Things to consider if you are experiencing prolonged gas, bloating, belching?

1. Do you have food sensitivities (different than food allergies)?
2. Gut permeability (i.e., leaky gut syndrome)
3. Improper food combining, eating under stress, and or eating when doing something else.
4. Parasites
5. Food Allergies (i.e., you eat something and there is an IMMEDIATE REACTION AND YOUR THROAT CLOSES UP AND OR YOU BREAK OUT IN RASH this is an ALLERGIC REACTION).

Digestive complaints are becoming more and more common. Sadly enough, we are taught to minimize our symptoms and think that it’s okay to have a bloated belly or look like a perpetual Santa Claus.

Fear not! You too can have better digestion, enhanced metabolism, and feel and look better by these simple tips:

1. Food Sensitivities: Gluten, Corn, and SOY are major causes of gas, bloating, belching, and stomach upset. Most often, it is the preservatives and chemicals used to preserve the items that cause the digestive distress. I tell most of my clients if it comes in a box, and has more than five ingredients listed (and you can’t understand or pronounce what is in it) then it will potentially cause you CHRONIC digestive issues. Also, the fact that MOST corn products in the world today are GMO modified is just one indicator that can make your tummy an unhappy one.
2. Think that most products don’t contain corn, soy, chemicals or preservatives? Think again. Many labels out there use terminology that sound familiar to our ears, but are hidden ingredients of gluten, corn, and soy.

If you want to understand about what you are eating and what food additives are being placed in your foods, please read: A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winters.

Here is her blog: http://ruthwinter.wordpress.com/

1. Ask your doctor or holistic health medical provider at home to test you for food allergies, food sensitivities, or parasites. Stool samples can be unreliable especially if the lab technician only samples from one area of the fecal matter (aka poo). It is important that your medical provider work with a company that uses a wide variety of testing to determine if you actually have parasites, food sensitivities, and or food allergies.
2. 4.      Examples of lab tests are:

Food allergy testing/sensitivity screening: wheat, oats, rye, barley, gluten, and gliadin; IgE and IgG antibody testing are all required. Gluten antibodies are positive in people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Anti-endomysial, anti-gliadin, and tissue transglutaminase antibodies testing: these tests screen for celiac disease associated with allergy to gluten.

Rule out lactose intolerance. There is a breath test that determines lactose intolerance. You can also do the 30 day absentee diet and re-introduce dairy into your diet to see if symptoms of fatigue, and or skin issues arise.

Iron status and or nutrient status: Celiac disease causes malabsorption of nutrients. Many people with celiac disease have iron deficiency anemia; low vitamin A, D, E and K; poor fat absorption, and other mineral deficiencies.

Comprehensive digestive stool analysis (CDSA). –check for parasites, dysbiosis, etc. This test can be used to decipher any underlying causes to fatigue, and or food sensitivities, etc.

Intestinal permeability screening

Heidelberg capsule test for adequacy of hydrochloric acid production (too much or too little can cause weight gain and or other symptoms due to improper breakdown of proteins, for example).

1. Elimination Diet of Gluten: Not want to go through all the testing but do an experiment at home? I suggest a 30 day gluten and wheat free diet. After 30 days, any allergy and or food sensitivity to gluten and or wheat will be eliminated from the body. Eat a whole plate of pasta. See if the bloating returns, gas, belching, etc. Wait a few hours to see if this happens as well as even a sensitivity can take hours to manifest.
2. If you have many food sensitivities you may have a condition known as “leaky gut syndrome,” that is causing gas, and prolonged bloating and or skin ailments. A possible cause of leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability or intestinal hyper permeability. This could happen when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don’t work properly. That could let substances leak into the bloodstream and which causes the immune system to attack the substances. This is when I hear many clients say to me “I used to be able to eat this and that, now I get bloating with everything I eat.” While the western world of science doesn’t know yet what to call this “syndrome,” TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at it from a holistic perspective. Building up the persons immune system, and by helping to heal the gut lining and digestive power will decrease the overall symptoms. The aim of treatment by many holistic medical providers is to treat the root cause—which is correcting digestive function.

Amino Acid used to help heal gut lining: Glutamine. The digestive tract uses glutamine as a source for “leaky gut syndrome” and or leaky permeability syndrome.

1. What you eat, when you eat it, and how you eat your food has EVERYTHING to do with a bloated belly causing digestive discomfort. Eating on the run, in your car, and or eating while on the phone can create digestive distress for many. Try shutting the phone off for 10 min. Eat with people you enjoy. Chew your food thoroughly. Unchewed food, or food eaten in a hurry, does not go properly digested and instead ferments in the intestines and creates gas.
2. Try eating starches and proteins separately from each other to see if the bloated belly diminishes over time. Eating rice with vegetables at one meal, and protein with vegetables at another. Record results. Do for one week. Eat fruits separately from all other foods as this can potentially cause gas and further fermentation with other food items in the intestines.