What Your Bloating Can Tell You About Your Gut Health + 6 Ways To Find Relief

Too often in our fast-paced culture, we are tempted to grab the pain relievers for our headaches, the heating pad for our period cramps, or the caffeine for our zapped energy, without ever stepping back and asking the million-dollar question: What is my body trying to tell me?

One client, let's call her Clara, used to stress over her bloating every single day after lunch. When we zoomed out, we could see that she was eating her lunch in just three to four minutes while answering emails; she was routinely eating foods that her body wasn't responding well to; and her gut was pretty inflamed.

Clara didn't need to uproot her life and eat "perfectly" to banish her bloat, she simply needed to listen to her body and compassionately give it what it was asking for: rest, balance, and nutrition.

If you, too, are struggling with bloating, it's time to look at the 800-pound gorilla in the room: your gut microbiome.

It's estimated that only 9% of your gut microbiome1 is influenced by your genetics, and the other 91% rests in your hands, constantly adapting to your lifestyle and what's on your plate. Research shows that stress, environmental toxins, antibiotics, inflammation, and highly processed foods can reshape the bacteria in your gut2 and decrease your microbial variety, leading to chronic bloat3, increased inflammation4, and compromised immunity5.

Consuming plenty of fiber is one of the best ways to increase the good bacteria in your gut. Certain fiber-rich foods like bananas, apples, artichokes, garlic, onions, white peaches, chickpeas, watermelon, and leeks are packed with prebiotic fiber, known to feed the good bacteria in your gut. Increasing fiber from fruits, vegetables, starches, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds is associated with an increase in good gut bacteria, can regulate blood sugar levels, and even can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases7. Pretty compelling right?

But there is a catch: Some people eat all of the healthy, fiber-rich food and still struggle with nagging bloat after their kale, cabbage, and black bean salad. We call this the fiber pendulum. Too little fiber (usually under 25 grams) is associated with low energy, constipation, high cholesterol, and bloat, but loading up on too much fiber (or too much fiber too fast!) can lead to gas, bloating, and constipation.

Probiotic supplements and foods high in probiotics like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, sourdough bread, and fermented veggies can be helpful to rebalance the bacteria in your gut.

Increasing food sources of probiotics is known to decrease and even eradicate bloating but is also linked to stronger immune function, decreased cholesterol levels, improvements in allergies, lower rates of depression, and healthier skin.

The easiest way you can ease your bloating today is by changing not what you are eating but how you are eating. When you chew your food, your mouth creates digestive enzymes called salivary amylase that help you break down your food and absorb nutrients8 from it. Your stomach doesn't have teeth, so when we don't chew our food well enough, your stomach has to use more acid and more energy to properly break it down, causing you to feel sluggish and bloated.

Your digestion and nervous system are endlessly connected. Your gut is home to around 90% of your body's serotonin and 70% of your immune system5, highlighting why your gut-brain connection is so complex and incredible.

I've found that when clients are struggling with unresolved chronic stress, it will usually manifest as GI discomfort, impaired digestion, cramping, and bloating. If your body is primed to fight or flight, digestion becomes a nonpriority.

To combat this, you can start by practicing deep, diaphragmatic breathing before eating, which can shift your body into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state.

Herbs like ginger, peppermint, fennel, anise, turmeric, curcumin, and cardamom have been used since antiquity to support digestion and decrease stomach pain and bloating9.

Studies on peppermint show 10a 50 to 70% decrease in abdominal pain and digestive discomfort when subjects consumed peppermint oil or tea daily. Ginger is known to decrease inflammation and stimulate the digestive tract11 while easing nausea and bloating.