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Starter

The Balloon Inside You 🎈

It shows up uninvited, stays too long, and manages to ruin your mood, your outfit, and your entire day.

Bloating is one of the biggest mood killers - and over 1.4 billion people suffer from it at least once a week.

You can skip the carbs, ditch the soda, and still feel like someone secretly inflated you from the inside when you weren’t looking.

So what exactly causes bloating?

And more importantly - how do you stop it?

Let’s deflate the truth. 👇

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Main Course

Why We Get Bloated

What is bloating? 🤰 

Bloating is that uncomfortable “someone inflated me from the inside” feeling mostly caused by excess gas or slowed digestion.

It’s not just fullness - it’s pressure, discomfort, and sometimes even pain.

But your body isn’t broken - it’s overwhelmed!

What causes it? 🤓 

I’d love to tell you there’s one simple answer.

But the truth is

Bloating can come from almost anywhere!

The stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, or even the pancreas.

Locating the source is the real skill.

However, the most common causes of bloating are:

• Indigestion

• Infection

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

• Cortisol and stress

• Constipation

• Damaged gut

• Too much fiber and FODMAPs

• Fast eating

• Food intolerances

But which foods cause bloating? 🤔 

• Grains (wheat, rye & barley)

• Legumes (beans, lentils & chickpeas)

• Carbonated drinks

• Onions & garlic

• Dairy products

• Cruciferous veggies (for some people)

• Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols

• Chewing gum

Every gut has its own “nope” list - and it changes over time!

👩‍🍳 Chef Tip: Bloating doesn’t need panic, pills, or punishment.

It needs awareness, patience, and small adjustments.

Treat your gut like a system, not a guessing game.

It’s asking for balance.

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Dessert

How to Reduce Bloating ❌

Let’s be honest:

Being bloated sucks - a lot!

And if you’re like me, it shows up more often than you'd like to admit.

So here’s a simple guide to help you deflate fast 👇

• 🍽️ Fasting - Give your gut a break (6 hours) to let digestion catch up

• 🍖 Keto or carnivore - Anything but carbs and veggies (at least for a couple of hours)

• 🍵 Warm water - it relaxes your gut and supports digestion

• 🚶 Light exercise - will also promote digestion and calm your mind

• 🌿 Home remedies (diluted apple cider vinegar, peppermint, ginger, oregano, cloves & fennel seeds) - timeless for a reason

• 🐢 Slow and mindful eating - slow down and enjoy your meals by chewing a lot

My tip: Track the triggers

Bloating isn’t random - it’s a pattern trying to tell you something.

Create a simple note in your phone: “Date, food, symptoms.”

You’ll be shocked how quickly you spot the culprit: onions, sparkling water, stress, speed-eating, and artificial sweeteners. 👀 

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Snacks

Dad Joke of the Week

A Deep Question

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done lately?

A Friendly Reminder

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Takeaway  

You aren’t satisfied yet? 

Here are my Ingredients and Recommendations for you:

🎙️ Podcasts

• Gas and bloating: the causes and how to stop it | Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (ZOE)

• Gastroenterologist Reveals the 5 Causes of Bloating and IBS (Thomas DeLauer)

• The Science of Your Gut: 3 Easy Steps to Reduce Bloating, Improve Digestion, and Feel Better Today (Mel Robbins)

📚️ Books

• The Mind-Gut Connection

• The Good Gut

📺️ Videos

• Why you're bloated (+ how to fix it) (Pick Up Limes)

• Eliminate Bloating: The Ultimate Solution (Dr. Berg)

• Bloating | The GutDr Explains (3D Gut Animation) (GutDr)

📑 Articles

• 13 Foods That Cause Bloating and What You Should Eat Instead (Healthline.com)

• What causes abdominal bloating? (MedicalNewsToday)

• Bloated Stomach (Cleveland Clinic)

• Eighteen ways to reduce bloating (MedicalNewsToday)

Thank you for being here 💝 

Looking forward to serving you next week.

Much love,

Benji