you are getting your 5 a day, replace some of the fruit with vegetables.

Portion sizes

Have you ever diagnosed yourself with a wheat intolerance? Was this after eating a particularly large meal? Next time you are cooking try weighing out portion sizes to get an idea of what they should actually look like, you may be surprised N.B: 1 x pasta portion (dry) = 80g.

Exercise

Exercise releases feel good hormones, relaxes us and helps our bowels get going. You should be doing AT LEAST 30 minutes of exercise a day.

Fizzy drinks 

It goes without saying that fizzy drinks will cause bloating as they contain gas, not to mention the caffeine that some of them also contain.

For a more personalised programme to combat bloating and other digestive disorders please book a 1-2-1 consultation

Kirsten Jackson Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert

Kirsten Jackson is a UK registered Consultant Gastroenterology Dietitian and founder of The Food Treatment Clinic. She has undergone many qualifications to get where she is today, including a UK BSc Honours Degree in Dietetics and Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Dietetics. In addition to this, she has FODMAP Training from Kings College London University. Kirsten set up The Food Treatment Clinic in 2015 after first experiencing digestive problems herself. She felt that the NHS was unable to provide the support individuals needed and went on to specialise in this area before opening a bespoke IBS service. Kirsten also participates in charity work as an Expert Advisor for the IBS Network. In addition, she can be seen in publications such as Cosmopolitan and The Telegraph discussing IBS as an Official Media Spokesperson to the IBS Network.

Last updated on August 25th, 2022 at 03:48 pm

Filed Under: Treatments, Testing and Diagnosis Tagged With: bloating

About Kirsten Jackson Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert

Kirsten Jackson is a UK registered Consultant Gastroenterology Dietitian and founder of The Food Treatment Clinic. She has undergone many qualifications to get where she is today, including a UK BSc Honours Degree in Dietetics and Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Dietetics. In addition to this, she has FODMAP Training from Kings College London University. Kirsten set up The Food Treatment Clinic in 2015 after first experiencing digestive problems herself. She felt that the NHS was unable to provide the support individuals needed and went on to specialise in this area before opening a bespoke IBS service. Kirsten also participates in charity work as an Expert Advisor for the IBS Network. In addition, she can be seen in publications such as Cosmopolitan and The Telegraph discussing IBS as an Official Media Spokesperson to the IBS Network.

Previous Post: « Low FODMAP Chocolate Chia Seed Protein Pudding
Next Post: Low FODMAP Limed Chicken Kebabs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Blog Posts

  • Dietary Advice (non Low FODMAP)
  • Lifestyle Advice
  • Low FODMAP diet
  • Low FODMAP Recipes
  • Mental health
  • SIBO
  • Supplements
  • Treatments, Testing and Diagnosis
  • Uncategorized

Quick Links

Contact

Privacy and Cookies

Social Media Policy

Website Content Disclaimer

As seen in

Registered Dietitian

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT