7 Reasons You Bloat and what to do
One of those things that happens so often we’ve quietly filed it under “normal”.
But as I say in clinic (on repeat), just because something is common doesn’t make it normal. For some it happens occasionally, for others it’s daily – either way it can be miserable.
We’re talking:
- clothes suddenly not fitting by 3pm
- that heavy, uncomfortable, “I can’t quite stand up straight” feeling
- low energy, brain fog, general ugh
And here’s the bit that often gets missed – bloating can also be a sign that we’re not properly absorbing our food. So even if your diet looks great on paper, your body might not be getting what it needs, resulting in a number of symptoms including fatigue, brain fog and irritability
The good news (there is some)
There are lots of reasons why we bloat. Which can feel overwhelming but actually means there are lots of ways to improve it. Let’s start with the simplest (and most ignored).
1. You might just be eating like you’re in a race
Case in point: my 15-year-old.
That girl can finish a full meal before I’ve even located my fork. And she’s not alone.
One of the first things I learned during my nutrition training was this:
– Digestion doesn’t start in your stomach. It starts before you even take a bite.
When you:
- look at your food
- smell it
- anticipate ityour brain signals your digestive system to get going. Enzymes start flowing, your stomach prepares, your whole system gears up. Then comes chewing. And here’s where most of us fall down. If we rush, barely chew, and swallow chunks of food, those digestive juices don’t stand a chance. Instead of being properly broken down and absorbed, food sits… lingers… and ferments.
Welcome to : bloating, wind, unpredictable poo.
There’s a health approach in Austria (the Mayr Method) that suggests chewing up to 50 times per mouthful. Fifty – Even soup!.
I suggested this at home once. My husband (fastest eater in the West) looked like I’d asked him to climb Everest. But even he admitted, slowing down helped. Not necessarily 50 chew but more than three is a solid start!
2. Eating on the go = confused digestion
We’ve normalised eating:
- in the car
- at our desks
- while answering emails
- mid-scroll
But your body? It can’t keep up. When you slow down and actually sit, look, chew, and notice your food, two important things happen:
- Your digestion improves because enzymes that break down food have time to be triggered and can therefor work more effectively.
- Your brain has time to register fullness. There’s a reason many cultures encourage stopping at around 80% full (the Japanese call this Hara Hachi Bu). It gives your body time to catch up with what you’ve eaten, rather than overshooting and feeling stuffed (and bloated).
3. Breathing (yes, really)
This is where my Osteopath hat comes on. Your diaphragm; your main breathing muscle, sits right above your digestive organs.
When you breathe well:
- your rib cage expands
- your diaphragm moves fully
And this creates a gentle internal massage for your digestive system. This helps food move through and decreases the chance of fermentation (and therefore bloating).
Now add posture into the mix. If you’re slumped over a laptop, collapsed on the sofa, or eating hunched forward, you’re literally compressing your digestive organs. Less space. Less movement. Slower transit.
So:
👉 Sit up (not rigid, just supported)
👉 Breathe into your ribs, not just your chest
👉 Give your insides a bit of room to do their thing
4. Stress – the digestion killer!
This one is huge. Your body has two main modes:
- Fight or flight (go, do, survive)
- Rest and digest (repair, absorb, restore)
We all seem to be constantly busy, rushing, juggling, slightly (or very) stressed. Living in this continued fight or flight means that resting and digesting, is all put on the back burner. This results in poor digestion, slower gut movement and more bloating.
Your body will not fully digest or heal if it never feels safe enough to switch off. Small changes can help;
- sitting down properly to eat
- taking a few slow breaths before meals
- not eating when stressed
5. Hormones
If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I more bloated at certain times of the month?” you’re not imagining it. Hormonal shifts can affect:
- gut movement
- water retention
- sensitivity to certain foods
Tracking patterns can be really helpful here. Once you see when things worsen, you can adjust food choices, support digestion more intentionally AND stop second-guessing yourself
6. Food intolerances (when the basics aren’t enough)
This is where things can get a bit… overzealous. Yes – food intolerances exist but we don’t need to eliminate half the supermarket immediately.
Always start with the basics (above).If things still aren’t improving, then it’s reasonable to explore further. Two common culprits:
- Gluten – can trigger inflammation in the gut lining, affecting absorption and causing bloating
- Dairy – lactose can be difficult to digest for many adults, leading to gas and discomfort
You won’t become deficient by removing these if you’re eating a varied, whole-food diet. If you do trial eliminations:
👉 Do it one at a time
👉 Give it a few weeks
👉 Notice properly
Other potential triggers include:
- high fructose foods (apples, honey, certain sweeteners)
- onions, garlic, beans (high FODMAP foods)
Working with a Nutritional Therapist here can save a lot of guesswork (and unnecessary restriction).
7. Your microbiome – the tiny ecosystem running the show
Last but my no means least – Inside your gut lives a whole community of bacteria (trillions of them), often referred to as your microbiome. We want a good balance here, not just “good vs bad” bacteria, but a diverse, well-behaved mix that knows how to do its job.
When that balance is off (often after stress, antibiotics, illness, or a very limited diet), certain bacteria can start to overgrow and ferment food more than they should. This leads to gas, bloating, discomfort and other digestive nonsense.
So how do we support it?
👉 Feed it well – lots of different plant foods (aim for variety over perfection), fibre, colourful veg
👉 Include fermented foods – live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi (start gently if you’re sensitive)
👉 Don’t fear all bacteria – a bit of dirt, fresh air, normal life exposure is helpful
👉 Be mindful with antibiotics – sometimes essential, but they do wipe things out broadly, so gut support afterwards matters
Please note – if your gut is already very reactive, suddenly adding loads of fibre or fermented foods can make bloating worse before it gets better. Slow and steady wins here.
Things I see in clinic
This is the bit I love — real people, real shifts.
• The “nothing works” teenager
A teen struggling with bloating, low energy, pale, dark circles — written off as “just being a teenager”. We looked closely at her lifestyle, diet and exercise. She was generally eating well and loved her sport. But she also craved pasta and bread. Weirdly cravings are often a sign that we can’t tolerate something. We removed gluten. I’ll be honest – she wasn’t happy with me, but VERY quickly her energy improved, bloating stopped and her mood lifted. Over months her weight stabilised to one she was happy with.
• The asthmatic with bloating and pelvic pain
A 60 year old lady long-term rib restriction, poor diaphragm movement, probably due to her asthma but was also presenting with bloating and a pelvic floor pain that she couldn’t get rid of. After assessing the mechanics of her rib cage, tension in the abdominal fascia we spent a month working on her rib cage, breathing and abdominal fascia. At the end the bloating had stopped and her pelvic pain had gone.
Sometimes it’s not just what you eat — it’s how your body is functioning. It isn’t broken, it’s communicating.
A few simple hacks to start with
Tip 1:
Eat without distractions.
Look at your food.
Chew more than you think you need to.
Tip 2:
If needed, trial removing gluten (then dairy, then others — one at a time).
Tip 3:
Move your body.
Walking, yoga, swimming, running — all help stimulate gut movement.