#BloatisBeautiful and unfiltered photos not holding any bloat back have blown up online thanks to influencers and bloggers speaking up about the gastrointestinal pain described as “feeling full, tight or swollen in the abdomen.” It can disrupt day-to-day life when the pain becomes severe, and many people still can’t pinpoint what causes bloating and how to solve it.

While we aren’t medical professionals and always recommend you speak to a medical professional before you make any major changes in your lifestyle, we hope this post will be insightful about bloating if you’ve been feeling any type of pain!

Triggers that might be causing your bloating:

  • Dairy products
  • Cruciferous vegetables
  • Wheat
  • Bubbly drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)
  • Gum

Dairy products: We’ve been hearing for quite some time now that we just shouldn’t be eating dairy. While that may be hard for some to swallow (ha ha ha), unfortunately a lot of our bodies don’t have the necessary enzymes we need to break down lactose. Save the dairy for the cheese and ice cream that is reallllyyyy worth it.

Cruciferous Vegetables: We’re looking at you broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts & others! Although these are all packed with nutrients like iron, fiber and potassium, they’re unfortunately hard for your most bodies to break down. Try cooking them to make them easier to digest–we’re certainly not giving up these veggies, but it’s good to know what causes your bloating.

Wheat: Although some are able to stomach gluten (we’re so funny!), the gluten found in wheat tends cause bloating especially in processed wheat products like cookies, crackers, pasta and things like that. Our favorite wheat is organic whole grain, sprouted wheat found in products like this bread we make our avocado toast with.

Bubbly drinks: Skip the bubbles, you guys. Those drinks pour gas into your stomach and they need an escape route…need we say more? LaCroix included…save it for those days when you don’t mind a little bloat.

Gum: An unexpected one, but chewing gum makes you swallow unnecessary air. This then leads to extra gas…you know the drill. Instead of reaching for gum after your lunch break, start packing a toothbrush and mini toothpaste.

 

These are only a handful of the foods that could be causing bloating for you. Some of these may not cause bloating–every one is unique! Play around with eliminating certain foods from your diet and see what works for you, but remember bloat is normal and happens to the best of us. We’re not sure it’s beautiful, but it’s certainly something that is not often talked about and makes us feel better that we’re not the only ones out there dealing with tummy issues.