getting rid of bloating page

[girlhk]

I hardly eat legumes and grains anymore, but I still get bloated. I eat a lot veggies like carrots, beets, okra, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cabbage, bitter gourd, snake gourd, and occasionally sprouts. Lots fish, coconut, eggs, meat. Some cheese, avocado, and curds. I used to drink a cup of raw milk daily, but am experimenting with cutting that out. I'm still getting bloated despite drinking less milk though. Is it the fiber from the veggies? When I eat only meat and rice, I don't get this bloated.

[Drumroll]

It's hard to say what is causing the bloating. The cause of the bloating will dictate the solution.

It could be because of a sensitive digestive system that can't handle the fiber from the veggies you are eating, yes. How much salt do you use? It could be water retention from that causing your bloating, though, I doubt it. How about your daily carb intake? Being low carb is inherently water-reducing since carbs cause you to retain a fair amount of water as well. The lower carb you eat, generally the less water your muscles retain.

So, it could be gas from fiber that your gut can't handle, in which case I would recommend some form of probiotics to help with the bloating (think fermented foods here), and also I would recommend that you consume maybe fewer veggies (but don't eliminate them entirely).

If your carb load is fairly high (nothing wrong with that), just be aware that causes water retention that can lead to bloating and you might play around with dropping to a lower carb level for a while and see how that works out for you.

If your sodium intake is on the high side, just drop intake down a bit and you should be fine.

For water-weight and bloating issues things like tea and yerba mate which are diuretics (make you urinate more frequently) and exercise (you sweat, obviously) have both been known to be helpful in eliminating excess fluids from the body.

There are a few other possible causes, but these are usually the most likely culprits that cause such issues. Play around with your diet a bit. It could also be an allergy or even just a sensitivity to a particular food substance you are eating. Experiment with total dairy elimination (even the cheese). Try dropping the eggs (some people are allergic to the protein in egg whites). Some people have intollerance to veggies in the nightshade family so try eating a diet free of nightshades for a while.

Obviously, do only one of these at a time to pinpoint the exact cause, but primal eating is a journey, that may mean some extensive experimentation to find out what works best for you.

[Karyn]

I would cut the dairy first and see what happens. If there is no change eliminate something else until there is an improvement.

[Damiana]

It might be the veggies and the volume of what you're eating. I know I eat a ton of veggies and consequently get more bloated when I do rather than when I'm eating a ton of meat.

[namelesswonder]

In addition to everything else suggested, make sure you are getting probiotics in via supplementation or fermented foods.

[TTBlue21]

I am sure many would view this as a statement of the obvious. However, many don't realize the more water you drink the less bloat. Start chugging water. At first you may be uncomfortable but within a short time you'll feel and look much better. People that avoid water when they are bloated only make things worse.

[girlhk]

Thanks! Lots of helpful suggestions here to experiment with.

I eat curd made from raw milk most days of the week. When eliminating dairy, does this include curd?

My carb intake is probably 75-100g, mostly from veggies, as I don't consume much fruit or starchy tubers. I don't get bloated on rice and wheat the way I do with lots of veggies (too much sugar/starch triggers other problems besides bloat for me).

Regarding drinking more water, I thought it's best to drink to quench thirst only? So I should force myself to drink more even when not thirsty?

[Drumroll]

I think you should just eliminate ALL sources of dairy. Even if the curd isn't causing your issues, you can't rule out dairy unless you cut ALL of it.

[MarissaLinnea]

coconut milk does it really bad for me.

[girlhk]

I will be very sad if the culprit is dairy, lol.