Diastasis Recti and Bloating

Back pain, poor posture, pelvic floor problems, gastro-intestinal disturbances like constipation and BLOATING are all symptoms that occur when the core support system is weak, as it is with diastasis recti.

Bloating is something I get asked about a lot in my private diastasis recti workout support Facebook group (which you can join here).

Bloat is any abnormal gas swelling, or increase in diameter of the abdominal area.

With diastasis recti, bloating is more obvious when it occurs due to weak connective tissue.

But what can you do about it?

And why does it occur more at the end of the day?

Lets take a look at the common causes for bloating!

Posture
Food intolerances
Lack of water – dehydration
Water retention
Certain Foods
Weight gain
Acidic and/or carbonated beverages
Gas in general
Stress
Period starting
Too much salt intake
Inactivity

Let's look at a couple of these:

Posture

This I think is one of the biggest reasons for moms with diastasis recti, feeling more bloated (or having a bigger "mummy tummy" at the end of the day.

It takes a lot of effort to hold good posture all day (I heard it burns an extra 300 calories as well! That is like going for a 5K run!!!).

So by the end of the day we are tired and tend to slouch more.

Slouching/hunching over puts more pressure on your abdominal wall which puts pressure on your gap.

So if your posture is worse at the end of the day, so will be your "mummy tummy"

Try to be conscious of how you sit and stand at the end of the day, here are 4 points to think about:

1) stand tall (from the crown of your head)

2) Lift your chest (not so much that your rib thrust out, but so you aren't hunched forward)

3) pinch your shoulder blades together

4) engage your abs to stabilize this position.

Food intolerances

Food allergies and intolerances are relatively common.

When you eat foods that you are intolerant to, it can cause excess gas production, bloating and other symptoms.

Here are some common foods and ingredients to consider:

Wheat and Gluten:

Many people are allergic to wheat, or intolerant to gluten (a protein in wheat, spelt, barley and some other grains). This can lead to various adverse effects on digestion, including bloating

All the recipes on the site are gluten free - check them out here

Lactose:

Lactose intolerance is associated with many digestive symptoms, including bloating. Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk.

Fructose:

Fructose intolerance can lead to bloating.

Eggs:

Gas and bloating are common symptoms of egg allergy.

You can try avoiding some of these to see if it helps. But if you strongly suspect that you have a food allergy or intolerance, see a doctor.

Dehydration and Water Retention

Water retention must be one of a woman most common annoyance!

Hormonal imbalances, certain medications, lack of certain nutrients, dehydration and other things on the list above can cause this.

FACT! Water helps decrease bloating.

One might think the opposite since water retention sounds like water trapped inside of your body which is true.

But water taken in via mouth is not the same and will NOT cause bloating but will HELP protect against it.

Dehydration leads to water retention. If you didn’t know before, you do now!

You also need to drink enough water to heal your Diastasis Recti - check out this post to find out why and how much you need to drink -> HERE

Certain Foods

I know for a fact that any sugar blows me up like a balloon!

But there are other foods that can cause bloating. Often to work out your own triggers you need to create a food diary and track what you eat and when you bloat to pin-point what are your causes.

Numerous studies have shown that indigestible carbohydrates called FODMAPS can drastically exacerbate bloating symptoms in IBS patients.

If you are trying to pin-point certain foods you might want to start looking at high-fodmaps foods.

Here is a good article on common foods and what you can replace them with -> HERE

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