Hi  – quick question to you first – do you have a type 3/4 bowel movement at least once daily? You can compare it to the Bristol stool chart here.

If so, I’m going to first provide you with some herbal rapid relief remedies to alleviate the bloating, and then discuss reasons why it might be present in the first place so that you can start to work on fixing it at the root.

For Rapid Relief:
• Peppermint, ginger, star anise, and fennel are all carminative herbs which help the GI tract release trapped gas and eliminate bloating/cramps by relaxing the muscle wall of the intestines. Gaia Herbs’ “Gas and Bloating” formula combines many of these into 1 formula. There are other brands as well. 

• Activated charcoal is also effective at absorbing excess gas in the gut (just make sure it’s taken away from all other supplements, medication, and food, ideally in between meals or before bed, as it will bind other substances as well). 

• A comprehensive digestive enzyme formula may further improve gas/bloating.  When there is inflammation in the GI tract or microbial imbalances, digestive secretions can be impaired. This is even worse when a person is chronically stressed. The result may be suboptimal digestive enzymes.  If food is slow to be digested or remains semi-digested, this presents a particularly rich and hearty food source for bacteria which will increase and extend their gas production overall.  Excellent basic, full spectrum digestive enzymes are  Enzymedica’s Digest or Digest Gold enzymes. A week-long trial of using a digestive enzyme at the beginning of every meal could help you see if this is helpful. Another option is to use digestive bitters like this one which helps stimulate all digestive secretions instead. Please watch this video for more info on digestive enzyme support.

Root Cause Reasons for Bloating:

As I mentioned above, bloating typically happens when there is a reduction in digestive secretions (stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes & bile) which can lead to gut microbiome imbalances and overgrowths, and can happen for various reasons.
• First, make sure that you’re in the right state of mind and not stressed when eating. Please watch this video which explains it better. 

• Eating hygiene is often overlooked, but equally powerful. Please watch this video. 

• And finally, not having enough stomach acid will often create a downward cascade of gut dysfunctions (including low bile). I encourage you to watch this video on the reasons for low stomach acid, and then this video on stomach acid support.

I’m going to leave it here for now as to not overwhelm you. Please make the time to watch the videos I’ve shared, and let me know if you have any other questions in the meantime.

 eating hygiene and dedicating time for lunch, as simple as it may seem, can make a massive difference! Don’t underestimate the power of eating hygiene. 

Constipation will definitely increase gas so magnesium citrate taken in the evenings can help offer rapid relief while addressing the root cause.

Do keep us posted on your progress and changes being made.