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.

Here's Why Soda Is Even More Unhealthy Than You Thought

This is amazing research!  Thank you Michael Goran, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at USC's Keck School of Medicine. -- Dr. Dale

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/there-may-be-more-sugar-i_n_5480398.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

The Huffington Post  | By Erin Schumaker

On nutrition labels, sugar is just sugar. But when it comes to how the body metabolizes that sugar, there are two very different molecules that make up what we think of as table sugar. There's glucose, the more easily metabolized of the two that provides most of the body’s energy, and fructose, which can only be processed in the liver and is associated with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. But that's not to say you should swear off sugar entirely. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is fine -- it's the large amount that's problematic. And according to a new study published in the journal Nutrition, we may be consuming more fructose than we bargained for when we drink sweetened beverages.

"The human body isn't designed to process this form of sugar at such high levels," the study's main researcher Michael Goran, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at USC's Keck School of Medicine, said in a statement. "Unlike glucose, which serves as fuel for the body, fructose is processed almost entirely in the liver where it is converted to fat, which increases risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver disease."

Take a look below for the not-so-sweet truth about your favorite soft drinks.

See full-size graphic here.

5 Health Mistakes You're Making Before 10 a.m.

LOVING THIS! -- Dr. Dale

-------------- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/health-mistakes-you-make-in-the-morning_n_5434091.html

By Corrie Pikul

• Mistake 1: You hit the ground running. You jump out of bed ready to face the day head-on. The problem is that you may be demanding too much from your back muscles, which are often stiff from a long night of resting in one place, says Robert Oexman, a sleep and chiropractic expert and director of the Sleep to Live Institute. Move too quickly and your muscles may spasm and put you at risk for lower back pain or even a slipped or ruptured disk. Another reason to get up slowly: When we stand after lying down for hours, the blood rushes to the legs, and this can cause a lightheaded feeling that puts us at risk for a stumble. This effect, called orthostatic hypotension, is especially common in women, says Alan Hilibrand, MD, a surgeon and spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

• Try this: Before jumping into the shower, Oexman recommends hugging the knees to the chest (one at a time, then together). This will not only help warm up the muscles, but it will also get your blood flowing throughout the body so you'll feel more stable when you rise and shine.

• Mistake 2: You keep the window shades down while you get ready for work. Blackout shades turn your room into a dark, cozy cave that can help you fall sleep. But their benefits last only until it's time to get up. To help you start your day with a positive mood and to set your internal clock (so that you can wind down later at night), you need sunlight. Letting in those a.m. rays may also help you regulate your weight, found researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

• Try this: The more light the better, so open the shades all the way as soon as you get out of bed (or, um, as soon as you put on a bathrobe).

• Mistake 3: You save your treat until the afternoon.
• Most of us work hard, then take a break for personal time at lunch—or more likely around 3 p.m., when we begin to fade. But in a recent study from the University of Minnesota, when employees started the workday in a positive frame of mind, their mood got a bigger boost by pleasant events than if they started out glum and grumpy. They were also less impacted by negative interactions with coworkers, found the researchers.

• Try this: Splurge on that latte on your way into the office, or take a few minutes to call your sister or maybe even do a few sun salutations, if you're into that kind of thing—anything to perk up before the day really gets going.

• Mistake 4: You set your alarm for 6:47 a.m.  You've figured out the snooze math: hitting that button equals 10 minutes of extra sleep plus three more minutes to untangle the sheets and get out of bed. But sleeping in and dozing intermittently throws your body off schedule and will make it harder to fall asleep at night. This is why sleep experts curse the invention of that particular bell-and-whistle on most alarm clocks and and beg you not to use it.

• Try this: Get up when your alarm goes off, not 10–20 minutes later.

• Mistake 5: The first thing you do after waking up is exercise. You know you're supposed to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up in order to jumpstart your metabolism, but that doesn't seem realistic when you're rushing to make an early-morning Spin class. Skipping the meal, though is a problem. You've been fasting all night and need some carbohydrates to top off your depleted energy stores—especially if you're about to deplete them further at the gym.

• Try this: We're not saying you need a bowl of oatmeal with all the fixings. A handful of dry cereal or half a banana on your way to out the door is just fine (and a glass of water, of course, since that last time you drank anything was probably seven hours ago).