Five mistakes that cause bloating and it's making you look fat. There are five mistakes that you're making which is causing your stomach to swell constantly, giving you that pregnant look, which I'm sure it's not what we're going for. And trust me, I've been there. You cut out the fizzy drinks and you start cutting out certain foods to clean up the diet. But the thing is, until I really understood my anatomy and my body, I wasn't getting anywhere. I'm a medical doctor and I've coached hundreds of clients with the same issue, and it's more common than you think. One in four people struggle with daily bloating and abdominal symptoms. In this video, I'm going to lay down the anatomy of the stomach. To be able to explain the five mistakes that you're making and then help you get rid of that bloating belly once and for all, let's get started. Let's define bloating. Medically speaking, abdominal bloating is the feeling of trapped gas in your belly. It's like a pressure or fullness, and sometimes it even makes your stomach look bigger than it maybe already is. And scientifically speaking, we call this in medicine abdominal distension. But here's the kicker. Bloating isn't just about what you eat. It's about how your body handles it, too. In just a moment, I'll show you how your digestive system might be secretly working against you. And before we jump into the mistakes, let's talk about what's going on inside you. Your digestive system is a long highway, and bloating can happen at any stop along the tour. So, I'm going to give you a quick tour through this. We'll start with the stomach. It's the first pit stop after you eat. It's a stretchy bag that mixes the acid and enzymes with the food you eat to break it down. If too much air gets trapped here, like from gulping food or if it doesn't empty properly, you'll feel full and puffy fast. Think of it like a balloon that's over inflated. Then we have the small bowel. It's this long twisty tube. It's about 20 ft. It's where most digestion and nutrient absorption happens. But if bad bacteria sneak in here, where they don't belong, or if you eat foods that your body can't really break down, gas builds up, like a traffic jam in the road. That's a big bloating culprit, which we'll touch on later. And then we have the large bowel, the colon. This is the final stretch, about 5 ft long. It's where the water gets sucked out of what's left. If things move too slowly here, like dehydration or low fiber or bacteria fermenting undigested food, gas builds up here like a factory. Hello, bloating bunny. Now that you have the players in the game, let's uncover the five mistakes throwing them off. And the first one might catch you off guard, especially if you're eating healthy. Quick heads up before assuming bloating is just a diet related or irritable bowel syndrome, IBS. Serious medical conditions must be ruled out. If you experience any of these that I'm about to share with you, you need to see your doctor immediately. Number one, persistent abdominal pain that does not go away. Number two, unintentional weight loss. Number three, if there's blood in your stool. Number four, severe vomiting or vomiting that looks like coffee grounds. Number five, chronic diarrhea or constipation that lasts more than 3 weeks, or difficulty swallowing, or persistent acid reflux, or you're feeling a lump or swelling in your abdomen, sudden extreme bloating that makes it hard to move or breathe. But don't worry if your bloating is just frustrating and not a red flag, I've got the fixes coming up, and this changes everything. So, mistake number one is ignoring your gut microbiome. Your gut is home to trillions of tiny bacteria. And think of them as little workers helping you and keeping your digestion running smoothly. When they're happy, you're happy. But when they're out of balance, which we call disbiosis, it's like a factory gone wild, producing too much gas and puffing up the belly. This happens from things like overusing antibiotics. Maybe you're eating too much sugar or too much junk food or high stress, poor sleep, and in some cases maybe too much protein. So imagine your gut like a garden. Too much junk is like dumping trash in it. The good plants will die and the weeds will start take over. So what is the fix? Feed the good guys. There are 10 foods I love adding to my client's diet to improve the good bacteria in there and these are the lists. Number one, fermented yogurt and especially the unsweetened version. Why? It's packed with live probiotics like lactobacillus and bfidtoacterium. It directly introduces good bacteria to your gut. Studies link it to better digestion and reduces gut permeability. Go for plain full fat versions. The sugar ones will feed the bad guys. Number two, sauerkraut. Fermented cabbage offers probiotics and fiber. The fermentation process boosts lactic acid bacteria which will help balance your gut pH, the acidity, and crowd out the pathogens. It's also rich in glucosinace, which may fight inflammation. Number three, kefir. This is a fermented milk drink which has a wide variety of probiotic strains more than yogurt and sometimes plus -30 making it a microbial powerhouse. It's shown to improve lactose digestion and modulate immunity via the gut. Number four, kimchi. Spicy fermented veggies like cabbage and radish deliver probiotics plus prebiotic fibers. This combo supports bacterioids and prevotella growth. key players in diverse microbiome and it has antioxidants that can reduce gut inflammation. Number five, adding garlic. Garlic acts as a prebiotic feeding beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus. Its alysin content also has antimicrobial properties selectively targeting harmful gut bugs without wiping out the good ones. Number six, onions. It's rich in inulin and fructosaccharides, also called FOS, prebiotics that fuel the good bacteria and that also fuel bacteria specifically. They also contain antioxidants that may lower gut inflammation and support barrier function. Number seven, asparagus. It's high in inulin. It's a prebiotic fiber that promotes again bfidactum and lactobacillus growth. It's a low calorie but nutrient-dense food. also providing antioxidants to protect from gut cells. It is amazing for getting rid of water weight. Bananas, the ones that are slightly green. It contains resistant starch, a prebiotic that fermentss in the colon to produce shortchain fatty acids like butyrate, which is fuel for your gut lining and riper ones are less effective due to higher sugar content. Number nine, chory root. One of the best sources of inulin. It's a prebiotic superstar and it also boosts those short chain fatty acids and also bfidtoacterium. It's often used in coffee substitutes and it's easy to add to your diet. And then the final one is lentils. It's loaded with fiber and resistant starch. They feed the good gut bacteria while providing polyphenols that reduce oxidative stress. Research has shown that legumerich diets will increase microbial diversity and make yourself a healthier gut. Let's move on into mistake number two. It's eating too fast and swallowing air. Eating isn't just about filling your stomach. It's a mental game as well. When you shovel food in too quickly, sip soda through a straw, or chew gum non-stop, you're just swallowing air. You're often reacting to psychological triggers. Stress, boredom, or you're even excited. And this can even make you eat faster without realizing it. Like your brain's on autopilot saying, "Hurry up. There's no time." This rush mindset disconnects your body's signals between your food and what you're eating. And this will pile up air into your stomach and into your small bowel, which will blow you up. Think of your stomach like a backpack. It's just not about what you stuff in, but how you pack it in. The psychology here is simple. Slow it down and chew each bite. And I recommend 20 to 30 chews. Skip on the straws and the fizzy drinks if you must. And eating in peace isn't just physical advice. It's a mini mindfulness practice. It's like telling your brain, "Hey, let's savor the moment. Let's savor this gourmet meal and not race through it." And studies have shown that mindful eating reduces overeing, consequently helping you lose that belly fat and bloating by tuning into your hunger and fullness cues. It will be less air, less bulge, and happier gut. Look, I've made this mistake myself. I typically will watch an episode of Solo Leveling or One Piece, my favorite anime, and rush through food. Sometimes just watching it, I'm excited without even realizing it and at the end still feeling hungry. So, you need to switch off that autopilot. Look at your food, start counting your chew, slow it down, and believe me, it is hard, but sometimes this recalibration helps you slow down less bloating. Mistake number three, not drinking enough water. Water is your digestive system's best friend. Without enough, the large bowl can't move things along. It slows it down. Food piles up there and you can get constipated. It's like a water slide, but then you turn off the water. Everything gets stuck. Add water and it flows. You might think that you're drinking enough, but are you really? So, I'm going to share here with you an easier way to calculate how much water you should be drinking than you expect. According to science, we are 70% water, right? So, it's easier to figure out how much you should be drinking. Basically, it's half of your body weight in flu ounces. So, if you're 200 lb, you should drink 100 flu ounces per day. That's about8 of a gallon or 2.9 L. Or let's say you're 150 lb. So, that means you need to drink half of that, which is 75 flu ounces. That's about 6 gall of water, which is 2.2 L. Let's say you're not a fan of math. Yes, you can stick to the classic one gallon or 3 L of water a day. But the best way to know if you're hydrated or not is simple. It's just looking at the color of your urine. If your urine is dark yellow, like dishwashing liquid, you need to start drinking more. If it's clear, like water, you're well hydrated. What I get a lot of my clients to do is buy a designated water bottle like a Stanley cup, which are pricey, or even a cheap motivational water bottle. You know, the ones that tell you how far you are. This will fix your liquid drinking issue. And I've noticed the more expensive water bottle they buy, the more motivated they are to drink through it. So, that's just some free game for you. Mistake number four is self diagnosing IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, instead of seeing a doctor. Last one, and it's big. Lots of people feel bloated and think, "Oh, I have IBS." Then start cutting out foods on a whim. But here's the thing. Jumping to conclusions could be costing you more than you realize. So, let's unpack it. And it might be a bigger deal than you think. IBS is a real diagnosis, and it's based off of something called the Roman 4 criteria, like pain tied to poop changes for at least 3 months. So, this is evidence-based advice. Do not self- diagnose IBS without a medical consultation. A doctor or a gastroenterenterologist can rule out these serious conditions with tests like the lactose fructose intolerance test, a SIBO breath test, a ciliac disease screening test, stool test for gut inflammation. So, this is the solution. If you're experiencing persistent bloating, pain, or bowel changes, go seek the advice of a medical professional before assuming it's IBS. What we do with our clients is we will run a gut microbiome test and we have a functional doctor on staff. So, if you're someone who has tried everything, you've tried working with many coaches, you want to get rid of the bloating, but not only that, you also want to lose weight and you want to work with a team of medical doctors who understand the gut, who understand the nitty-gritty science and can guarantee you the result. I invite you to fill out the application in the description below. It's a short application. Fill it out with as much detail as possible. Yes, we are selective with who we work with because we want to guarantee the result. Typically, the people who love working with us are medical doctors themselves and business owners because they're just too busy to focus on all these things themselves. So, they pay us to do it. But, let's move on. Mistake number five is overloading on fiber. It's something that a lot of people do, thinking that more fiber is always better and healthier for their digestion. While fiber is super important for keeping your gut happy and preventing constipation, going overboard can cause problems. Too much fiber will lead to bloating, cramps, trapped gas, and even mess with the absorption of important nutrients like calcium and iron. The key is to gradually increase your fiber intake and make sure that you're drinking enough water to help so that these things can run smoothly. It's best to get fibers from a variety of foods like fruits, veggies, and beans, and whole grains, and aim for the recommended daily amount based on your age and gender. It's all about balance. For most adults, it's about 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. However, after the age of 50, the recommendation drops to 21 g for women and 30 g for men due to this decrease in caloric intake. And here's how you can reach that target with real examples. So, number one, breakfast. You can start with a bowl of oatmeal, about 4 g of fiber per half cup of serving. And you can top this with a handful of berries, and that's about 4 g of fiber per half cup, blueberries specifically. This gives you around 8 g of fiber right off the bat. Number two, a snack. Have an apple that has 4 g of fiber or a serving of raw veggies like carrots that has 2 g of fiber per medium-sized carrot for a fiber pack snack. Number three, for lunch, a whole grain sandwich with two slices of whole wheat bread. That has about six grams of fiber. Plus some leafy greens like spinach or kale. That's about one gram of fiber per cup. And this would give you around 7 g of fiber. Another snack is you can try a handful of almonds, about 3.5 g of fiber per ounce, or a high fiber snack. Then five, dinner, a serving of lentils, let's say about 15 g of fiber per cup and paired with a side of veggies like broccoli that has 5 g of fiber per cup. This meal alone can give you 20 g of fiber. Now you have all the tools that you need to really combat the bloating. I really hope you guys enjoyed this video. If you want to learn how to calculate your macros, how to have a meal plan, improve your health overall, a training plan, this video has done amazing. So, you can just watch this next and I'll see you guys in the next video. Cheers.