Bloating

Bloating may also be associated with menopause symptoms. As the estrogen production drops, the progesterone relative concentration becomes higher and can have some effect in the gut. The bloating experience often comes with flatulence that makes women less comfortable and feels embarrassed when socially mixing with others.

To relieve bloating, you can try to split your meals into smaller portions. Instead of traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner; make room for morning break (around 10 am), evening tea and supper. As a whole, you should be taking the same amount of calories but at more frequent times.

Include high fiber food to avoid bloating, gas and constipation. Fruits in the morning, vegetables at lunch and whole grains in the evening are examples but you may choose your own varieties.

After eating, do not lie down immediately. Take between 5-10 minutes in a sitting position or better walk around. It will help the food pass easily in the intestines and avoid gas being trapped that can cause bloating.

Another factor that can cause bloating is poorly absorbed carbohydrates. In this case, the colon bacteria produce excess hydrogen and carbon dioxides. These gases fill up the stomach and most probably find its exit as flatulence. Examples of food that you may be sensitive too are beans, wheat products and milk. Try to avoid them or take in small amounts.

Remember that your stomach is in acidic condition that is ideal for digestion. Carbon dioxide is slightly alkaline and when present in the stomach can neutralize the acid gas. Avoid eating too much of high-fat meals (especially saturated and hydrogenated fats) that can generate carbon dioxide in large quantity. You should also avoid carbonated drinks until your bloating subsides for the same reason.

Not only what you eat can have affect your stomach, but how you eat is also important. It is best practice to chew your food thoroughly. Chewing helps in physically slicing food into small pieces. Allowing enough time for food in your mouth also gives the enzyme in your saliva to get to work by breaking down carbohydrates. It relieves the burden of your intestine to do all the carbohydrates breaking work on its own.

If you cannot control your flatulence, at least you can try to make it odorless. The strong odor of your flatulence is actually hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. Knowing this, you can minimize this smelly gas from forming by avoiding sulfur containing food. Eggs in particular will result in strong flatulence odor so eat them when you are not expecting a crowd afterwards.

Exercise is very effective to maintain your overall health. Not only it helps in reducing the other menopause symptoms, you may find that it also promotes good digestive health that can reduce the occurrence of bloating.

It is important to note that although most bloating problems are harmless, it can also be associated with medical diseases. Colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and ovarian cancer can cause bloating so it is advisable that you consult with your doctor for a thorough check.