"These fit fine yesterday": get your jeans to fit every day. Curb the many causes of abdominal bloating with these deflating strategies

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, April-May, 2002 by Lisa Mulcahy

So here you are, feeling bigger than that girl who turned into a giant, swollen blueberry in the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Many women can relate to the discomfort that bloating can bring, whether caused by PMS, what we eat or drink or the effects of stress. The good news: You don't have to grin and bear it. You can beat the bloat through understanding how it occurs, then figuring out how to prevent or alleviate it through smart nutritional, physical and supplemental solutions.

What Causes Inflation?

Fluid retention in women is frequently due to the hormonal changes that happen right before your period arrives. Bethany Hays, MD, medical director for True North: A Center For Health and Healing in Falmouth, Maine, explains: "There are brain hormones and brain chemicals that affect the gut; estrogen and progesterone are actually brain chemicals. They affect the brain and nervous system, and have an effect on the motility, or movement, of the gut. So a lot of women will have bloating in the premenstrual phase of their cycle."

Abdominal fullness or distention is often accompanied by gas. "Bloating really just means that a person feels abdominal gas," notes Lin Chang, MD, of the UCLACURE Neurenteric Disease Program. "The feeling of being bloated can come from several possibilities. The first is that you just produce more gas; that's usually dietary. The second is that the transit time, or the time it takes for gas to go through the intestine, is slowed. Medical conditions that can cause this include chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and motility disorders, where the intestinal muscle doesn't work as well -- from nerve damage, nerve dysfunction or muscle dysfunction. The third is an enhanced sensitivity or perception to gas: You don't necessarily have more gas, but your perception of it is more bothersome and increased."

Sometimes bloating is simply due to dietary changes, a laxative or a lot of fiber says Chang. But it can also be associated with a more serious condition, so if it just won't go away, especially if you're older, see your doctor.

Digestion Dilemmas

"In a woman who gets bloated only on occasion, it maybe related, to the food she eats," Chang states. "If bloating is caused by food, it's usually due to something like fruits and vegetables. Those will get fermented and make a lot of gas." Such foods include apples, broccoli, foods and fatty foods (like bacon, sausage and oils). Diets that include protein powders and bars can also cause bloating. The artificial sweetener sorbitol, found in some sugarless gums and candies, can contribute to bloating, as can the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and even nicotine. "Also avoid dairy products that contain lactose -- milk sugar -- if they seem to worsen your bloating symptoms," recommends Donna Madonia, a nutritional chef, certified personal trainer/aerobic instructor and the owner of Dynamic Training at Old Iron Gym in Wareham, Massachusetts.

Sodium can be another major bugaboo when it comes to bloat. Althea Zanecosky, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, explains that sodium consumption contributes to the amount of water your body stores, and that in turn can make you experience bloat. "What you want to do is reduce the sodium-to-water ratio, but this can be hard if you have cravings premenstrually,". she warns.

Deflating Strategy: "Drink more water!" Zanecosky advises. "If you're retaining water, it may seem contrary to drink even more. But you want to crank up your kidney action" to reduce the salt that's making you hold fluid. Excessive diet-soda drinking isn't the ticket either This no-cal fluid usually contains caffeine that may exacerbate your bloating. She also suggests easing up on carbs. "Up your protein the week before, your period. When you eat high carbs, it does store water. If you have sweet cravings, suck on a Tootsie pop, which takes a long time to eat."

When Your Intestines Have Issues

Sometimes, intestinal difficulties and disorders cause bloating. Common constipation, for instance, caused by changes in your diet or physical activity, not drinking enough fluids, chronic use of laxatives or even psychological depression, can give you a bloated feeling.

Irritable bowel syndrome occurs when the speed at which your intestinal muscles contract becomes either too slow or too fast. Bloating and a gassy sensation are among its symptoms. Delayed stomach emptying, or gastroparesis, is another ailment caused by poor muscle functioning (because of which your stomach can't empty itself properly); again, bloating is a symptom.

Deflating Strategy: Madonia says of the clients she trains: "I find when women are bloated they feel sluggish and uncomfortable, and don't feel like exercising. But the best thing to do can be to exercise! Go for a brisk walk or take an aerobics class. This will help move gas through your body. The exercise will also release endorphins and relieve feelings of tension.

Don't overdo if you're feeling really gross, but don't completely lie around like a slug. Do something, even if it's a bit lighter than your normal workout. "Bottom line is, getting any kind of exercise will help keep your body processing foods and will make you feel much better," notes Madonia.