Yellow Brick Road Holistic Centre

HOW TO BEAT BLOATING   

Can’t fasten the clasp on your khakis? You might blame it on retaining water, but the truth is that most bloating is caused by gas, says Dr. Alan Cockeram, a Saint John, N.B., gastroenterogist. Unpassed gas in your abdomen and intestinal tract can make your stomach feel like a balloon. What causes it and how can you deflate? Here are four common culprits and cures, plus strategies on how to deal with water retention when it really is the problem.                                  Liza Finlay

Tips for getting more fibre into your diet   

♦Start with a high fibre cereal in the morning, or add a couple of tablespoons of wheat or oat bran to your regular cereal.    

 

♦Ditch white flour whenever you can and opt for whole grain breads, pastas and cereals.

 

♦Eat fresh vegetables and fruit (rather than juice) and include the skins.

 

♦Choose natural sources of fibre over supplements as often as possible, as they are higher in valuable nutrients.

 

♦And when you add fibre to your diet, do so gradually. Hitting your system with too much too quickly can lead to intestinal discomfort.

 

♦Make sure to increase your water intake as well.

 

Fibre is basically an indigestible (and therefore calorie-free) complex carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables and grains. There are two types, and each one provides its own benefits: insoluble fibre comes from certain fruits and vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower and potato skins. It also comes from popcorn, dried beans, seeds, brown rice and whole grain pastas, breads and cereals. Essentially, this type of fibre provides bulk and assists in moving food through our digestive systems. Some research claims it may even reduce the risk of colon cancer. Soluble fibre is found in prunes, fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, peaches and grapes, as well as in dried beans, oatmeal, barley, rye, psyllium and vegetable such as carrots. This fibre mixes with liquids in our bodies and forms a gel-like substance, which soaks up cholesterol and exits the body as waste. Soluble fibre is known to prevent and control diabetes, as it slows the absorption of sugar in our systems. Certain foods contain different amounts of one or both types of fibre, so it’s important to eat a wide variety everyday!

 

Health Canada recommends a daily intake of 20-35 g of fibre a day.

 

1 cup brown rice, cooked = 3.3g fibre

1 medium size apple = 3g fibre

½ cup raspberries = 3g fibre

½ cup  blueberries = 2g fibre

10 whole dates = 7g fibre

10 whole prunes = 6g fibre

½ cup black beans, cooked = 6g fibre

½ cup navy beans, cooked = 6g fibre

½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds = 8g fibre

1 half avocado = 5g fibre

4 whole dried figs = 13g fibre

12 halves dried apricots = 5g fibre

Enzymes

 

Every cell in the body uses enzymes.  They facilitate the millions of biochemical reactions occurring every minute.  Each enzyme has a particular job to do.  Vitamins, minerals, and oxygen all need enzymes to make them useful.  Without enzymes plants and animals would not be able to live.

 

Digestive enzymes catalyze the breakdown and absorption of the nutrients we consume.  While they cause change, the enzymes themselves do not change.  They convert food into its components:  sugars, amino acids, fats, starches, vitamins, minerals and numerous nutrients.  These enzymes direct the right nutrient into the correct cell.  Enzymes of one type cannot be substituted for enzymes of another type.

 

Dr. Anthony Cichoke, author of The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy, states that enzymes are critical to sustaining life.  The absence or lack of enzymes can cause everything from allergies, to heart disease, to a weakened immune system, to stress, to indigestion.

 

Excellent food sources for enzymes are the aspergillus plant, avocados, bananas, papaya (papain), pineapple (bromelain), mangoes and sprouts.  All uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables are sources of enzymes.

 

Note:

 

Digestive enzymes are critical for optimal health, and found in foods such as vegetables, fruits and raw milk.  When foods are processed, cooked at high temperatures (generally over 118F), irradiated, exposed to electromagnetic or radiation fields, microwaved, contain or exposed to fluoridated water, genetically engineered, use bovine growth hormone for milk production, exposed to heavy metals, hybridized, pasteurized, treated with synthetic herbicides or pesticides it is almost certain that enzymes are destroyed.  The result is your body is unable to draw nutrients from food.  Over the long term this creates deficiencies resulting in illness and disease.