Bloating in the evening: "looking 5 months pregnant!"
#210462 - 09/01/05 12:44 PM
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Quote:
I have never posted before, and I think I hit the wrong button. I am just looking for suggestions on how not to be so bloated by the end of the day. Do I stay away from bread? Please offer any hints you may have. I am ready to just fast for an entire day and just drink liquid to see if this makes my tummy not so enlarged. FYI, I have been dairy-free and red meat-free for about a week now. Thanks!
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well, I don't have much help for you. I also look pregnant by the end of the day. I have noticed on the days that I don't drink enough water I do look less bloated. I think my soluble fiber supplement makes me hold (or retain) a lot of water thus bloating me up. Eating smaller meals also helps with the bloated look. But otherwise, if I want to eat a sensible amount of food and drink the correct amounts of water, then I am bloated by the end of the day.
sorry for no help, but at least you are not alone.
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It'll take time. You need to figure out what your sensitivities are. It's good that you've cut out the red meat and dairy. That's a HUGE step. You need to let your body adjust. Experiment with different fruits and vegetables, and remember, peel, chop, cook and puree are your best friends from now on. See what you can tolerate and which ones bother you. It's a simple process of experimentation. The hard way, I know, but once you get a feel for it, you'll be OK. Fennel tea is also great for bloating. Crush a tablespoon of fennel seeds in a tea strainer and steep in a mug of boiling water. Drink several cups a day. It may take a few days to see a difference.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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Bloating is a tough one but I have found these things help:
-drink plenty of water (try to get to 100 oz a day)
-exercise everyday
-take a soluble fiber supplement like acacia
-eat smaller portions more often (don't let yourself get too hungry)
-stay away from straws and gum
-eat slowly
and above all, drink fennel tea (I mix mine with a little peppermint) before dinner and after too and drink several cups altogether through afternoon and evening
also make sure to go to the bathroom when you have the urge. Gas and bloat can just be your body telling you to go -some of the time.
Good luck!
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Give the diet time! You'll figure out bloating triggers. I know that if I don't drink tons of water/fluid I look and feel bloated. Fennel tea is amazing for reducing bloating. Also, are you swallowing a lot of air? (I have a nasty habit of doing so--probably asthma related and anxiety) As well, I find that after a long D streak, I tend to feel more bloated/inflated. It takes time for bowel tone, etc. to bounce back.
Kate, IBS-D.
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Little Min
#210522 - 09/01/05 06:25 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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Do you use fennel seeds or the tea bags? Do you find one is more potent than the other? How do they compare cost wise? I've asked this a few times before, but no one seems to have tried both to compare.
Thanks so much.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Yes I have used both. I think the bags seem more potent to me than the loose tea. That is maybe because I never crush the seeds and because they bloat up and fill the ball. I have made it by steeping it loose in a teapot too. I guess I like the bags quite a bit. I do believe they cost more than the loose tea. I use 2 fennel bags and 1 peppermint in a teapot with 4 cups worth. I find this is plenty strong enough. I try to drink all 4 cups every day.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Hi Kate, thanks for responding. I am drinking a cup of fennel tea right now, and I just noticed that I am taking in a deep breath before sipping the tea. I bet I do this through out the day while I am eating and drinking and never even noticed or thought about it.
I need to slow down and not inhale my food and drink. I will definitely give the diet time to work. I am so frustrated with my digestive track. For years I thought it was normal and I just had a weak stomach. I just thought I had to go to the bathroom a lot -- not thinking that it wasn't abnormal, just that I had an efficient system that processed my food very quickly...now I know. Thanks, Deb
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Hey Lil' Minnie,
Thanks for the advise. 100 oz. of water sounds like a lot, but maybe I will try it on a day where I know I don't have to leave the house much (my bladder always needs emptying as it is!). Perhaps I will work up to drinking that much water. Thanks for the info! 
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Hi, thanks for the info. I will give it time. I was kind of fearful of eating grapes -- which are my favorite fruit, but I think I will go ahead and try to peel them. Every day is an experiment. Before I eat something I always think, "I wonder how this is going to affect me tomorrow." The triggers like I found out today while eating a chocolate brownie caused immediate gurgling of sorts on my insides. Thanks!
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Hi, thanks for writing. It is interesting to note that you are more bloated given the fact that you drink more water. You mentioned your fiber supplement may make you retain more water. In one of the postings, a person suggested acacia as a fiber supplement and 100 oz. of water. Do you use acacia? I currently don't use a fiber supplement and am planning to go to the store to buy acacia this weekend. Do you know that I actually took a pregnancy test on 2 occassions because my abdomen was so bloated! I thought that I was carrying twins! Needless to say, the tests came back negative. Thanks for writing and letting me know I am not alone! Debbie
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Excellent point re: eating slowly and chewing thoroughly. If I eat too quickly and literally inhale my food, it's asking for a bloating disaster--as well as gas and stomach pain. Also, mini-meals or grazing/snacking helps tremendously re: reducing bloating. I generally eat at least 5 times per day.
Generally, most of my meals fit in a cereal bowl or on appetizer/small plates versus full size dinner plates. Portion control, eating slowly and grazing help reduce bloat tremendously. And, of course...the 'tea' ritual and tons of water.
Good luck.
Kate, IBS-D.
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--------------------
IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Thank you !
#210788 - 09/03/05 08:38 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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The bags certainly would be more convenient. I assume you use Heather's brand peppermint tea too.
So, you just boil the water in a tea pot, then add the bags and let it sit covered for a while and drink it throughtout the day? I wish I had my own little oven at work...I'd bring my tea pot and have it sit on my desk and just warm the tea up when I wanted a cup! I like to have it after lunch and it's impossible to have it any way besides microwaving a cup of hot water and adding the tea bag. I know this isn't the best way to get the most potency.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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