#and this time i'm not going for the horrible mocha + somehow hot chocolate now

[silvermeww]

i am finally free of the worst two weeks of my semester (i think) (so far) YIPPEEE!!!! the downside is that i ghosted one group on a not-mandatory group presentation so come tmrw morning i have to find a place to hide at 8am on campus ;w;

[meditating-dog-lover]

Bloating personal causes

I know I talk so much about bloating recently, but it is an issue I want to manage. I am getting the hang of it and am feeling much better with time, but I like to write my thoughts out on here. Keep in mind that I hate restrictive diets and they have ruined my relationship with food. So this helped me identify the best foods and eating patterns for me where I can eat in a healthy way without depriving myself or adopting an orthorexic mindset.

Here's a super long list that includes the things that make me feel bloated (after weeks/months of trial and error, following that a list of things that helped me curb bloating):

Too much salt. Consuming really salty foods like chips, crackers, chicken tenders, burgers, pizza, etc... does cause me to bloat. It's not that bad if I don't consume too much and let my stomach rest + drink water afterward. But overall, it is a definite cause of bloating for me.

Dairy. Personally, I can consume cheese and yogurt without any serious bloating effects (I can't give cheese up), but milk bloats me a lot. Ice cream, store-bought lattes, mochas, etc... bloat me a lot (especially if they are cold and not warm/hot).

Sugary and carb-rich foods are devoid of any nutrients (such as protein and fiber). These are the foods I eat and then half an hour later I am still hungry. These include milk chocolate, chips, white bread, croissants, donuts, cookies, donuts, and other baked goods and sugary candies. When I eat these, I am eating something that is high in calories but completely devoid of macro and micro-nutrients. As a result, my stomach starts growling half an hour to an hour later because I am not satiated. They say sugar can cause bloating because it disrupts your gut bacteria when they try to digest it. I don't think that's my issue - my issue is that they absolutely do not fill me up and cause my stomach to growl not that long later. A low protein dinner does this to me (like the pizza dinner I had last night).

Artificial sweeteners. Unlike sugar, artificial sweeteners cause me to bloat. These include stevia, erythritol, Truvia, Splenda, aspartame, and xylitol. And I'm going to be honest, they all taste horrible (this is my personal opinion). I don't consume them anymore, but I used to add them to my coffee and wondered why my stomach looked 3 times bigger.

Soft drinks and other bubbly beverages. The gas content of these drinks causes a lot of bloating. I'm not a soft drink fanatic, but I do enjoy Diet Coke every now and then (I always liked the taste). Also, they have the same effect as (3) because they are absolutely not filling and make you hungry afterward for real food.

Snacking. Whenever you eat, your stomach does stretch out. However, my issue with snacking is if I eat something that is not filling, I will not feel full and satisfied (especially if it doesn't contain protein). As a result, I'm going to get a growling stomach. Even if I eat something like fruit on its own, this will definitely happy. I usually eat my snacks with my main meals unless it's a late-night snack I can eat before sleeping.

Monthly cycle. I cannot do anything to prevent this as it is completely normal and should never be treated as not normal.

Drinking water immediately after or with meals. I feel like it somehow dilutes my stomach acids and I cannot digest food as well as I want to. I still do consume at least 2 L of water, but I try to do it not during meals

Chewing gum. I don't chew gum anymore since I don't like artificial sweeteners, but I've noticed from past experience that it does cause bloating.

What helped me curb bloating:

Drinking enough water (2 L min per day). 1 L first thing when I wake up and 1 L before I sleep in the evening/night.

Eating foods rich in fiber such as fruit, veggies, chia seeds, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, and whole grains (no, grains and gluten do not personally bloat me). I'm considering getting some psyllium husk for days where I am low on fiber as a supplement (as opposed to those artificial sugary gummies).

Eating every 5 or so hours. Contrarily, eating too little or too far apart does lead to bloating since your stomach starts to growl when you are hungry. For me, eating every 5 hours works best (not including sleep). If I need a late-night snack, then I will go for it (a spoon of peanut butter helps). But having an empty stomach at any time of the day and having it growl and gurgle is absolute hell and can lead to potential binge eating since you're practically starving and in desperate need of food.

Drinking some matcha tea after each meal. It helps more with digesting than water does since it is a metabolism booster. I guess this is comparable to the lemon water + ACV shot trend but less acidic and therefore less harmful for your teeth.

Consuming enough protein in each meal. I'd argue that this is just as important as consuming enough fiber. Protein fills me up more than anything, which is why I failed as a vegetarian. I do not feel full unless I eat protein with each meal. I can't even snack on fruit alone or anything else that is low on protein because half an hour later, I will be hungry again (and my stomach growls all over). Protein is so filling and is necessary to have with each meal along with fiber if I want to avoid bloating. This explains why my stomach felt bloated and growly the morning after our Friday pizza night despite having a large window between the pizza dinner and the next morning when I woke up. Because I did not have a protein-dense dinner. Pizza is great here and there, but protein is essential if I want to feel the best digestion and bloating-wise.

Consuming non-dairy milk such as almond and coconut milk as an alternative to dairy milk.

If I crave a salty snack or dish, eating it but in small quantities to avoid consuming way too much salt and therefore feeling uncomfortable. Getting a smaller bag of chips and eating it with a filling meal as a "side" is a lot better than eating a large bag of chips and considering it to be a meal replacement.

If I crave a sweet snack, I'm not entirely sure what I can do just yet. But I don't believe in replacing my healthy fiber and protein-rich snacks and meals with something high in calories and devoid of any nutrients and does not fill me up. I'll have to figure something out.