The Science Of Your Gut: 3 Easy Steps to Reduce Bloating, Improve Digestion, and Feel Better Today

What is bloating, and why don’t your pants fit after just one meal?

What are the 10 foods to avoid when you feel bloated?

What is gut health, and how can you improve yours?

Today Mel is joined by double-board certified Dr. Amy Shah, who is here to explain bloating and optimal gut health in a way that you can understand and easily apply to your life.

Dr. Shah, a medical doctor trained at Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia University, is an immunologist and leading expert in women’s hormonal health and nutrition.

She is giving you all the tools you need, including her 3-step plan to get long-term relief from bloating.

In this episode, Dr. Amy discusses:

What bloating is; why and when it happens

3 symptoms of being bloated  

10 foods notorious for causing bloating

The one food that bloats everyone

Why bloating can be worse during menopause or menstruation 

How to tell if you are bloated vs. gaining weight

What “water weight” is and how to avoid it

What a “distended belly” is and where it comes from                         

2 everyday (non-food) things that cause bloating and how to avoid them

3 foods you should not eat when you are bloated 

One type of food that 68% of the world can't digest

Why alcohol bloats most of us

Why you shouldn’t take Advil after a night of drinking

Why sleep is so essential for reducing bloating

What gut bacteria are and how to know when they’re upset

What a food elimination diet is, why you need one, and how to safely try it

Why fasting for 12 hours is essential for a gut reset

Dr. Shah’s 3-F plan and to help reduce bloating

What the best probiotic is (hint: you can’t buy it)

The surprising experience Mel’s daughter had with “bad” gut bacteria

How anxiety and depression can be tied to gut health

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You can purchase Dr. Shah’s book, ‘I'm So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave – and What to Do About I’, here: https://a.co/d/7mTXT2F

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Webpage: amymdwellness.com

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In this episode:

• 03:29: Mel never experienced bloating like this before. 
• 06:31: What the heck is bloating anyway?
• 07:02: What bloating is signaling to you. 
• 08:01: What is distention and why is it a symptom of bloating? 
• 09:12: How to know if you’re bloated or just gaining weight.
• 10:47: How to tell if your gut microbiome is unhappy. 
• 11:58: What the swelling of your fingers and feet might be signaling to you.
• 14:35: All of a sudden Mel’s pants could not fit. How does that happen?
• 17:55: This doctor's biggest tip if you are feeling bloated. 
• 24:32: Why taking Advil after a night of drinking can cause bloating. 
• 26:44: 68% of the world's population are intolerant to this food. 
• 27:26: The brain-gut connection: why anxiety and depression may be heightened. 
• 28:58: The 10 foods that cause the most bloating.
• 30:11: This is the best zero-cost way to test for food sensitivity. 
• 35:34: Let’s talk about the connection between alcohol and your gut.  
• 38:04: How to fast in alignment with your circadian rhythm.
• 40:02: Did you know 80% of your body’s function is dependent on circadian rhythm.
• 45:02: Dr. Shah’s 3-F morning routine that reduces bloating.
• 47:44: This is the best probiotic (and it’s zero cost).
• 49:37: Here’s the perfect breakfast for improved gut and hormone health. 
• 51:34: Dr. Shah will be back next episode for your 5-day reset plan! 

Resources and go deeper:

• National Library of Medicine: Evaluation and treatment of bloating
• John Hopkins Medicine: Bloating: causes and prevention tips 
• American College of Gastroenterology: Belching, bloating, and flatulence
• Time Magazine: What Causes Bloating—and What to Do About It
• Harvard School of Public Health: The gut microbiome 
• American Society for Microbiology: Gut microbiome communication
• National Library of Medicine: Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation
• Cleveland Clinic: What are the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance?
• Harvard Health: The gut-brain connection
• National Library of Medicine: Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health
• Harvard Medical School: Circadian Rhythms and the Brain
• National Library of Medicine: Exercise modifies the gut microbiota
• UCLA Health: Increased exercise benefits gut microbiome
• Washington Post: Don’t feel like exercising? It could be your microbiome.
• Harvard Health: Fermented foods for better gut health
• Stanford Medicine: Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity