General Tips Wind
- Eat a healthy diet and cut down on foods that cause symptoms (do not completely cut out certain foods without advice of a dietician).
- Certain food will cause belching or flatulence, one should keep a record on what food causes these symptoms.
- Eating six smaller meals rather (easier to digest and swallow less air) than three large meals a day may help.
- Eat in moderation.
- Chew food thoroughly and slowly.
- Do plenty of cardiovascular exercises (30 minutes daily or in divided sessions) e.g. running, cycling and swimming and not stress sport e.g. weightlifting.
- Do plenty of exercise to keep bowels moving and reduce symptoms of flatulence.
- Drink plenty of fluids. 6-8 glasses of water at least per day.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks.
- Consider to stop smoking.
- Cut down on chewing on gum.
- Cut down on drinking through straws.
- Cut down on sucking on pen tops.
- If a denture wearer, check with dentist if dentures fit correctly.
- Lose weight if overweight.
- Avoid holding faeces back.
- Eat regularly, try not to skip meals. It is important not to skip breakfast. Try to eat at least something for breakfast. The bowel usually goes to sleep at night and wakes up in the morning. Eating, drinking and moving around all stimulate the bowel. The most likely time for a bowel action is about 30 minutes after the first meal of the day
- Spend enough time on toilet to completely empty bowels.
- Try to keep stress levels down:
- Peppermint tea may help.
- If have a lot of wind increase intake of oats and linseeds and papayas.
- Charcoal products (tablets and pads) may help if suitable (they help to absorb gas, but can interfere with absorption of medication, see your pharmacist if unsure)
- Probiotic yogurts may help, they help to restore the natural flora in one’s stomach (gas release can occur if there is an imbalance of ‘friendly’ bacteria and bad bacteria).
- Consider under a dieticians advice and supervision: Specialist diets such as the Low Fodmap diet.
- What is a FODMAP?
- FODMAP is an acronym that stands for: Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These are a type of simple carbohydrate that the small intestine does not absorb well in some individuals with IBS. When following a low-FODMAP diet, these foods, along with other potential intolerances and allergies, must be tested by process of elimination to determine which specific substance is causing all your GI upset.
- How does this process work?
- A low-FODMAP diet follows a very specific 3 phase process:
- Elimination (2-6 weeks)- During this phase, all foods considered high in FOADMAPs are eliminated from your diet.
- Reintroduction (6-8 weeks)-In the reintroduction phase, you gradually reintroduce individual high-FODMAP foods back into your diet to determine if the food causes symptoms.
- Integration (lifelong)- Once you and your registered dietitian have interpreted the foods that cause IBS symptoms, you can begin reintroducing foods and FODMAPs that were tolerated well back into your diet.
Babylon Health (Babylon Registered Dietitian Andrea McGrew)
Natural treatments and tips (DR Axe)
