Everyone knows the heavy, uncomfortable feeling of being bloated. It has become so common that many people consider it a regular, everyday occurrence and just part of their normal digestion process. However, the truth is that bloating, gassiness, and abdominal discomfort are not “normal” whatsoever; rather, they are signs of digestive distress.

While reasons for digestive upset can vary from person to person based on diet, lifestyle, stress, or environmental factors, and although it can seem difficult to identify the culprit, it is possible; you just need to know what to look for. So here are six of the most common causes of bloating and what to do about them.

1. Not Chewing Enough

The digestive process operates like a chain reaction, working from the top down. Taking the time to chew your food and eat slowly is the first vital step in supporting good digestion and reducing digestive issues further in the process. Although most people think digestion occurs in the stomach, very little digestion occurs in the stomach, as digestion actually begins in the mouth. The action of chewing helps to pre-digest food by mechanically breaking it down, and by chemically breaking it down with the help of an enzyme found in your saliva called salivary amylase. The action of chewing helps to signal to the rest of the body and triggers your stomach to begin producing stomach acid to further break down your food and continue the digestive process. If you don’t fully chew your food, or you eat too quickly, you are essentially putting a big wet log on your digestive fire; you are going to put it out.

Solution: Take the time to fully chew your food when you eat. When you eat, sit down, slow down, and put down your fork between bites. The more mindful you can be when you eat, the more it will support digestion and reduce potential bloating.

2. Low Stomach Acid

Low stomach acid, also known as hypochlorhydria, is a commonly overlooked problem that can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, gas, acid reflux, and heartburn. Although many people assume that these issues are caused by excess acid in the digestive tract, they are actually caused by not enough. Stomach acid is essential for helping us produce the enzymes that break down our food, and low levels of stomach acid can lead to inadequate digestion of proteins, nutrient malabsorption, imbalanced gut flora, and potentially the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, yeast, or parasites in the stomach and small intestine. The production of stomach acid levels will naturally decline as people age, however, they can also be suppressed by a poor diet, consumption of additives and preservatives, stress, smoking, and many other poor lifestyle factors.

Solution: If you suspect you have low stomach acid, consider supporting it by drinking a natural digestive aid such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar before meals. This will help to stimulate stomach acid and help you break down your food. Alternatively, you can use various supplements to support your digestive fire, such as digestive enzymes, digestive bitters, or betaine HCL.

3. Unbalanced Gut Flora

The health of our digestive system is deeply influenced by the bacteria that call our body home. Your microbiome, or our gut flora, is a beneficial colony of one hundred trillion bacterial cells residing in your large intestine, which directly impacts our health.

However, when the number of beneficial bacteria is outweighed by unfavorable bacteria, be it from low stomach acid, poor diet, or a combination of both, dysbiosis of the microbiome occurs. Unbalanced gut flora is one of the major common causes of bloating, gas, constipation, and inflammation of the digestive tract. One of the easiest and quickest ways to boost the beneficial bacteria in your gut is to eat probiotic-rich food, most often made via fermentation. Fermentation not only helps to increase beneficial bacteria but can help to remove anti-nutrients, ensuring that food is more easily digested.

Solution: Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, tempeh, miso, kombucha, and cultured dairy all contain probiotic bacteria that can help to reduce bloating. Additionally, you can also use probiotic supplements to help rebalance your microbiome.

4. Food Intolerances

Although probiotic-rich foods contain beneficial bacteria that can help to alleviate bloating, it is important to understand that not all foods affect people the same way. Although cultured dairy might be rich in beneficial bacteria, if you do not tolerate dairy well, it will only lead to more bloating and digestive distress. Food intolerances are one of the most common causes of bloating, and one that can easily be avoided if you know what foods negatively affect your digestion. Not everybody is created equal, and therefore not everyone will react the same way to the same foods. Paying attention to your body’s reactions to foods is the single best way to identify food intolerances.

After you eat, are you bloated? Gassy? Uncomfortable? The more you can pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods, the easier it will be to identify the foods that are causing your bloating. There are dozens of different foods people can be sensitive to; however, some of the most common include dairy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy, and shellfish.

Solution: If you suspect that you might be sensitive to a certain food, the easiest thing to do is to remove it entirely from your diet until you see improvement and reintroduce it to see how your body reacts. You can begin by simply testing foods out at home, or use an elimination diet protocol; however, if you are still not seeing an improvement, you can speak to a healthcare practitioner to help identify food intolerances through testing.

5. Artificial Sweeteners

Although artificial sweeteners might seem like a safe bet for someone trying to be diet-conscious, they are a very common cause of bloating and digestive upset. Because artificial sweeteners are just that, artificial, many of them are not broken down by the digestive tract. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and mannitol are passed whole into the small intestine which easily ferments in the gut. These types of sweeteners are commonly found in “health” foods such as protein bars, protein shakes, and chewing gum, so it is essential to read labels.

Solution: In order to reduce bloating, it is best to avoid these forms of sweeteners altogether and simply opt for a limited amount of natural sweeteners from time to time when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

6. Lack of Movement

Exercise helps to stimulate the peristalsis, the rhythmical, muscular contraction that propels food through the intestinal tract, which aids in stimulating good digestion. Ideally, bowel movements should occur naturally every 18-24 hours and be easily passed. A slow bowel, much like a sedentary lifestyle, can lead to constipation, which is one of the leading causes of bloating. Adequate movement, be it low or high intensity, along with adequate fiber and hydration, can help to stimulate the natural digestive process. Additionally, movement can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and giventhat many digestive issues are impacted by our mental state, movement can help to reduce the impact of our lifestyle and mental health on our digestive system.

Solution: Any form of activity, light or intense, will help to stimulate the digestive process. Something as simple as a light walk after a meal can help to reduce bloating and stimulate digestion.

For those days when you are in a pinch and life is just too hectic to meal prep, here are 5 easy and healthy no-cook lunch ideas for work that you can take to the office to help keep your healthy eating on track.

Whether you are single, a mother of two, or a broke student trying to make ends meet, lunches seem to be the last thing on everyone’s mind. Of course, there are lots of great meal prep ideas you can do to ensure that you have healthy meals ready for the week, but sometimes life just gets the best of you so the simpler you can keep things the better.

When it comes to packing a healthy lunch, there are a few simple guidelines I like to suggest to ensure that your meal is well-balanced (while still being simple) to help keep you full and focused for a day of work.

In order to create a well-balanced meal, the best thing to do is include all three macronutrients; a good source of protein, some healthy fats, and good-quality carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and/or fruits. This is easier done when cooking, but it is actually still pretty easily done when you can’t cook at all.

There are lots of easy-to-find foods and shortcuts that you can take at the grocery store or in your own kitchen to help you save on time while still keeping nutrition in mind. Although I don’t work in an office now, when I did ,I always kept a few super simple no-cook work lunch ideas in my back pocket so I could just grab and go in the morning, or pack lunch in five minutes when I got home after a long day of work. So here are my top 5 favorite no-cook work lunch ideas for those mornings when you just don’t have the time and need to get out the door.

List of Easy No-Cook Lunch Ideas

Here are 5 easy no-cook lunch ideas you can whip up tonight and enjoy at work tomorrow.

1. Can of Tuna + Leafy Greens + Tomatoes + Avocado

This is such a quick and easy lunch to toss together, and I personally ate this particular lunch all of the time when I was working in an office. The key to this no-cook lunch idea is that you really have to commit to doing as little work as possible, honestly.

To make this super quick to put together, simply keep a box or bag of pre-washed leafy greens and a pint of cherry tomatoes in the fridge, some avocados on the counter, and a can of tuna in the cupboard. In a big container, combine a bunch of leafy greens and a handful of cherry tomatoes, and bring an avocado and a can of tuna to work with you.

At the office, you can combine all of the ingredients to make a tasty tuna salad. Just be sure to leave a bottle of salad dressing in the office fridge (so you don’t have to carry it back and forth), make sure the office kitchen has a can opener, and lunch will be ready in no time.

2. Hummus + Vegetables + Nut Butter + Apple

Hummus is often considered more of a snack, but in reality, there is no reason why it can’t be used in a healthy lunch; made of chickpeas and tahini, it is loaded with complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and healthy fats. Plus, there are tons of different flavors available at most grocery stores!

To ensure this meal is filling enough, simply increase the serving size of hummus and add lots of sliced vegetables to create a deconstructed salad (if you will), and pair it with nut butter for added fat to help keep you going all afternoon.

When it comes to types of nut butter, the options are truly endless, as you can buy everything from peanut butter to almond butter to pecan butter and combinations of all three and more. Just be sure to choose an all-natural nut butter to ensure that there are no added sugars or refined oils, so you are actually eating butter made of nuts, not sugar butter with some nuts in it.

3. Hard-Boiled Eggs + Olives + Vegetables + Berries

I know what you are thinking, “Red, you have to cook hard-boiled eggs, so this meal doesn’t count as one of your no-cook lunch ideas”. On the contrary, my friend, almost every grocery store now carries pre-cooked boiled eggs, so you don’t even have to do it yourself!

Hard-boiled eggs often come in little packs of two and can be found in the cheese or take-out section, so just have a little browse at your local supermarket. Paired with olives, boiled eggs will give you a boost of protein and lots of healthy fats between the two to keep your blood sugar balanced, your mind sharp, and keep cravings at bay for the rest of the afternoon.

Plus, the vegetables (buy them pre-cut if you need to) and fruit give you a little source of carbohydrates for a boost of energy, and if you are feeling extra hungry, just add an extra egg or two.

4. Bean Salad + Vegetables + Cheese + Nuts

In addition to tuna salad, this was also one of my go-to no-cook work lunch ideas when I worked in an office. Canned beans are really easy and inexpensive to find, and although you can buy individually canned beans, it’s also really easy to find canned bean medleys.

A lot of these options pair several types of beans together, marinated in a simple dressing with some herbs and spices to give them a little flavor. You can eat them right out of the can if you want, but I prefer to rinse the excess brine off a little bit.

Beans serve as a good source of plant-based protein, and when paired with vegetables, cheese and nuts, you have a complete balanced. And packed in these DALCICI Stainless containers, it’s like a little cheese board to go.

5. Deli Meat + Lettuce + Vegetables + Guacamole

Deli meats have a really bad reputation, and although many of them are less than ideal, some types can certainly be used from time to time. If you want to use a deli turkey, chicken, or roast beef, be sure to look for all-natural versions with limited added sodium and added sugar.

They are convenient to have on hand for a simple source of protein, and you can eat them on their own or make little deli roll-ups with leaf lettuce and extra veggies.

Pair them with a side of guacamole for added healthy fats, which you can buy pre-made in grocery stores or simply mash an avocado yourself, and this example of no-cook lunch ideas has got everything you need for your day ahead.

Stopping by the store to buy a loaf of bread used to be a simple task, but with all of the options available today it can feel completely overwhelming. With clever marketing gimmicks and fancy buzzwords it can be difficult to know what to look for, so here is a simple how-to guide to buying healthy bread.

 

How to Buy Healthy Bread

When it comes to eating well and making the best choices, the simplest thing to do is focus on eating whole foods in their whole format, or foods that are simply one ingredient. However, because bread is not a whole food (there is no bread tree), it is important to understand how bread is made and the different types available to ensure you are making the best choice. So let’s start with the basics.

White vs. Wheat vs. Whole Wheat

A grain of wheat in its natural form contains three edible parts; the germ, endosperm, and bran. Each layer contains different integral nutritional components of the grain; the germ contains B vitamins, some protein, and minerals; the endosperm contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals; and the bran layer contains antioxidants, B vitamins, and fiber. When a grain of wheat is made into flour it can be done one of two ways; by grinding the whole grain, all parts intact, to make whole wheat flour or by removing the bran and germ to make refined wheat flour. Because the bran and the germ contain most of the integral nutrition components of the whole grain, many of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients are lost in the process of many refined flours. In fact, without the bran and germ, about 25% of a grain’s protein is lost, and at least seventeen key nutrients are greatly reduced. Therefore manufacturers will add back some vitamins and minerals to enrich refined grains, so refined products still contribute valuable nutrients.

However, where a little bit of confusion lies is in the fact that there is a strain of wheat called “white wheat” in which the bran is lighter in color and milder in flavor, and so when the whole grain of “white wheat” is ground into flour it is still considered whole grain flour (because the whole grain was included), although it might be white in color. It might seem a little confusing, but any type of wheat (regular or white) in which the whole grain is made into flour is considered whole grain flour, while if the germ and bran have been removed it is considered refined flour, or enriched flour if nutrients have been added back in.

In addition to wheat flours, there are many other types of flours and processing terms that have become marketing buzzwords, such as multigrain, stone-ground, or gluten-free so let’s have a look at some of the most common to see if they are worth the hype.

Common Bread Buzzwords

• 100% Wheat: This implies that the bread has been made with only wheat as opposed to another grain, or a combination of grains. However, this does not tell is whether or not the bread was made of whole-grain flour or refined flour.
• Multigrain: This suggests that the bread was made of flour from multiple types of grains, such as wheat, spelt, rye and/or barley. In addition to multigrain, similar terms might include 7-grain or 12-grain, however, this does also not specify if the flour was whole grain flour or refined flour.
• Whole Wheat: This suggests that the bread was made of whole grain wheat flour including the germ, endosperm, and bran. This is ideal as it ensures the nutritional components were still intact when the flour was made.
• Whole Grain: Much like whole wheat, the term whole grain implies that the germ, endosperm, and bran were all present in the flour. The difference is simply that this does not limit the bread to containing wheat, as it can contain any grain flour, or combination of grain flours, including spelt, rye, barley, oats, millet, etc…
• Ancient Grains: Although there is no official definition of the term ancient grains, it is loosely defined as grains that have been largely unchanged over the last several hundred years or those that Western culture has ignored until recently. These typically include kamut, spelt, buckwheat, sorghum, teff, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and less common strains wheat. A bread made of ancient grains would simply be made of the flours of these grains, however, the term does not specify if the flour was whole grain flour or refined flour.
• Gluten-Free: Gluten is a protein structure found in certain grains, however, there are many grains that do not contain gluten such as buckwheat, rice, corn, and quinoa, so gluten-free bread is simply made of flour from gluten-free grains.
• Enriched: This might sound like a good thing, but enriched flours are typically refined flours that have been stripped of their germ and bran and therefore stripped of vital nutrients, phytonutrients, and fibre. Therefore enriched flour is simply refined flour that has had vitamins and minerals added back that were lost during the milling process.
• Stone-Ground: This is in reference to how the grain itself was milled into flour. The term stone-ground indicates that the grain was intact when it was turned into flour (whole grain), as some commercial whole grain flours are made by separating the parts of the grain and putting them back together, which is less than ideal.
• Sprouted Grain: This refers to the way the grains were prepared before the flour and bread were made. Sprouted bread is made from whole grains that have been allowed to sprout (or germinate), before being milled into flour. Sprouted grains are by necessity whole grains since you can not sprout refined flour. The sprouting process helps to eliminate anti-nutrients and makes the grains more easily digested when consumed.

Not All Bread is Created Equal

As with any food, the ingredients a food contains have a huge impact on its nutritional value, however so does the way a food is prepared. Consider a simple example; a white potato can be made into both a baked potato or deep fried in vegetable oil to make chips. Although these foods are made of the same ingredient, potato, they are not nutritionally equivalent. So, it is important to note that there is a difference between real bread and common refined grocery store bread.

Technically speaking, the only ingredients required to make bread are flour, water, and salt. Contrary to popular belief, yeast is not a necessary ingredient for bread making. In the traditional bread-making process, flour and water are combined to create a ‘starter’ that reacts with wild yeast and lactobacilli bacteria present in the air, which is left to slowly ferment, which helps the bread to rise before being transferred to an oven to bake. This process is referred to as sourdough bread. The benefit to this method is that the sourdough starter produces lactic acid which helps to naturally ferment the dough, the same way bacteria ferments yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and other fermented foods, which is said to “pre-digest” the grains, remove anti-nutrients, increases the content of beneficial bacteria in the flour, and therefore helps to make the bread more easily digested. However, because the process of making sourdough bread can take several days, today, most commercial bread is made with domesticated active-dry yeast or baker’s yeast. Doing so helps to speed up production time, which is simpler for commercial use and mass production, and easier for bakers to use and store, however in doing so the natural fermentation and the leavening process does not allow for the same health benefits.

Healthy Bread: Things to Avoid

When it comes to grocery store bread, it is important to look away from the buzzword-covered labels and focus on the ingredients list to ensure you are buying the best quality bread you can. Many common brands will include unnecessary ingredients that can easily be avoided.

• Refined Flours: Opt for whole-grain flours over enriched or bleached flours to ensure you are getting the most naturally occurring and nutritious version of flour.
• Sugar: Unless you are buying a sweet loaf (i.e., cinnamon raisin), there is no need for sugar or sweeteners in bread, as naturally leavened bread does not require sugar to rise. If you are buying bread made of commercial yeast, some bread will contain a small amount of sugar, which helps to activate the yeast, so simply ensure the label contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving.
• Vegetable Oils: There is no need for the inclusion of oils of any kind in bread, so it is best to avoid them altogether. Some brands will use vegetable oil on their equipment during the bread-making process, which is sometimes indicated on the label; however, this negligible amount would be acceptable.
• Sodium: Salt is an important ingredient in the sourdough bread-making process; however, there is no need for an excessive amount of sodium. Anything under 200mg of sodium per serving would be ideal.
• Preservatives: You should be able to pronounce all of the ingredients in your bread. Although this might sound difficult to do with grocery store brands, it is possible; it might just take a little extra time spent reading labels in the bread aisle.

Healthy Bread: The Best Bread Options

Although it might seem more than impossible to find healthy bread options, I can assure you it is fully possible. When it comes to the best options, here is a simple guide to buying healthy bread:

1. Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread will always be the very best option as it ensures the bread was made with whole grains, and wild yeast and was naturally leavened. This ensures that the bread contains all of the nutritional benefits of the grain and is naturally fermented making the bread more easily digested by the body. Finding true sourdough bread is easiest done by visiting a local farmers market or bakery, just be sure to ask the baker if you are unsure. Some grocery stores might carry sourdough bread, but be sure to read the ingredients list and ensure is made with flour, water, and a sourdough starter or sourdough culture or cultured flour starter, as the ingredients should not contain yeast in true sourdough.

2. Sprouted Grain Bread

Sprouted grain bread would be the next best option to sourdough, and they are more easily found in health food and grocery stores. Look for an ingredient list with minimal ingredients including sprouted grains (multiple types of grains is fine), bacterial culture or yeast, water, and salt. In some cases, these bread are kept in the freezer sections of grocery stores to ensure they don’t go off too quickly (they don’t contain preservatives after all), and some of the best common brands include Silver Hills Bakery and Ezekiel Bread.

3. Whole Grain Bread

If sourdough or sprouted grain bread is not available to you, at the very least ensure that you are choosing whole grain bread. This can be wheat bread, multigrain bread, or ancient grain bread, just ensure that whole grain flour was used to make the bread. Be sure to read the label to make sure the bread does not contain any added sugars, oils, or excess sodium, however, the inclusion of any nuts or seeds would be just fine.