If you've ever experienced indigestion or bloating, you know how uncomfortable and painful it can be. It's especially difficult if you experience these symptoms earlier in the day, right after breakfast. You have a full day of work or activities ahead of you, but you feel uncomfortable, your clothes feel too tight, or worse, you feel pain.
What Causes Indigestion and Bloating?
Indigestion is a group of symptoms that leaves you feeling full at the beginning of a meal, uncomfortable feeling of fullness after a meal, mild to severe pain in the upper stomach, burning in the lower stomach, and sickness.
Bloating is also a symptom of indigestion. If you have indigestion, you may:
- You eat too much or too fast.
- You ate spicy or fatty foods.
- You had too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, or carbonated drinks.
These are common causes of indigestion along with smoking, anxiety, and taking certain medications or supplements.
Bloating , on the other hand, can be caused by a number of problems such as constipation, intestinal sensitivity or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eating foods high in fiber and / or FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) .
Breakfast foods that cause bloating or indigestion
You've heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One of the reasons this is so true is because it sets you up for the day and you break your fast. But, if it causes bloating or indigestion, you'll want to take a look at what you're eating to try to identify the root cause.
High fiber foods
You've read about how healthy and filling fiber can be, so try starting your morning with a fiber-filled bar or shake. This may seem like a good decision, but watch out for swelling.
Taking in much more fiber when your body is not used to it can make your gut unhappy. Add fiber slowly to your diet to get your gut used to it, and be sure to drink more water each time you add more fiber.
Many of these products marketed as "high fiber" can contain more than 15 grams of fiber per serving. This may be too much for some, while it may be easier for others to tolerate.
Artificially sweetened foods
Your gut doesn't always like artificial sweeteners, and there is research linking artificial sweeteners to damaging effects on your gut microbiome.
There's a good chance that "light" yogurt, low-sugar protein powder, bars, or even sugar-free gelatin that you spread on toast is sweetened with artificial sweeteners or polyalcohols.
Consuming high amounts of sugar alcohols (note that this amount varies for everyone) can make you feel bloated and can cause diarrhea. Skip artificially sweetened breakfast foods and choose options that are naturally free from added sugar and sweeteners.
Juices or juices
Do you think a juice-only breakfast is a good choice? You may want to reconsider.
Juices – yes, even celery juice – doesn't always feel good on the gut and can cause bloating or indigestion. When you take one, the fiber is removed and you are left with simple sugars that could make your stomach unhappy.
Instead of relying solely on juices for breakfast, try a smoothie or smoothies. This way, you can conserve fiber, which can help your gut feel more stable.
High FODMAP Foods
Foods high in FODMAP can be a common trigger for bloating or indigestion. That is why a diet low in these foods is sometimes recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome.
We know that FODMAPs stand for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, but what are they in relation to food? They can be difficult to pin down because they are not only found in one or two specific food groups, but they are specific foods spread across all the different food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, dairy, legumes, meats, etc.
For example, apples are high in FODMAP, but oranges are not. Yogurt is typically a rich food too, while hard cheese is not.
Breakfast without breakfast
Although this is not a specific food for breakfast, skipping breakfast can do more harm than good when it comes to your gut. Skipping it can also cause bloating and indigestion. If you have a chronic breakfast pattern and find yours with some bloating in the middle of the morning, you may want to try a small breakfast.
The good news is that you may not have to give up your favorite breakfasts. Is your favorite Greek yogurt the source of your stomach problems? Don't lose all hope. You don't always have to give up your favorite breakfast food if you find it causing bloating or indigestion. If you find that your favorite food is causing you problems, then you should do two things:
- Control how often you eat that food.
- Watch your portion size .
In general, it can be helpful to adjust the portion size and the number of times you eat food. Ideally, start by reducing the portion and try not to eat it every day. Aim for maybe alternate days or no more than three days in a row.
How to prevent bloating and indigestion?
If you can't identify the food source, what other things can you do to avoid feeling bloated or experiencing early indigestion?
- Try to relax . If you're stressed about getting to work on time, the number of emails you need to answer, or just working in general, try to reduce your stress. Feeling anxious and stressed can lead to indigestion due to the connection between the mind and the gut.
- Go slower . Don't rush your breakfast – eating slowly can help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms.
- Don't use the straw . If you like smoothies, iced coffees, and other beverages in the morning, try drinking from the cup instead of using a straw. Drinking from a straw can draw air into the abdomen and cause bloating.
- Chew your food . We tend to gobble up our food when we are in a hurry. Chewing is the first step to good digestion.
