7 Sneaky Reasons You're Bloated

As a stomach doctor, these are all true!  Also, I'd add "gluten" sensitivity as another major cause for bloating. -- Dr. Dale

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/bloating_n_5439816.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

The Huffington Post  | By Abigail Wise

It’s uncomfortable, gross and occasionally embarrassing, but bloating is something we all deal with at one point or another. Gassiness isn't just from gorging yourself at the last family meal. Bloating happens because your body can't break down gas, like it does the food you swallow. Sometimes even the digestive process itself creates gas right in your abdomen. If it's not released, air begins to build up in the stomach and intestines, which can make your belly feel like a balloon.

This type of abdominal discomfort can pop up at any time, last for hours and sometimes antacids and burping just don't quite do the trick. Can't seem to beat the bloat? Here are seven reasons that gas is gurgling in your gut.

You're stressed out.

When stress hits us hard, some of our bodies react by driving blood away from the usual digestive process, Dr. Anne Nedrow, M.D., told Health.com. As a result, you could end up with bloating, constipation, diarrhea or a plain old stomachache.

While stress itself could be to blame for bloating, the nervous habits that many of us pick up when we're anxious could also be the culprits, according to the Mayo Clinic. We chew gum, down carbonated drinks or even gulp air when we're nervous or feeling anxious. All of these habits push extra air into the stomach, which the body can't digest. This abdominal side effect is yet another reason to practice yoga, go for a run or do whatever it takes to de-stress.

Your medication is bringing on the bloat. Medications can come with a long, and sometimes nasty, list of possible side effects, including bloating. Meds that contain lactulose or sorbitol, or the diabetes medicine acarbose, are especially common culprits.

You ate too much.

Is that lump more than a food baby from your last big meal? An uncomfortable bubble in your belly could be gas trapped from eating too much in one sitting. Overeating is one of the most common causes of bloating. Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that if you're binge eating, you're even more likely to encounter gassiness.

You chow down at superspeed. Stop gulping down your grub. Eating too quickly or drinking through a straw can result in swallowing bubbles of air along with your meal.

Plus, insufficient chewing can reduce your body's ability to digest carbs, nutritionist Monica Reinagel, M.S., LDN, CNS, tells The Huffington Post. This can create gas in the intestines, which makes you feel uncomfortable. Even if you're starved after a long day at the office, force yourself to chew thoroughly and take small sips before you swallow. This will help eliminate the air pockets that bloat your belly.

You're dehydrated. Just like crash diets cause the body go into starvation mode and cling to fat, your body begins to retain fluid when it's dehydrated, Marilyn Glenville, nutritional therapist, told Good Housekeeping. If you feel like you're retaining fluid, that probably means it's time to drink some more. Avoid carbonated drinks, which will likely exacerbate your problem. Instead, reach for herbal tea or a good old glass of water.

You're eating gassy foods.

Some foods are notorious for causing gas, Reinagel tells HuffPost. Cabbage, broccoli, kale, apples and avocados have all been known to cause bloating. Eating too much salt can also cause water retention, which can leave you feeling puffy. Plus, downing lots of fiber -- especially from supplements -- without drinking enough water is a fast track to a gassy gut. If you know the foods you're intolerant of -- dairy if you're lactose intolerant, for instance -- those might also be good to steer clear of if you're trying to break the bloat.

You have a chronic medical condition.Many disorders cause bloating, including celiac disease, dumping syndrome and even ovarian cancer. Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common. IBS affects the large intestine and causes food to be forced through the intestines faster than it should be, often resulting in gas and diarrhea. If you just can't seem to reduce your bloating, visit your doctor. Symptoms of many disorders can improve dramatically as people learn to control their condition.

Stressed? Think again.

This is a really great article about stress management.  Something we all should read. -- Dr. Dale

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Stress-Free Is As Near to You As Your Own Thoughts

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-joseph-goewey-/stressfree-is-as-near-to-you-as-your-own-thoughts_b_5767360.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

If you take a close look at stress over the course of a busy week, you're likely to discover that stress is happening in you far more than to you. It has more to do with the anxious way you relate to people and events than with the events themselves.

"We humans generate all sorts of stressful events purely in our heads ... linked to mere thoughts," states Robert Sapolsky, one of the world's leading stress researchers.

It's the way worried, pessimistic, stress-provoking thoughts ignite upsetting emotions that generate a sense of threat, when a real threat isn't verifiably present.

It's called psychological stress and it can flood your system with adrenaline and cortisol, sending your mind and body into an uproar. If these kinds of stress reactions become chronic, it will gradually wear out your body, depress your mood and could contribute to killing you. And it all begins with the stress provoking thoughts we think.

Recall the last time an email caused your mind to race with anxious thoughts, painting you mentally into a tight corner. This tight corner makes the world appear threatening, and we believe the threat our mind imagines is real. But it isn't real; it's the mind making up emergencies that the primitive brain assumes must be happening simply because you imagined it. The primitive brain possesses the intelligence of a two-year old, and when it senses any kind of danger, real or imagined, it sets off a fight, flight, or freeze reaction.

For the last 500 years, we've been quoting the great French statesman Michel de Montaigne, who said, "My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened." There's now a study to back up Montaigne. This study found that 85 percent of what we worry about never happens, and that the 15 percent that does happen turns out better than we expect. We laugh at Montaigne's comment because we see ourselves in it, but we often miss the message.

So here's the message: most of our stress is a form of mental suffering we inflict on ourselves by believing thoughts that aren't even true.

I knew a lawyer who was in litigation over a dispute between two large corporations. There was a lot at stake and this lawyer, who I'll call William, thought he was losing the case. He blamed it on the opposing litigator, who he described as unscrupulous and crooked. William was stressed about the case and he was becoming increasingly difficult for his legal team to work with. He was taking the case home at night. He thought about it incessantly, lost sleep over it, and as his stress level increased, he began to lose his edge and make bad decisions. By the time I ran into him he was exhausted.

Biologically, where there's stress, there's fear, so I asked William, "What are you afraid of?"

"Losing the case, of course," he said glaring at me as if I'd asked a stupid question.

"And if you lose the case, what are you afraid of?" I asked.

"Looking like a fool," he said nervously.

"And what's the fear of looking like a fool?" I asked.

"I'll lose my reputation," he said, and I could see terror flash in his eyes.

"So what's the fear of losing your reputation?"

"Well ... I'll lose my clients ... and my job ... and my livelihood." All at once, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. When I asked him what he was feeling, he said, "I see myself pushing a shopping cart down Main Street."

You can see in his last statement how far the mind can travel when we are afraid and really stressed. This was the story running in the back of William's mind, and the more stressed he became the more he believed the story.

So, I asked William, "Have you lost the case yet?"

"No," he said, "it's still on-going."

"Any chance you might turn things around and win?" I asked.

"Well, yes," he said. "I suppose there's an outside chance. You never know what a jury might do."

Next I asked, "Do you really think people see you as a fool?"

"No," he said somewhat self-consciously. "People respect me."

"If you lose this case will you really be in jeopardy of losing your clients?"

"No, it's not very likely," he said. "Everyone knows you win some, you lose some." He began to breathe easier and the lines on his forehead began to relax.

"Will you really be asked to leave the firm if you lose the case?"

"No," he laughed. "They're making me a partner." It was the first he'd smiled in some time.

"So," I said, "It's safe to say that you won't be pushing a shopping cart down Main Street any time soon, right?"

"Right," he laughed.

So I asked William: "Who would you be without these fearful thoughts?"

"I'd be calm," he said. "My mind would be clear. I'd sleep better. My decision-making would be a lot smarter. And I'd be nicer to my team."

This had a happy ending: When William went back to work on the case, he was at the top of his game. He wasn't undermining himself with stress-provoking thoughts.

A better life is as near to us as our own thoughts. In the last twenty years, biology has established that the vast biochemical environment that constitutes our brain and body is shaped by our mental state. So, become keenly aware of stress-provoking thoughts and tell yourself, these thoughts are in me, not in reality. Then choose not to believe them. If you don't believe a stressful thought, it doesn't turn into stress and anxiety. The ticket to the health, wealth, and love we seek is cultivating a mental state that every day brings a little more peace into our experience, a little more empathy into our heart, and a little more gratitude into our attitude. This is how the door swings open to a better life.

9 Expert Tips For More Mindful Eating

As a doctor of the stomach this is such a great article about the healthy way to eat.   It's so simple, yet SO important. Dr. Dale

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/slow-eating_n_5419625.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

The Huffington Post  | By Abigail Wise

Unless you're a competitive eater, there's really no reason to scarf down your meals. After all, doing the opposite -- that is, slowing down -- is likely better for your waistline, according to a new review of studies.

The review, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 22 different studies that examined food consumption through computerized feedback, human instructions, food texture and utensils used in eating. The results showed that eating slower is linked with statistically significant weight loss.

But how do we slow down when we chow down? Nutrition experts shared their best tips.

1. Take A Seat Many people eat on the go, meaning they stand while they grab a meal. Whether it's at your desk, walking down the street or standing around your kitchen counter, "The Biggest Loser" nutritionist and HuffPost blogger Cheryl Forberg, R.D., says this is a clear sign that they’re rushing through a meal to get to something or somewhere else. To stop speed-eating, sit down at a table.

2. Unitask Many of us veg out in front of the TV, mindlessly shoveling food into our mouths. But as we already know, we're no good at multitasking, so stop reading the paper or watching reruns while you eat. Focusing on what you're putting into your mouth can help you slow down and really pay attention to the task at hand. “Enjoy it, savor it and your mindfulness will replace inhaling your meal with a relaxed pace, more enjoyment and better digestion,” Forberg tells HuffPost.

3. Switch Things Up Having trouble channeling mindful eating? Maybe it's time to get a little weird. Nutritionist Rochelle Sirota, R.D., C.D.N., recommends adopting some different techniques to help distracted diners slow down and focus. She suggests eating with the nondominant hand, using chopsticks or even setting down the utensil between bites. Eating in an unusual way can help bring back the focus and break quick-eating habits.

4. SocializeIf you're looking for an excuse to host dinner parties on the regular, here's your chance. According to Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., nutritionist and founder ofNourish Snacks, eating with others can help fast eaters slow their pace by engaging in conversation. “The more you chat, the slower you eat,” she tells HuffPost.

5. Chew More Chewing more can both bring the focus back to speed and help taper eating pace, simply because it takes longer to swallow each bite. That’s why nutritionist Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., CSSD and blogger for The Huffington Post, recommends trying to chew for 15 to 20 seconds before swallowing. Leaning toward foods that actually require more chewing -- like veggies, fresh fruits and lean proteins, rather than softer casseroles, mashed potatoes, applesauce or ice cream -- can also help speed eaters slow down.

6. Avoid Extreme Hunger Any time we get too hungry, we tend to scarf down our meals without a second thought. But how can we tell the difference between hungry and too hungry? Upton advises paying attention to your body. If you feel hungry, start planning what to eat, but if your stomach is growling and you have hunger pains, you've let your hunger go too far. Train yourself to start keeping track and listening to what your body's saying.

7. Eat Shelled SnacksShelled snacks -- like peanuts, pistachios and soybeans -- slow down eating because it takes time to remove the actual nut or bean from its encasing. They also may provide visual cues that let munchers know when to stop snacking. One study conducted by researchers at Eastern Illinois University found that participants consumed fewer calories from pistachios when they ate shelled ones versus unshelled. That means that shelled snacks kill two birds with one stone, helping eaters consume less and know when to stop.

8. Water Is Your BFF Water can help you slow your munching in more than one way. Bauer suggests setting down your fork and taking small sips between each bite to stayed focused and regulate speed. Forberg recommends gulping down a glass before you even begin. “This really does help you fill up a bit,” she says. “When we don't feel as starved at mealtime, we eat more slowly.”

9. Time Yourself Since time is the problem, why not tackle it directly? Bauer recommends setting a timer to help slow down your eating speed. Ideally, it should take at least 20 minutes to finish a meal, and using a kitchen timer can help retrain rushers until they've slowed down.