Registered nutritional therapist, Katie from well You Nutrition, has kindly shared her 5 top tips to beat the bloat this summer with us at Pandora's Box. Katie specialises in Women's health. Many of our customers feel self conscious when buying lingerie and swimwear and we always try to help by advising them on the best fit and look for their body shape. We also have many customers who are 40 plus, and are struggling with weight gain and bloating, so when Katie approached us to talk about this very subject, we said a very excited YES!

This is what Katie has to say on the subject.

As we get older, managing weight can become more difficult. Weight gain during menopause is a common symptom that I regularly see in my nutritional therapy clinic and digestive bloating can make you feel even worse. If you’re in peri-menopause or menopause, unfortunately bloating is much more common amongst women in this age group. Fluctuating and imbalanced hormones will contribute to weight gain and bloating, however how you digest your food can reduce your bloating significantly.

Start implementing these 5 easy steps today!

1. Digestion starts with your senses – sight, smell and taste.

The enzymes in your saliva help you break down your food more easily. When you start to eat, your body should be ready to digest food before you have put it in your mouth due to the triggers from sight and smell.

2. Keep your food in your mouth for longer!

Chewing your food (which is the second phase of digestion) is key when it comes to good digestive health. When you chew properly, you are actively breaking down the food into smaller pieces and the digestive enzymes can get to work more easily.

3. Balance your stomach acid

As you get older, your stomach acid levels drop and you may not produce enough to digest food sufficiently. The stomach acid you produce not only kills any bacteria in the food you are eating, it also breaks down the proteins in your food.

4. Reduce or eliminate snacking

It’s important to space out your meals so the digestive system actually gets a chance to rest and do what it needs to do (ideally 4 hours). You have something called MMC (migrating motor complex) and its job is to sweep up after we’ve eaten. This might require some self-discipline, if you like your snacks.

5. Take a short walk after you’ve eaten

Walking and movement can also aid digestion because it helps with motility – moving the food through your digestive system in a more productive way.

For a more detailed explanation and guide to beating the bloat this summer, visit the Well You Nutrition page and download your FREE guide here.

You can also book your free 20 minute, no obligation mini-consultation with Katie over zoom or by phone here.