Big Belly/ Bloating... What causes them?

The middle section tends to increase in size with the increase of our age. Then there are many other occasions people have no idea why their mid section just feels bloated and increasing in size.  Here, we will discuss some of the causes for a big bloated gut.

1.Gut Bacterial Balance - 
One of the key difference between people who are obese and people who are lean is the type of bacteria in their stomach and intestines. Obese people have more bad bacteria in their gut.  And lean people have more good bacteria in their gut.  Bad bacterias tend to cause more bloat or even increase in size.  
Note: Antibiotics kill good bacteria and probiotics found in yogurt and sauerkraut restores the good bacteria.

2.Parasites - 
Parasites in the intestines will produce bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.  Generally, they are entered through drinking impure water and eating poorly washed produce (like sushi/ leftovers).  The way to see if that is the case is through stool test.  There are a few options to kill the parasites, one of them includes consuming ginger and trying to herbal detox colon cleanses. 

3.Low Carbohydrate Diet - 
Cortisol is a stress hormone and it increases with a low-carbohydrate diet; usually causing a belly bulge.  Additionally, low carbohydrate diet can cause constipation. Fiber rich foods are absent in low-carbohydrate diets and necessary for regularity and elimination of belly fat. One of the remedies for constipation is through consuming fiber and water, both help the body to adapt and eliminate abdominal discomfort. 

4.Alcohol - 
Alcohol contains yeast.  The function of yeast is to make dough rise by feeding off its refined sugars and releasing carbon dioxide gas.  Therefore, the yeast in alcoholic beverages feeds off sugar then releases gas, multiplies and expands the belly. 

5.Air Bubbles/ Trapped Wind - 
There are habits that lead us to having gas in our systems, such as: eating quickly, drinking through a straw / carbonated drinks, and chewing gum.  All of these habits bring us to ingest air bubbles into our body.  Without releasing the air bubbles through belching, hiccups, or passing gas they become trapped thus leading to bloat.  Studies show, in order to prevent air bubbles, best to eat for 20 minutes.

6.Inactivity - 
The normal healthy human needs to have bowel movements and very necessary to excrete waste from our body.  One of the ways to maintain healthy bowel movements we need to be active in order to stimulate the bowel contents and build plus maintain muscle that burns fat.  Low-intensity exercise lowers cortisol levels resulting in a flatter tummy - such as walking or stretching/ yoga.  

7.Stress - 
The stress hormone, Cortisol, is produced by the adrenal glands in response to emotional, mental, and physical stress.  During stressful times, this hormone is deposited in the fat cells of the stomach.  Meditation, journaling, crafts and other therapeutic activities help to relieve stress. 

8.Post-Pregnancy - 
When mothers deliver a baby they are prone to belly bulge due to decrease in the elasticity of abdominal skin post-pregnancy.  The over production of estrogen hormone during pregnancy increases fat accumulation in the stomach that may not completely disappear after delivery.

9.Age - 
The sad truth is after the age of 30, our metabolism starts to slow down.  Therefore, fat starts collecting around the waist.  The only way to remedy that is eating less and move around more.

10.Hormones/ Monthly Cycle - 
The general female abdominal region increases in fluid caused by hormonal released in the abdomen a week before a woman’s menstruation.  When there is no pregnancy that occurs, excess fluid is released through urine.  By then belly becomes flatter.

11.Eating Pattern - 
The size of the belly has a connection with the frequency of meals per day.  Those who space their meals three hours apart have a greater than 17% reduction of the cortisol belly fat-triggering hormone.  The last meal should be three hours before bedtime.  This gives the digestive system a rest from breaking down foods while having ore energy for detoxing/ eliminating. 

12.Lack of Sleep - 
When the human body doesn’t get enough sleep, the hormone that suppresses the appetite gets modified.  As a result, excessive cravings and overeating. 

Some of these are easier fixes then others.  However, we are creatures of habit.  And they say, habits are created in 21 days.  It’s not a short duration, but it’s not long either.  If these small things can help us with improvement of our daily lives improve, I am going to give it a try!








Sources:
https://positivemed.com/2018/10/12/sudden-bloating/