5 tips to fix a bloated gut
Constipation.. Not the most pleasant subject but your “poo health” is an important factor in fat loss and it can tell you a lot about your health in general. A healthy digestive system would consist of 1-2 bowel movements a day. If you have irregular bowel movements or feel slightly constipated, please make sure to follow these 5 easy steps.
- Stay hydrated: You should drink at least drink 1L of water per 25 kg of bodyweight. Our body is made up out of 80%, and water is involved in almost all vital processes in our body.
- Add Fiber: 200g of frozen berries in your morning shake is an easy and low kcal costly way to add fiber to your diet. Brussel sprouts and potatoes are great choices as well.
- Chew your food: This sounds like a silly advice but digestion starts in the mouth, whilst we chew our mouth secretes enzymes which help breaking down carbohydrates.
- Take Digestive Enzymes: without sufficient digestive enzymes your body might be unable to break down nutrients. Especially if you come from a period of poor eating habits it might be smart to take Digestive Enzymes for a period of time.
- Chill out! When your stressed your body is in a “fight or flight mode”, which means it will slow down your GI tract to deal with what it sees as a threat. This might contribute to you feeling constipated and bloated. Here’s a few ways on how to deal with that.
- Sit down and eat conscious, this will also help with hunger
- Do some form of meditation or breathing technique
- Do yoga or light stretching, this will especially work well in the evening
- Listen music, laugh, socialize, just something that takes you away from everyday stressors.
TAKE NOTE: Exercise itself is a stressor, weight training 2-3 times a week itself won’t throw your GI tract of wack. The problem arises when you overdo it on highly stressful workouts outside the gym like spinning or HIIT classes. Might be good to slow down on these for a while at least.
