Beat the bloat

[MaryJane]

Here's five reasons you could be bloated, and the diet changes you need to beat them...

WATER RETENTION
Holding on to excess water is common before a period due to hormonal factors. But a salty diet can also lead to you carrying as much as 3lbs of extra fluid.

HOW TO BEAT IT:
Replace salt with pepper, herbs, lemon and balsamic vinegar. Avoid packaged foods with more than 1.25g salt per 100g.

Have three servings of skimmed milk or low-fat yoghurt daily (calcium has been shown to ease PMS, and fluid retention in particular). Team with a 200mg supplement of magnesium. One study at the University of Reading found it significantly reduced fluid retention after two months of regular use.

Drink more water - it stimulates kidneys to work harder to flush out excess fluid.

SYNDROME X
People with syndrome X - also known as metabolic syndrome - carry excess fat around their stomach (even though their weight may be normal) and have high blood sugar and insulin levels. This puts them at higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

HOW TO BEAT IT:
Switch to a diet that releases sugar slowly, like the GI diet. Tuck into grainy bread, pasta, fruits and veg, oats, beans and nuts, and have plenty of lean meat and fish.

Combine a low-GI diet with fat-burning exercise and you'll reduce stomach fat - and your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

FOOD INTOLERANCE
Bloating, wind and nausea can indicate you're not tolerating certain foods.

HOW TO BEAT IT:
The most likely culprits are wheat and dairy. Try three weeks without dairy products first. If there's no improvement then restart dairy products but cut out wheat for three weeks.

Another approach is to keep a food diary, noting everything you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But don't delete food groups for the long term without taking advice from a registered dietician.

CONSTIPATION
HOW TO BEAT IT:
Boost your intake of high-fibre foods.

Drink plenty of water - being dehydrated is a common cause of constipation.

Try prebiotic-enhanced foods, such as Warburton's Healthy Inside bread or Tropicana Fibre. Prebiotics cause Bifidobacteria in the gut to multiply, getting the gut moving.

IBS
If bloating is accompanied by diarrhoea and constipation (and gets worse with stress), you may have irritable bowel syndrome.

HOW TO BEAT IT:

Probiotics (good gut bacteria) may ease IBS. Go for drinks like Actimel or Yakult. Or try a Quest Lp299v supplement (£20.99 from health-food stores).

Don't over-do soluble fibre - stick to five portions of fruit and vegetables a day only and go for wholegrain bread, pasta and rice instead of beans and oats.

Avoid too much oily food, caffeine and very cold drinks, which can all trigger IBS.

WIND CAUSERS
Pulses, such as peas, beans and lentils. Introduce gradually
Curries and spicy food
Brussels sprouts and cabbage
Fizzy drinks and drinks gulped down with meals
Low-carb foods and the chewing-gum sweetener sorbitol

WIND CHEATERS
Smaller meals, eaten slowly
Digestive herbs like lemon balm, rosemary, caraway and fennel
Mint, ginger or camomile tea
Natural bio yoghurt
Fresh pineapple - it contains an enzyme called bromelain that aids digestion and alleviates wind

mirror.co.uk