They say that with age comes wisdom. Hopefully, that is indeed the case; however, what I do know is definitely happening is, the older I get, the more I am looking for knowledge about things that I used to either not care about enough or I totally took for granted — and if I’m being truthful with myself, it was probably some of column A and some of column B.
Take fluids that come out of our vagina (check out “Vaginal Discharge. Arousal Fluid. Cervical Mucus. What's The Difference?”), for example. It wasn’t until perimenopause that I even gave that topic a second thought, and it was because, quite frankly, more was coming out than had in times past, and I wanted to understand why. And then there’s my belly. Chile…CHILE.
As someone who had a natural six-pack for years (upon years), I definitely had to do some research to learn the difference between belly fat, what is known as a menopause belly (check out “'Menopause Belly' Actually Is A Real Thing. Here's How To Handle It.”) and what we are going to tackle today: bloating.
Since I’m not the biggest water fan in the world, I’ve discovered that whenever I have more of a bulge than I would like, most of it has to do with what I drink more than probably anything else — yet I’m getting a wee bit ahead of myself.
If, like me, you want a tighter tummy, and so you want to figure out what is standing in your way, here is why it could be all about the “bloat” — and what you can do about it if that is indeed the case.
What Does It Mean When You’re Bloated?
GiphyLet’s start with what it even means to feel or be bloated. If your stomach happens to feel full, tight or like there’s some pressure going on, there is a good chance that you’re bloated — how it feels can range from mildly uncomfortable to straight up painful, and how it looks can range from a barely there bulge to almost looking like you are pregnant.
As far as what causes bloating, there are several things. Intestinal gas can cause bloating. Hormonal fluctuations can cause bloating (which is why it’s not uncommon to be bloated right before your period). Being constipated can lead to bloating. Stomach inflammation, certain types of infections, and even cancer can cause bloating.
However, one of the biggest bloating culprits is food — sometimes it’s the type of food that you consume, other times it’s because you are eating something that you low-key have an intolerance to, or it can even be because you are eating (or drinking) something too fast.
The main things to keep in mind when it comes to bloating are if it’s hormonal or diet-related, things should subside in a few hours or days at the most. If you’re bloated due to constipation, things probably won’t change until you’ve had a few full (meaning complete) bowel movements. Do keep in mind that if your bloating doesn’t seem to go away, and you’re especially not feeling well to boot, you should see your doctor, just to make sure that there aren’t any underlying health issues going on.
What’s the Difference Between Bloating and Belly Fat?
GiphyOkay, but how can you know if your tummy is “rounded out” due to bloating or actual weight gain? Good question. The most important thing to remember here is that, more times than not, bloating is a temporary issue, while fat that accumulates around your abdominal region is not. That said, it’s important to also keep in mind that when your body is merely bloated, you’re probably only going to notice a change in your tummy (as opposed to weight gain being something that transpires all over your body).
Some other things to take note of when it comes to bloating vs. belly fat are that bloating will feel tight, while fat will feel soft. Not only that, but bloating typically comes with some level of discomfort, which isn’t usually the case with abdominal fat (unless you’re dealing with excessive visceral fat or you’ve got some other health-related issues that are transpiring as a direct result of the weight gain).
5 Foods That Cause Bloating
GiphyAight, so remember how I mentioned earlier that a main cause of bloating tends to be gas, most specifically, intestinal gas? That’s because when the bacteria that is in your gut are trying to break down certain foods (like carbs), that process is called fermentation. When too much of that is going on, it can create gas, which can cause bloating.
And what are some of the foods that can “trigger” this?
1. Cruciferous vegetables. Foods like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower all fall into the cruciferous category. The reason why they can lead to bloating is that they contain a sugar known as raffinose that our bodies actually don’t have the enzymes to naturally digest. As a direct result, these foods bypass your small intestines in order to be processed in your large intestine, which can ultimately lead to gas and bloating.
2. Garlic and onions. I’m putting these two in the same category, simply because they tend to be two foods that are used to bring flavor to meals. While I can personally rock with garlic pretty well, something that my body is absolutely not interested in is an onion. And yes, both of these can also lead to bloating because they contain sugar carbohydrates known as fructans, which can also lead to gas and bloating (especially if you have a fructan intolerance, which consists of symptoms like burping, constipation, and passing gas).
3. Carbonated drinks. This is where I get jacked up. Since plain water bores me to tears, I tend to drink a lot of sparkling water, and drinks that are carbonated tend to be infused with carbon dioxide gas, and gas, as you already know, can definitely lead to bloating. I am a witness.
4. Dairy. Right out the gate, most of the people who are bloated from consuming dairy are because they are lactose intolerant. Thing about that is, close to 70 percent of folks fall into that category — whether they realize it or not. And what causes the intolerance? Well, there are sugars and cholesterol in dairy products that make it hard for you to fully digest your food. Besides, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times over: humans are the only ones who seem to consume other baby mammals’ milk. Perhaps therein lies the real issue/problem. #Elmoshrug
5. Apples. It might surprise you to see this fruit on the list. The backstory is that the combination of fructose and fiber that’s in apples could lead to a longer fermentation period in your intestines, and that is what might cause bloating whenever you eat them.
5 Things That You Can Do to Prevent Bloating (Beforehand)
GiphyThose five things that I just listed? That’s actually the tip of the iceberg when it comes to foods that can bring about a bloating spell (you can learn about more of ‘em here and here). And if those alone have you wondering if you can ever enjoy some of your favorite foods again, for the most part, the answer is “yes” — just make sure that you are intentional about incorporating the following five avoid-the-bloat tips.
1. Take a food allergy test. Just like many people have an intolerance to lactose and don’t know it, the same goes for food allergies. In fact, it’s been reported that somewhere around 33 million individuals are allergic to at least one food, and a symptom of that might be bloating. So, if bloating is something that you are constantly dealing with, taking a food allergy/sensitivity test is a really good idea.
2. Eat slowly. If it wasn’t your mom, it was probably your grandmother who told you that you should chew each bite of your food no less than 10-15 times before swallowing. While some reports say that it should actually be somewhere around 32 times, something else that you might want to keep in mind is that you should also wait before taking another bite. How long? Well, some medical experts say that if you’re basically going to swallow your bites of food whole, you should wait a whole ‘nother five minutes before eating some more. Oh, and try to talk and even drink less while you’re eating. Talking brings more air into your digestive system, and drinking can sometimes “confuse” the digestion process.
3. Consume less fatty foods. You’ve probably heard somewhere that trans and saturated fats can raise your cholesterol levels; however, did you know that they might cause bloating too? That’s because high-fat foods tend to slow down the digestion process, which could cause bloating and indigestion in the process.
4. Do some mild exercise after you eat. If you’re someone who enjoys taking a stroll after you eat, keep on doing that. Research reveals that when you participate in a mild form of exercise after eating, that can help to get gas out of your body, so that you don’t end up becoming bloated.
5. Chew less gum. After all that we’ve already discussed, I’m pretty sure that this point makes all the sense in the world. Chewing gum causes you to take air into your system, and the more air that’s in your body, the more likely you are to end up feeling bloated.
5 Hacks for Getting Rid of Bloating
GiphyAnd what if it’s too late? The bloating has already made an appearance, and you’re looking for some much-needed relief. While there are over-the-counter meds that you can take, there are other approaches that are (pretty much) just as effective.
1. Take a probiotic. Although it is indeed true that when you first take a probiotic (especially if you take one with tons of different strains of bacteria in it), that can lead to bloating, once your body gets used to them being in your system, they can actually significantly improve your digestive process which can decrease your bloating instances too.
2. Limit your salt intake. A part of the reason why you tend to notice bloating when you’re PMS’ing or when you’re on your cycle is because the hormonal changes that you’re going through can cause water retention. Something else that causes water retention? Yep. Salt. So, if eating a lot of it is totally your thing and you know that you’ve got some bloating going on, there’s a pretty good chance that there is a direct correlation between the two. #sorry
3. Drink herbal tea. If you’re currently bloated, something that can help to immediately soothe your stomach is herbal tea — more specifically, ginger, peppermint and chamomile teas. The properties in all of these will help to ease the digestive process while reducing bloating and discomfort in the process.
4. Apply some heat. Just like the heat from warm tea can help your tummy to feel better and reduce the appearance of bloating, so can a heating pad. The reason why is that heat can help to relax your abdominal muscles, so that your food can be digested faster and more effectively.
5. Give yourself a massage. And lastly, how about an abdominal massage? Whether you need to get rid of some discomfort or remove some of the air that is causing the bloating to be apparent, applying pressure to your abdominal region can help with both of these issues. For tips on how to give yourself a highly beneficial abdominal massage, check out this video here.
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A bloated stomach is something that none of us really wants. Thankfully, there are some fairly simple things that you can do to reduce the bloat, so that you can get your tummy back on track. And how awesome is that?
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Featured image by NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock
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A Goddard College graduate, who earned an MFA from Pratt Institute and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Marymount Manhattan College, Mahogany offers unapologetic realness with a side of grace and empowerment. "I started touring locally. I started creating chat books so that those poems will go in the hands of the people who were sitting in the rooms," she shared.
"And then I started facilitating poetry workshops, so I used my chat books as curriculum. And that, in turn, allowed me to further invest in my art and show the community and people who were hiring me that it wasn't just a one-off, that it's not just, you know, a fly by night—that I am invested in this art as much as I am invested in your community, in your children's learning, in our growth."
Mahogany has a special way of moving audiences, and her superpower sparks shifts in perspective, post-performance introspection, and strengthening of community bonds, especially among Black women. (One can undeniably recognize her gift for arousal of the spirit and mind merely from her listening to her insights from the other side of a Google Hangout call. I can only imagine the soul-stirring, top-tier sensory encounter when watching her perform in person.)
In this chat with xoNecole, Mahogany reflects on sustaining a creative career, the aftermath of writing a banned book, and using poetry for both healing, community-building, and activism.
Anthony Artis
xoNecole: What are three key things that have laid the foundation for a sustainable creative career for you?
Mahogany L Browne: What has helped me is that I'm willing to go in being an expert at knowing poetry and knowing the way in which art can change the landscape of our lives, not just as a poet, but also as a poetry facilitator. How you move through classes, those things are mastered, right? So when I go into another space that's maybe tech-heavy, I don't mind learning and being, you know, a student of the wonder of how we can make this magic, work together.
Two, you’ve got to know how to pivot. Sometimes we say, ‘Alright, this is what my life is going to be. I'm going to be a New York Times best-selling author. I'm going to, you know, have an album that's Grammy-nominated. And then, say you get dropped from your record label. That doesn't mean you can't make an album anymore. You can also still create an album that can be submitted to the Grammys. So, what does a pivot look like as an artist who doesn't have an institution behind them? Pivot being a student of the wonder.
Relationships also really help. How do I serve the community? And in turn, that tells me how the community can show up. For me, I have long-standing ties with a community that will outlast my one life. So, what does it mean to create space where these relationships can develop, can be nurtured, can be rooted, can be cultivated? Creating space—it happens through relationships.
xoN: With today’s economic challenges, what does your current creative process look like, and what are you working on?
MB: I’m always thinking five years ahead. I just reviewed the pages for two children’s books and recently released a YA novel. I’m drafting an adult fiction manuscript now.
Anything I create is founded with the root of poetry, but it can exist in captions. It can exist in commercials. It can exist as a musical. So that's where I’m at now.
xoN: You started performing "Black Girl Magic" in 2013, had an acclaimed performance of it via PBS and the work went on to viral success shortly after. Talk more about the inspiration. And what do you think about the continued relevance more than a decade later?
MB: I wrote it as a rally cry for the mothers who had been keeping themselves truly in harm's way by, you know, being a part of the community right after the death of their child or their loved one. They are usually mothers of victims of police brutality—and just seeing how they showed up in these community spaces, they are devout to the cause but obviously still grieving.
"I wanted this poem to be just a space of reclamation, of joy and of you, of your light, of your shine, of your brilliance, in any which way in which you fashion. Every room you enter is the room you deserve to be in. What does it mean to have a poem like that that exists?"
And the first time I did the poem, the Weeping that occurred, right? It was like this blood-letting of sorts. The next time I performed it, I'm moved to tears because I'm seeing how it's affecting other women who have just been waiting to hear, ‘You belong. You deserve. You are good. We see you. Thank you, despite everything that they said to make you regret being born in this beautiful brown, dark-skinned, light-skinned, but Black body.’
Black women are the backbone—period. Point blank. And so, that that poem became a necessity, not just to the fortitude of Black women in the community, but like you know, in service of healing the Black women.
xoN: One of your books was banned at a school in Boston, and it was later reinstated due to parental and activist support. What was that experience like?
MB: Well, I think it happened because they were racist. That's it. Point blank. The reversal of it was empowering, right? I realized, oh, I thought we just had to sit here and be on a banned book list. But no, parents are actually the leaders of this charge.
So to see that, the parents said, ‘Nah, we're not gonna let you take this book out of my baby’s school just because it's a Black kid on the front saying, ‘Woke’ and they're talking about being a global citizen. They're talking about accountability. They're talking about accessibility. They're talking about allyship, and you don't want them to have compassion or empathy or have even an understanding, right? So no, we rebuke that, and we want this book here anyway.’ To see that happen in that way. I was, like, reaffirmed. Absolutely.
xoN: You recently organized the Black Girl Magic Ball at the Lincoln Center in New York. Honorees included author and entrepreneur Rachel Cargle and National Black Theater CEO Sade Lythcott. What impact did it have and what expanded legacy do you hope to leave with your creative works?
MB: I was really interested in not celebrating just the book, but celebrating the community that made the book possible. And so I gave out five awards to women doing that thing, like, what does it mean to be a Black girl in this world?
I just thought it was gonna be an amazing time. Everybody's gonna dress up—we're gonna celebrate each other. And boom, I then realized that it responded to like a gaping hole. There was a missing thing for Black girls of all walks of life, all ages, right?
"It's very intergenerational. That was intentional to come together and celebrate just being us."
You have all these instances where just being you is either the butt of a joke or it's diminished and not worthy of a specific title in these larger institutions. So what does it mean to just to be loved up on and celebrated?
It felt like a self-care project at first. You know, for the first couple of years, folks were coming and they were getting that sisterhood. They were getting that tribe work that they were missing in their everyday lives.
I love the Black Girl Magic Ball because we got us. If I go out with a bang, they'll remember that Mahogany worked her a** off to make sure all the Black girls everywhere knew that she was the light. We are the blueprint.
For more information on Mahogany L. Browne, her work, and her future projects, visit her website or follow her on IG @mobrowne.
Featured image by Anthony Artis
