WORDS by Rebecca McKenna

Do you experience bloating and for the life of you cannot figure out what food is causing it? You thought it was gluten. You cut gluten out…yet the bloating continued…you thought it was lactose so you cut this out too, it seemed to help a little, but a few days later the bloat was back! You are probably starting to wonder if you will ever be able to eat a meal again without feeling like you need to lay down for a couple of hours.

Those who come to see me about food and bloating all go through the same type of process. In the world of food, it is often hard to pinpoint exactly what it causing the issue. Let’s go back to the basics of it. Is it just bloating? Do you also experience any constipation, stomach pain, loose bowel movements or reflux? If you answered, yes, to any of these you may be dealing with what is called a FODMAP issue (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols), basically fermentable sugars. Your body is unable to breakdown the complex sugars in the body and therefore they ferment…and when things ferment they produce gas, which means….bloating!

The world of FODMAPs is a difficult maze of what you should include and what you should avoid. It is also a step by step process to determine what your trigger foods are and what foods do not cause you any problems. Dietitians are trained to work in this area and will look at your history and help you to determine whether it is the FODMAP foods causing you to feel all “Bloaty McBloatface”!

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To talk to a dietitian about bloating and other food related symptoms visit www.rebeccamckennanutrition.com.au to book a consult. Rebbeca is now offering Newsport readers an exclusive $99 first consultation (usually $145) 

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