If you have a swollen belly after meals, don’t wait any longer to change your diet. While some foods cause gas and bloating, and make digestion more difficult, others reduce the risk of flatulence and bloating. Here are the foods to favor and to avoid promoting intestinal comfort after each meal.
Food: why do some foods ferment in the intestine?
Some foods are rich in fermentable sugars: these are the famous FODMAPs against which more and more people with sensitive intestines are waging war because they cause bloating, gas and intestinal discomfort. These foods are generally high in poorly digestible fiber. They contain lactose or gluten, promote fermentation and gas production, or are irritating to the colon. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome generally tolerate very little FODMAPs.
To understand the process a little better, the sugars contained in these foods are called “fermentable” because they ferment under the action of yeasts when they are digested. Unfortunately, they are quite widespread in current food: they are found in starchy foods (bread, breakfast cereals, etc.), but also in many fruits and vegetables.
If you suffer from recurring gas and bloating, you may need to review your diet.
What to eat in case of bloating or when you have intestinal gas?
Among vegetables: tender and “young” vegetables have fibers that are more digestible for sensitive intestines, such as young salad or spinach shoots. The skin of the vegetables and the pips/grains must, if possible, be eliminated (tomato, cucumber, zucchini…) and gentle cooking with little fat is better. We prefer green vegetables and leafy vegetables;
Among the fruits: choose them ripe (banana, pear, etc.); in a raw version at the start of the meal and cooked at the end. Examples: grapefruit as a starter; poached pear for dessert. Opt for fresh fruit (raw) outside meals if you digest it better (apple, clementine, etc.);
Among meats and equivalents: choose cuts of meat that are less fatty and tender (chicken, cooked ham, etc.). Do not cook them, like fish and eggs, with too much fat;
Among dairy products: fermented milks such as yogurts, kefir… contain “good bacteria” useful for digestion and assimilation of nutrients by the body. These also fight against the development of bacteria responsible for intestinal transit disorders. Cooked cheeses (comt, elemental, etc.) with almost no lactose are digested better;
Among the starches: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes… No excess in quantity! Alternate those with gluten (bread, pasta…) and those without (buckwheat, quinoa…).
