Cousin Ray is Bloated, Again!

A Question From Cousin Ray

In today’s blog we’re going to answer a question from our cousin Ray.

Cousin Ray asks “I often have bloating and uncomfortable, foul smelling flatulence.  Sometimes there is also gut pain.  It is embarrassing, especially when sharing a room with company at night.  Is this normal?”

First I’d like to congratulate cousin Ray for asking this personal question.  It is a question that is often not asked because many people think that foul smelling flatulence is a normal part of digestion, IT IS NOT.  And certainly gut pain is not normal either.

To address Ray’s digestive issues we need to think of three R’s; Rest, Repair and Replenish.

Rest

Rest refers to resting the gut.  Foul smelling flatulence is a signal that Ray’s digestive system is not properly digesting whatever Ray is putting in to his mouth.  In order to identify foods and/or drinks that may be causing Ray’s discomfort it is recommended that he write down everything he is eating and drinking for a week, and include how he feels and any digestive complaints.  This is called a food journal.  From this journal a nutritionist will be able to recommend to Ray what he should take out of his diet (to rest his gut), with the hopes that symptoms will improve.

A nutritionist may also recommend an elimination diet.  Ray would eat a very simple, easy to digest diet for a couple of weeks (again resting the gut).  Once symptoms have improved, suspect foods or drinks are reintroduced and symptoms monitored.  This is a very accurate way to identify trigger foods and drinks.  It does require some patience as it is a long process but it is very effective.  Once the triggers have been identified they can be eliminated or reduced with much relief for Ray.  Targeted digestive enzymes may also be recommended (see blog post Bloated Again, June 15, 2012).

If you suspect that some foods may be troubling you, start filling out a food diary today and make an appointment with a nutritionist (at Healthy Habits we offer nutrition services, with 2 nutritionists on staff).

Next week we’ll talk about the second R, Repair.