Have you ever felt that uncomfortable puffiness around your midsection and wondered what more you could do to alleviate it? If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Belly bloat is a common complaint (and something I have personally dealt with. More on that below).
Often the advice we find is just a quick fix that doesn’t address the root cause. In a recent episode of “Tea with Tina,” we dove deep into the topic of bloating and discussed easy to implement strategies to not just combat this issue but to transform your digestive health completely. You can tune into the episode below or watch the YouTube video. If you prefer to read, keep scrolling for an in-depth article!
I know feeling bloated is frustrating. Sometimes you can feel like you’re losing weight and doing all the right things, but you still feel…puffy. Watery. Etc.
I was one of those people. I tried green tea pills, every fad diet in the book, and worked out until I felt my limbs were going to fall off.
I lost a lot of weight. I was actually almost TOO skinny at one point.
But I. Still. Felt. Puffy.
After years of wondering what was going on because I was “doing everything right”, a PCOS and Hashimoto’s Diagnosis, I figured out what it was.
I was BLOATED. Inflamed.
Check out the before and after of my puffiness below. My weight would spike up and down like crazy (sometimes up to 10 pounds in ONE DAY) and I just felt like a bloated balloon. Never lean. Never able to see muscle definition. Just watery.
MY TOP TIPS TO HELP BELLY BLOAT
So, TWO big reasons people are bloated:
1.) They need to 💩
2.) The body is stressed in some way and is inflamed. (Remember that stress isn’t always worrying about something. It is VERY diverse)
These 5 tips will help with both things. They will probably sound way easier than you expected–but I want you to ask yourself if you even are doing these things consistently? If not–get THESE under control FIRST before trying some new herbal supplement or hitting up a doctor. Save the money.
Okay, here we go:
DRINK ENOUGH WATER 💧
If you aren’t getting at least 64 ounces of water–work yourself up to that. You cannot 💩 unless you are lubricated and hydrated. It will just get stuck, build up and make you feel crappy (pun-intended) and further contribute to belly bloat.
PROBIOTICS 🦠
Yes, it’s a supplement, but this one is HUGE. You NEED healthy bacteria to help digest food properly and regulate bowel movements. Myself and others that I’ve talked to always notice HUGE differences in regularity and belly bloat when taking a probiotic.
Look for one with HIGH bacterial counts (like 50+ billion). I really like Renew Life. It’s affordable and gets the job done.
FIBER 💩
Forget TikTok doctors telling your fruit and vegetables are making you fat (where did this come from??) You NEED fruits, veggies and whole grains to get on average 20-25 grams of fiber everyday.
This is also WHY I’m so big on consuming less processed foods, because the more processed a food is, the more likely the vital nutrients are stripped of the food. Then we end up missing out on all the good stuff but still consume all the calories. 👎
Fiber is like nature’s scrub brush. 🧹 It’s not digestible so it makes its way through your intestines scrubbing all the gunk in a nice neat pile and keeps your insides clean and fresh.
This means you poop better, too. 💩
Related: Decoding the 90 30 50 Method: Insights on the Tik Tok Fitness Challenge
HANDLE STRESS 😌
Stress causes inflammation, drains our body of resources and makes us exhausted. It can just make everything hard I bet sometimes you feel lucky to even make it through the day.
How you hold stress can occur in many different ways…
➡️ You can have pent up trauma from your childhood, past relationships, holding onto emotions and you just haven’t worked through them. You keep them in the deep dark corners of your brain in the hopes they don’t peek out. (Honestly, you may not even REALIZE this is a thing–it can be subconscious).
➡️ Stress can be from juggling the kiddos, working overtime at your job, not getting enough sleep and having toxic people in your life.
➡️ Stress can be working out way too much and dieting way to hard.
I truly believe this is the hardest thing to manage–BUT it makes the biggest impact. I’ve spent YEARS going to therapy, setting boundaries, reframing my mindset towards how I view life and people and how they react to me and I feel like I’ve gotten to a place where I can HANDLE my stress better.
Notice I didn’t say REDUCE. Because I don’t think the amount of stress I face is any less or “easier” now. I think I got better at handling it and managing it. You can too!
IMPROVE SLEEP HYGIENE 😴
Creating a little wind down routine to prep your body for rest is essential for you falling asleep and STAYING asleep throughout the night.
Blackout curtains, a cooler room, white noise, humidifier, reading a book to help you relax, etc. are all great things to do to help you get your body into rest mode. This will look different for everyone, so play around and create a rest routine that works for YOU and your unique needs.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER ⭕️
Now it’s important to note that each habit (like sleep) interconnects with all the others.
For instance:
🤔 If you’re stressed, you may have racing thoughts at night, hence why you can’t fall asleep.
🤔 Or, maybe, you’re dehydrated so you wake up at 3 am overheated and dying of thirst.
🤔 OR maybe your backed up and bloated and wake up with stomach pains and can’t go to the bathroom.
See how that works? It’s best to try to slowly do all these things over time and you’d be surprised at how much more resilient your body is and how much more open it is to fat loss and building a body you love.
The conversation began with personal experiences of belly bloat, especially during menstrual cycles, and how birth control can add an extra layer of challenge. Solutions like green tea and detoxes, while popular, are not the answer.
Instead, focusing on creating a healthy foundation in your body is much like prepping a wall before painting. A clean, well-prepped base allows for better treatment absorption and, similarly, a healthy gut (and body) can significantly improve our body’s functions.
This blog post has scratched the surface of the enlightening discussion had on “Tea with Tina.” If you’ve been struggling with belly bloat and are seeking a long-term solution, consider revisiting your foundational health practices: Hydration, probiotics, fiber, stress management, and sleep are all pieces of the puzzle that fit together to create a picture of optimal health. And remember, your journey to wellness is a marathon, not a sprint; take the time to build a strong foundation and watch as your health transforms.
