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Michelle Middleton is a bodybuilder from Portland, Oregon. And, occasionally, she posts “bloated” photos to her Instagram to prove just how big her belly gets.
She writes: “Yes I get bloated and it happens when I eat certain foods. I pretty much know which foods are going to do it (high FODMAP) but sometimes I will eat it anyways. Like earlier I had Greek yogurt and I got bloated within a few minutes but the bloat only lasted for a few hours and now I’m back to normal.”
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. And, they’re basically short-chain carbohydrates that your small intestine has a hard time breaking down, causing intestinal gas, and you’d be shocked how many foods are on this list.
It’s more than the stuff you’d expect — cheese, milk, beans, apples, cashews, mango, tomato sauce, etc. Even sugar-free gum is on the list!
Michelle says: “The foods that make me the most bloated are yogurts, protein powders, apples, pears, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.”
Okay, but what if you want to eat all those foods anyway? Well, there may be certain remedies. Lori Shemek, PhD says: “Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial that works wonders on bloating – in fact, it’s one of the best natural remedies for all kinds of stomach issues, including nausea.”
Several doctors also recommend mint for bloating. So after a heavy meal, try chewing on a mint leaf, or brewing some peppermint tea.
Typically, instead of a bloated tummy, Michelle’s Instagram shows her killing it at the gym, or inspiring others on their wellness journey by sharing her own muscle training journey.
Do you have chronic bloating issues? Are you comfortable talking about it? If so, why not leave us a comment and we’ll read them all if we can get through the discomfort!
