Remedies for an SOS-I’m-Bloated-AF Situation

Sep 2

Sep 2 Remedies for an SOS-I’m-Bloated-AF Situation

There are many suggestions out there on how to best relieve bloating in a timely manner—sometimes you've got places to be! I’ve tried a bunch, and I now gravitate towards some suggestions over others. I’ll share them with you! That said, please manage your expectations. First of all, it's totally up to your individual body. Also, it could be a matter of circumstance. Double also, you need to take the bloating for what it is: your body is producing a response to something it’s just not agreeing with, be it stress, food, or beyond. The reality is sometimes you have to ride it out. I know, I know. EYE-TRUCKING-ROLL. But, it's always worth a shot to give it some extra support to alleviate the discomfort. Sometimes it is really helpful!

*While these things could certainly be added into the mix of a daily bloat-control routine, too, this list is focused on managing crisis moments. More to come on how to manage bloat overall in your day-to-day in a later post. I like it here when it's up!

So. That SOS moment strikes, and you're wishing it could have been any other time besides this time because you're about to go jump in that jacuzzi with your friends. You planned some sexy time with that hotty-totty man of yours. You were about to go crush it at the gym. It's summer, you're going out, and everyone dresses practically naked nowadays aka you were going to dress practically naked. Why now, right? Here are the things I actually do:

I take a second to see how my breathing is. More often than not, the times I feel most bloated, I’m also holding my breath very intensely. Let it go, and spend quality time getting your breathing to a consistent in-and-out spot. You need to get your body to relaxed state, because that fight-or-flight state aint helpin noone! I usually lie down and put my hand on my belly for this—something about connecting with the movement of my breath going in and out really helps me. Sitting works too if you’re at work! Just put your hand on your belly in the same way! If you can lie down, curl your legs into your chest and alternate bringing them from the left to right side as your breathe in and out with the motion. I think stress (even the stress of feeling bloating) flares up my bloating to a new degree. Trick your mind into a stress-free state by coming back to your breath.
I turn to turmeric and ginger. This blend of turmeric actually has many additional anti-inflammatory components like cloves and ginger (you can take 10% your first purchase with LIVEHOLIZTIC10… this isn’t an ad/ I don’t get paid in any way if you buy.). It also really seems to help things get moving for me. I'll add warm water or warm rice milk, and sometimes include a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. I also chew on slices of fresh ginger, juice ginger, or make fresh ginger tea. Ginger tea bags work, too. If I'm really in a pinch, I'll get candied ginger from the grocery store, and it probably more mentally helps me than anything, since it has tons of sugar on it, but the taste of ginger makes me happy when my stomach is upset.
I do an enema. Coffee enemas are great for you, however sometimes I feel like they make me more bloated the following days. I’m not sure. They’re great for mood-boosting, but being sensitive to caffeine, I’ve also found it difficult to sleep that day. I do recommend them, but since they take about an hour between prepping and doing it, there's a much simpler alternative aka something I think is much more suitable for an "SOS" crisis. This is a lemon juice enema. I really like doing them and find them to be extremely helpful. Use 1 organic lemon per 1 qt of distilled water, and hold as long as you can—between 5-15 minutes. In addition to cleaning out your colon, parasites HATE lemons, so... win for mankind there if you have a parasite.
I simplify my meals for the rest of the day. When I’m feeling bloated and shitty, I start craving like...everything but the kitchen sink. This happens because I start dwelling on how bad I feel, make myself sad and stressed, and want more food. You know, the pity party shindig. More food is not the answer, and unhealthy binges are definitely not the answer. Avoid extravagant combinations when the distension is way too real. Mixing a bunch of different veggies/ foods/ proteins increases the chances of improper food combining which will lead to high amounts of fermentation in the gut aka more bloating. Learn about food combining here.
I take activated charcoal. This really helps me make sure I’m getting things my body is not agreeing with moving out of me quicker, and it also helps pull out the toxins built up in my gut!
I sleep. Rest and relaxation are so important for the body, and the more I sleep the better I feel the next day. So, in your SOS moment, try to take a nap (I'm a bad napper, so more easily said than done for me, but it does help). My stomach always feels off if I get a poor night of sleep— make sure you’re taking the proper steps to ensure your sleep is on point! Mine isn’t 100% there yet, I’ll admit that, but I’m really working towards it because of how important it is. Read Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson!
I Google a bloat-relieving yoga routine, follow along with it, and then do an Ayurvedic stomach massage to get the digestion flowing. You'd be surprised how effective this. Don't knock it until you try it. And before you decide to skip this step because it sounds like it isn't fast enough relief, please know there are really quick routines out there! Like... 10 mins of your time!
I avoid salads/ raw veggies. They’ll only produce more discomfort because they are really difficult to digest. I feel like we have a tendency to think, oh man I feel huge I'll just eat a salad because it sounds healthy. NAH, MAN. I switch over to warm rices and veggies/ soups.
I take advantage of spice-y spices. Definitely cook with them, or add cayenne pepper to your smoothie, water, etc. Spices help with SO many things, and that doesn't disclude inflammation relief and digestive health!
I sweat to get things moving. A light run or HIIT circuit works! If you feel really terrible, avoid doing a weight-training circuit, because lifting may cause more inflammation in the body. Do a burst of cardio (and make sure to focus on your breathwork during it!). It should really help.