Today I want to talk about certain foods that can cause bloating, but also how you can eat the same exact foods prepared in a different way to lessen that bloating.
I talk about bloating a lot because I suffer from it all the time. It doesn’t matter what size or body type you are, anyone can experience bloating, and it honestly makes you look sometimes 5-10 times heavier…so, I’m always trying to find little ways to fix it.
Tried & True Tips:
- Raw Fresh Greens. Raw greens are so good for us, and anyone would encourage you to eat more of them, but they can cause a lot of bloating. The negative thing is that we’re all human- if we don’t want to look and feel bloated, we’re going to end up avoiding those foods. That’s where we get into trouble because sometimes the foods with the highest fiber content can end up causing bloating.
The key here is to STEAM them. Yes, raw technically has more nutrients, but if you just lightly steam your greens, you are still going to get so much benefit, and it makes such a difference. It’s so much easier on your body to digest, and sometimes it’s even more enjoyable to eat.
I personally love raw salads. I wouldn’t ever cut them out, especially because they’re so good for me. I do try to avoid them during the day because I know I’ll feel bloated the rest of the day, but sometimes I have them at night for dinner when I’m going to bed right after, knowing my body has the entire night to digest.
- Fruit. I love fruit more than anything, but it can make you extremely bloated. One amazing alternative- blend it into a smoothie. This is better for digestion because when you’re blending, you’re pre-digesting your food. Smoothies can be more bang for your buck because you are getting more nutrients in. You can even add greens to them…even though I said raw greens can make you bloat, when they’re chopped up smaller, it helps.
In the past, when we thought about smoothies, we’d think more like milkshakes, yogurt, etc., but don’t underestimate using water in your smoothies. The green smoothie I have on my channel is blended with water, and I think it’s the most shared video I have because everyone is so surprised by how delicious it is when it’s literally just water, spinach, kale, a little bit of apple and banana.
- Grains. When you eat them raw, you’ll have a harder time digesting them. The key here is water- liquifying grains makes them easier to absorb. Whenever I make oatmeal, I go extra heavy on the water…even make it a little soupy.
- Food Combining. The simpler you can make your meals, the better. I used to constantly pile everything into one meal, thinking it was the right thing to do. Even when foods are great on their own, sometimes when you mix a million things together, your body has to work to digest too much.
Pro tip: Stick to 3-4 foods per meal, and within each meal, only have 1 dense food. I
would rather you do twice the amount of walnuts than a little bit of walnuts and a little bit of quinoa. This will help your body focus on one thing.
You obviously don’t have to eat like this all the time. But if you have something important (maybe you’re on vacation), and you don’t want to be bloated, these are some tricks to make sure your food is better digested.
I think it’s super important to eat the foods you like (really not a fan of deprivation), but try some of these tips to help you deal with bloating and also help you absorb more of the food you eat…You’re not getting any benefits unless your body is absorbing it.
If you guys have any questions or have any of your own bloating tips, please let me know! I always like to learn from you too :)
