I'm Hormonal | PCOS, periods, gut + hormone health insights

[Mini] Five Changes to Reduce Bloat ASAP | Ep. 99

• Bridget Walton, Women's Hormone Coach • Episode 99

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We tackle the frustrating issue of persistent bloating with five practical strategies you can implement immediately, while emphasizing the importance of addressing root causes for lasting relief.

• Digestive enzymes as a helpful supplement, especially when traveling or eating foods outside your normal diet
• Apple cider vinegar before meals to boost stomach acid and improve digestion
• The critical importance of thoroughly chewing your food to support digestive processes
• Choosing lower-sugar options to reduce inflammation and avoid feeding harmful gut bacteria
• Creating dedicated, distraction-free time for eating rather than multitasking through meals
• Using a future-self mindset when making health decisions that affect bloating

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Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome to today's episode of I'm Hormonal. I'm your host, bridget Walton, and I am really excited that you're here listening today. This is going to be a really good episode for you to listen to. If you are somebody who you feel like you have just constant bloating. You're like why do I feel like I'm six months pregnant? Why is it that, no matter what I eat, I feel bloated? Maybe this is something that happens at some times in your cycle, or maybe it's more persistent. Either way, that shit sucks. I've definitely been there myself and I want to help you understand what you can do to get past this bloating. It's totally worth mentioning right from the start here that you want to get to the root cause of what's going on with your hormones. If you've listened to the podcast before, then you know that I'm all about a root cause approach understanding what is it for you and your body that needs to be addressed. But in lieu of you and I being able to have just a one-on-one conversation right now, what I want to do is share with you what are the five things that I think of that I keep in mind that I do when I'm feeling a little bit more bloated or when I notice that something is a little bit off, maybe when I'm traveling. So these are going to be five things that I hope help you today or tomorrow or the next time that you're traveling. But still, I need to say that figuring out what is the root cause of what's going on with your digestive system is absolutely imperative and cannot be replaced by digestive enzymes or any of the other recommendations alone that I will give to you today. If you're listening to this and you've been dealing with bloating for a hot minute, then let me know if you are ready, if you're serious about getting past it, and take me up on my offer for a free consult call. You can check out the link in the show notes to pick a time for us to chat. I want to say welcome again, and if this is your first time listening to I'm Hormonal, then today is just a little mini episode. It's just a little snacketizer or a recap of the last episode from earlier this week I did a much deeper dive on bloating. If you haven't listened to it yet, go back and give it a listen.

Speaker 1:

When we're done here, with all of that out of the way, let's go ahead and dive right in the first of five recommendations that I have for you is to take digestive enzymes for a little test drive. This is something that I bring with me when I travel, especially if I'm like traveling out of country Not that I do that all the time, but if I'm traveling I know that I'm going to be eating like something that is fried or just like a little bit more oily maybe than what I normally cook in my own home. I say, okay, let me take some digestive enzymes as a little insurance policy. If you are new to digestive enzymes, it's a supplement, normally in a capsule form, that you can find at Whole Foods or Sprouts. I've included a link in the show notes to the one that I use, just so you have a starting point to consider. But that's something that can help support your digestive system by just directly inputting the enzymes that you need, that your digestive system needs in order to fully break down your food and to help support normal digestive processes, which ideally includes less bloating. So, numero uno, try out a digestive enzyme.

Speaker 1:

Number two, check out apple cider vinegar and incorporating it before a meal. Again, if you've listened to the podcast, you've totally heard this one before, but it never gets old, because apple cider vinegar can be supportive for your digestive system. If, for example, you have low stomach acid, including apple cider vinegar is going to help to give your stomach acid a little boost. It's also good for your blood sugar, among other things. So, incorporating apple cider vinegar. If you are on the road, though, or you're traveling maybe you're at a restaurant you can always just ask your waiter or waitress if they have a little bit of apple cider vinegar. Or, if you are like me, then you probably have some random flask sitting around that you like. Got in college and take it out for a spin. Gotten college and take it out for a spin, fill it up with some apple cider vinegar and confuse people when you take a little swig of it or pour it into your water before a meal. Also, if you do that, when you do that, send me a picture. Tag me on Instagram at Bridget Walton. I would love to see and hear. So apple cider vinegar a little bit easier to do at home than out and about, but totally possible and something that you can consider incorporating.

Speaker 1:

Now number three this is really a question that I want you to ask yourself when you are mid-meal and you're thinking about how your stomach feels and you think about me and this episode. Ask yourself, and you think about me and this episode, ask yourself am I actually chewing my food thoroughly? Right, quick mini story. I have this memory from when I was a freshman in college or a. I was eating like corn, like it was probably frozen corn, that I heated up and my friend says to me, bridget, are you even chewing your food? And I said to her I don't like, I mean, I'm not choking on it, I can just like I don't really have to chew it that much and I can swallow it, which, yeah, that's true. Obviously, I mean, hopefully you can, hopefully it's not a choking hazard for you. But this is all to say surprise.

Speaker 1:

There are a lot of benefits to actually chewing your food. Your stomach doesn't have teeth. You've got to chew your food thoroughly. Is slowing down a little bit relaxing? You're really allowing the enzymes in your saliva to start breaking down the food. That process starts in your mouth. And by slowing down too, by keeping your cortisol levels in a reasonable area in a reasonable area, then you're supporting the release of, or the normal release of, the enzymes and acids in the rest of your digestive system that you need. So when you're eating dinner today or lunch day or whatever it is tomorrow, think about me and ask yourself the question am I actually chewing my food thoroughly?

Speaker 1:

Okay, number four, something that I do a lot is I mean, I'm just really looking for a lower sugar option. What is a swap that I can do? If I'm out and about, I'm at a friend's house or I'm out to dinner with some friends, I don't have total control over what I'm consuming, but I have some options and for me, looking at what is a lower sugar option, I think that's a really solid go-to. Why is that? One, because sugar is just inherently a bit inflammatory, not the best. Two, because sugar is an absolutely tasty food for potentially overgrown bacteria or other pathogens in your system, while, of course, if you don't have some sort of microbiome imbalance, that won't be a factor. But, for example, for folks who have candida overgrowths or other opportunistic pathogen overgrowths, eating sugar or sugary foods or processed foods can just give it more fuel, and that's not what we want.

Speaker 1:

So if you are at a meeting because you are out and about for work and you have the option between the croissant tray or hey A plus, you planned ahead. You brought some trail mix. I love that plan. That's something that I would keep in mind Definitely. How can you just go with a lower sugar option? Mind Definitely. How can you just go with a lower sugar option? Can you, instead of getting another drink at your friend's birthday party or at your work conference again, I know I use that example a lot, but I know that a lot of you listening are gals who work in corporate and you were on the move, on the go for work and just busy generally in life. So can you swap out instead of getting another glass of wine, do they have a low sugar mocktail or do they just can you get a water? I know that sounds insane and crazy, but it actually technically is an option out there, even though it might be a little bit boring in the meantime. So that's my fourth recommendation for you.

Speaker 1:

Fifth and final, I want you to take a second and just give yourself the freedom to eat your meals where it works for you and don't multitask. Let me explain more. This is another one that is a little bit more specific to you, gals who are on the go for work. But, for example, if you are out at a conference or at a meeting with your team or a meeting with a customer well, maybe not a lunch with a customer, but do you have the opportunity to eat alone? Right?

Speaker 1:

If it's a stressful day and you're like I need a minute to eat by myself, can you avoid multitasking and eating at the same time? I know that's difficult, it will require a little bit of planning, but it doesn't have to be as difficult as we make it out to be. Another example right, if you are at the airport, instead of just rushing to crush your meal before boarding, can you just save your meal to eat while you're on the flight? Or if you are in the car, instead of eating while you're driving, can you just pull over for literally five minutes and just chill and eat your food. Those things might sound like oh, you're like Bridget, okay, that sounds stupid. I'm not going to do it, but it can help. Right, because this all comes back to what's going on with your stress and what is your ability to sit down and relax and focus on eating while you're eating, because that's what your digestive system needs, in part for you to have a smooth digestive process that doesn't have all this chaos and haywire to it.

Speaker 1:

So keep those five tips in mind, but I do want to leave you with one last thought, as it relates to mindset. I want you to think about what is the type of person that you want to become, right, what is she like and maybe this relates to your health at this point but, overall, who is that person that you want to become? What does she do, what does she have, how does she move, how does she feel? And when you are at a decision point, when you're deciding okay, am I going to opt for this donut breakfast instead of taking an extra little walk or putting in a little extra effort to eat something that won't have me feeling bloated and feeling ick Like what would that person, what would this future version of me, do? This is something that I really have been using a lot lately as it relates to, just overall, what are my goals in life and how can I get there. But this is a tool that I also I really wish that I had earlier, as it related to how can I best support my health and really think of future me and what she's going to want.

Speaker 1:

So I hope that that resonates with you and if you have any questions. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them. Connect with me on Instagram at Bridget Walton. Otherwise, come back next week. You're going to hear me talk about PMS and A what causes it, b what can you do about it. So stick with me and thanks again for listening. I'm Bridget Walton and I will see you here next week. If you loved today's episode and got something good out of it, make sure you subscribe so that these episodes show up automatically in your feed. No work needed on your side. Let's put it on autopilot. As always, I need to give you my reminder that the information I share with you here is for educational purposes only, and it should not be used as a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis. Now, if you are, on the other hand, in the market for some one-on-one support, then I would love for you to take me up on my offer for a free strategy call. You can find these links and more in the show notes.