As a Mom, Nutritionist and Weight Loss Coach, I’m obviously very health conscious and I choose to eat foods that make be feel good and give me energy for my busy days.

So when I personally experience bloating or I have my clients experience bloating red flags go off!

Next time your bloated run threw this list, and see if you can identify the culprit…FYI it could be one of these or a combination.

1. You are Dehydrated. The body is holding on to water, or rather its holding onto sodium, in order to preserve water. This is also why chronic dehydration can cause hypertension (high blood pressure.) What to do about it? DRINK 3-4litres of water per day (depending on activity level). When the body is hydrated properly, it no longer holds onto sodium. allow your body to flush. bye bye water bloat.
2. Are you taking a good quality probiotic? Probiotics help balance good intestinal bacteria and fight off bad (bloating causing) bacteria. My personally favourite is BioFlor7 as it’s a super dose of probiotics for 7 days only. You do the treatment once a month and then you don’t have to worry about taking it for the rest of the month.
3. You are drinking your water too fast.. Body absorbs 1 L per of water per hour, so drinking 3-4 L too quickly can easily cause bloating. What to do about it? try spacing your drinking water out. no guzzling.
4. You may have a sluggish metabolism. Spending too long under eating (or infrequently) causes the body to slow metabolism and production of stomach acid. Low stomach acid causes bloating, heartburn, indigestion, gas, flatulence. What to do about it? Try increasing meal frequency 5-6 meals a day. Focus on whole foods and meal size that leaves you satisfied, not stuffed!
5. Stomach acid (HCL) is low for various reasons (outside of underrating) other factors can impede stomach acid production, include stress, too much coffee, alcohol, dehydration (stomach acid requires A LOT of water), over eating, heartburn medication etc. What do do? Take a tablespoon of Apple cider, or lemon juice with water 15 minutes before a meal to stimulate stomach acid production, and Chew your food.
6. Chew your food. The brain is the first organ that is involved in the digestive process. By chewing your food your brain prepares the body by stimulating the salivary glad to secrete saliva, produce hormones, and gastric juices (one being stomach acid). Chewing your food to liquid consistency reduces stomach emptying time, (un- chewed food can average 4 hours.. 4 HOURS!!! Hello gas and bloat, belch!! Chewing also provides more surface area for enzymatic reaction, improving digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
7. You’re eating your meals too close together. Meal (when not chewed properly..cough cough…) should take about 2 hours to digest. depending on Fat content of the meal. Hence PWO should digest ultra fast. If you’ve consumed a meal with extra fat like in a free meal case or combined fat sources this can cause a delay. Let hunger signals indicate when your should eat next. If your eating before your hungry this could be an indication of delayed stomach emptying time. What to do? CHEW your food and eat slowly, space meals further apart after a heavy meal.
8. Undercooked or Overcooked foods. Ok, so SOME foods are just easier to digest when they are cooked. Protein is one of them. If a blue cooked sirloin steak in on your meal plan, try cooking it to medium to see if it has an effect on bloating.
9. You are sensitive to dairy. Outside of yogurt (which is fermented and contains probiotics) Dairy is a big offender for bloating. Dairy SHOULD be tolerated by the body but often over consumed. Dairy is mucous forming…which can coat the intestines and makes absorption and assimilation difficult. What to do about it? Try cutting out dairy for a few weeks to see if this it the offender. Substitute with goats milk product or nut milks. cycle your whey protein with vegetarian or vegan protein powders. Other signs that dairy is the bloat offender is eczema and skin rashes
10. Gluten intolerance. You could have an intolerance to gluten. Since strong girl plans are gluten free, Take note if bloating is linked to a gluten containing sub. What to do about it? revert back to non gluten containing carb sources, or get tested from your doctor for celiac disease.
11. You have dysboisis of the gut. Your gut bacteria is out of balance. When we start taking probiotics for the first time, there is literally a bacterial war going on inside your body. What to do about it? Continue taking your probiotics. After some time your the symbiotic relationship will be established and you will start to feel better. An over growth of H-Pylori is also common in the stomach (and the number one cause of stomach ulcers) Properly restoring stomach acid levels will naturally kill these pathogens, also be sure to properly wash fruits and vegetables, and make sure food is cooked threw.
12. You’re sensitive to Phytates. Foods that are high in Phytates (phytic acid) are nuts, seeds and grains. In the plant world Phytic acid is a line of defence for the seed, nut or grain. This allows the seed to survive the acid environment of the stomach and to be eliminated from the body of an animal or human. What to do? try soaking your nuts,seeds, grains and legumes overnight before eating, or cooking.
13. You’re not subbing your food. When your coach gives the green light to sub food its not just to keep you from getting board. Its to prevent digestive upset from always eating the same foods. Make sure your eating a variety of proteins, starch and vegetables. Sweet potatoes can be a big trigger for bloating. So be sure to cycle your foods. variety is key to a healthy lifestyle.
14. You’re not used to eating Fibre. The average diet only gets 8-10g of fibre a day, A strong girl plan contains 20-25g of fibre from complex carbohydrates. This cause a bit of bloating in the beginning until the body is used to it. What to do about it? KEEP eating your complex carbs, be patient, your body will adjust and it will thank you!
15. Give yourself a little RESET  and try my 5 Day Reset Diet and get Un-Bloated  – This 5 Day Reset is a digestive break. Some of my clients have lost up to 7 lbs of pure bloat!! You will see some amazing results with this protocol but you should still pay attention to all of the above so your bloating doesn’t come back.  HERE IS TO BEING BLOAT-FREE  🙂