Let’s start with what bloat is – bloating is when the abdomen is distended often times from gas but can also be from liquids or food. Some degree of bloating with food consumption or drinking is normal given they physically take up space in the abdomen. Bloating and abdominal distention become problematic when they are significant or cause discomfort.

Stress & Digestion

One of the first steps when we talk about optimizing digestion is making sure we are in a rest and digest (i.e. parasympathetic state). We can essentially be in rest and digest or fight and flight (i.e. sympathetic state) at any given moment but we can’t be in both at the same time.

I always use the example of being chased by a bear, that our body doesn’t know the difference between being chased by a bear or being stressed about work/kids/our partner or any other stressor. If you’re being chased by a bear, it isn’t a great time to prioritize digestion, it’s probably best that we fight the bear or run away from the bear in order to survive. Granted this was a really helpful response for our ancestors and continues to be for us in truly dangerous situations; it’s not a helpful response given today’s stressors are predominantly not life threatening.

Back to digestion, we want to ensure we are feeling calm prior to eating. Box breathing or my favourite, the physiologic sigh, are two breathing techniques that can help to stimulate the vagus nerve and promote that rest and digest state. The vagus nerve is important for moving food through the digestive tract, increasing stomach acidity and pancreatic enzymes to digest food as well as singling to the brain when we are feeling full or hungry to name a few of its roles.

We’ve all had the experience of thinking about a meal we’re really excited about and our mouths start watering and the stomach starts growling. Stomach growling is caused when the stomach and small intestine contract to move food along the digestive tract mixing a combination of gas and liquids which can sometimes cause the sounds we hear. Ultimately it can be a sign that the digestive system is activated. This is all called the cephalic phase of digestion which is just a fancy way of saying thinking about food and priming the system to anticipate food coming.

There is also evidence that practicing gratitude, saying Grace or any other mindfulness practice prior to meals can help to improve digestion and reduce overeating. It is well known that mindfulness helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system which ultimately improves digestive function.

A Guide to Reducing Bloating and Improve Digestion Overall

  • Ensure you’re in a rest and digest state, consider gratitude prior to your meal and/or breathing exercises.
  • Smell your food, think about your food. This primes your digestive system.
  • Chew your food 30x per mouthful. This helps to mechanically break down your food but again primes the digestive system.
  • Put your utensil down between bites. Breathe between bites.
  • Eat slowly. Enjoy the experience of eating. This also allows your satiety (full) hormones to reach your brain to communicate when you are starting to feel full so that you avoid overeating and subsequently bloating.
  • Stop eating when you start to feel full. If you’re still hungry after 10 minutes repeat until you achieve comfortable fullness. Comfortable fullness feels like no longer being hungry, subtle full sensation in the stomach and feeling satisfied.
  • Bonus tip: Start your meal off with something bitter – bitter greens like arugula and kale or bitters (herbs that have been tinctured) can be helpful at the beginning of a meal to increase digestive enzymes and stomach acidity and promote digestive movement.

If you’re struggling with digestive issues, please don’t struggle in silence. Digestive issues are nuanced and often require a specific custom approach for each individual depending on what factors are contributing to their specific situation. Naturopathic doctors are well equipped with tools to help support you on your journey to feeling well digestively!

References

PMID: 29593576
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780723604907500343
PMID: 32549835