The SHOCKING Reasons You’re So BLOATED (And Key Tips for Stopping It) with Dietitian Andrea Hardy

If you suffer from occasional bloating after your favorite meals, you’re not going to want to miss this episode. Here’s all the incredible insights you can expect. How Diet Culture Has Co-Opted Anti-Bloat Content What Normal Digestion vs Bloating Looks Like The Massive Role of Constipation in Bloating How To Know if You’re FOS (Literally) How to Balance Fiber to Promote Regularity without Increasing Bloating Best Sources of Fiber for Bloating & Regularity Sneaky Sources of Bloating How #SkinniTok & Undereating Causes Bloating The Role of Mental Health in Digestion Hacks for Stress-Related IBS The Exciting Details on Neue Theory’s Digest + Debloat Exclusive Promocode for 20% off! Important Links: Neue Theory’s Digest + Debloat (Promocode BITEBACK20): neuetheory.com Nerva App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nerva-ibs-gut-hypnotherapy/id1467398796 References: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10237074/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27308645/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18403946/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10442508/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30386118/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3123991/ https://www.derpharmachemica.com/pharma-chemica/chamomile-efficacy-in-patients-of-the-irritable-bowel-syndrome.pdf Check in with today’s amazing guest: Andrea Hardy, RD Follow on Instagram: @andreahardyrd Book: Get Backed Up: The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Constipation Disclaimer: The content in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is never a substitute for medical advice. If you’re struggling with with your mental or physical health, please work one on one with a health care provider. If you have heard yourself in our discussion today, and are looking for support, contact the free NEDIC helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or go to eatingdisorderhope.com. 🥤 Check out my 2-in-1 Plant Based Probiotic Protein Powder & Digest + Debloat by neue theory at www.neuetheory.com or @neuetheory • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •✨ Reach Your Weight & Health Goals — Without Dieting! Pre-order The Hunger Crushing Combo Method, Abbey’s revolutionary additive approach to eating well. Learn how to boost satiety, stabilize blood sugars, reduce disease risk, and improve your relationship with food — all while getting the best nutrient bang for your caloric buck. With 400+ research citations, cheat sheets, evidence-based actionable tips, meal plans, and adaptable recipes, The Hunger Crushing Combo Method is the only nutrition bible you’ll ever need. 👉 Pre-order today! 🛒 Where to Purchase: Amazon Barnes & Noble Amazon Kindle Apple Books Google Play Kobo Apple Books (Audiobook) Audible abbeyskitchen.com/hunger-crushing-combo • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •✉️ Subscribe to My Newsletters: Abbey’s Kitchen Newsletter 📘 Check out my FREE E-Books: Hunger Crushing Combo™ E-Book Protein 101 E-Book 👋 Follow me! Instagram: @abbeyskitchen TikTok: @abbeyskitchen YouTube: @AbbeysKitchen Blog: abbeyskitchen.com Book: The Mindful Glow Cookbook • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — and leave us a review! It really helps support the show ❤️ 💬 If you liked this podcast, please like, follow, and leave a review — and let me know who you’d love to hear about next! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Welcome to the 50th Hunger Day.

• 0:01Speaker 01

  Witness the beginning of the revolution.

• 0:04Speaker 00

  Hey Mitch, you've been trying to take down these games from the start.

• 0:07Speaker 01

  Filmed for IMAX.

• 0:08Speaker 00

  Make them remember you.

• 0:11Speaker 01

  The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, November 20th, rated PG-13.

• 0:15Speaker 02

  When our body is stressed, it can actually change the communication between our brain and our guts to not only change digestion, but change how we perceive digestion.

• 0:30Abbey Sharp?

  Welcome to another episode of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, where I dismantle diet culture rules, call out the shellaceans spinning the pseudoscience, and help you achieve food freedom for good.

• 0:43Abbey Sharp?

  Today's episode is definitely a special interest of mine, because as I've discussed in a lot of detail over the years, I am part of the 10 to 15% of the population who suffers from IBS. And of all the joys of IBS, persistent and painful bloating is probably one of the most unpleasant and reviled. This is really the reason why I wanted to develop a brand new digestive enzyme supplement at New Theory, which after 18 months in development is finally available. Yay! I'm going to be telling you a lot more about that at the end of this episode, so if you also deal with uncomfortable bloating, or you just want to improve your digestion, you

• 1:28Abbey Sharp?

  won't want to miss that. My guest today, Andrea Hardy, is a fellow dietitian and IBS girly, and runs a nutrition counseling team of dietitians and psychologists called Ignite Nutrition that specializes in digestion and women's health. She's also the author of the new ebook, Backed Up: The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Constipation. In today's episode, we will be chatting about how diet culture has sneakily co-opted anti-bloat messages to be code for anti-fat. We're going to be talking about common causes of bloating, including the biggest food culprits, and what to do about them. We're also going to be talking about how not eating enough may actually be contributing

• 2:11Abbey Sharp?

  to your digestive woes, and we'll discuss the role of mental health on the gut. A quick note that we will be talking about disordered eating, so... Please feel free to skip this video if that is triggering to you. And also my general disclaimer that the information in this episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only and is never a replacement for personalized healthcare. Also, I would really love if you would follow or subscribe to the podcast and leave me a review because honestly, as a new podcast, it really, really does help me out. All right, let's get into it.

• 2:52Abbey Sharp?

  Okay, Andrea, thank you so much for joining me. It's always a pleasure to chat with you.

• 2:56Speaker 02

  I'm very excited to be here today and talking about my favorite topic.

• 3:01Abbey Sharp?

  Yes. Okay, so like mini rant here, but you know, one of the many toxic messages spread by extreme wellness culture these days that really irks me as somebody who has struggled with legit IBS, probably my whole life, is like pathologizing your stomach not being completely flat and then calling that quote unquote bloating. You know, I just feel like so much of the anti-bloat content out there is just grossly ED-coded when it is obviously completely normal for your stomach to expand and not look quote unquote snatched when you put food and drink into it. So, you know, I think this has really created a lot of confusion around what normal, healthy digestion looks like.

• 3:45Abbey Sharp?

  So maybe could you talk a bit about what is normal versus, you know, when is abdominal distension and bloating something that we should maybe investigate further?

• 3:55Speaker 02

  A hundred percent. I mean, I see this all the time as well as everybody expects this like perfectly flat tummy and you see these pictures, it's really toxic pictures on social media of distension and people saying like, oh, maybe it's SIBO, when in fact it is completely normal when you eat that your stomach needs to make room. So there's, there's gastric accommodation, like meaning that your diaphragm lifts up and makes space, but there will still be some changes in people's bodies when they eat and that is normal. And if you're, you know, if you have stool in your colon and you haven't gone to the bathroom yet, you're gonna notice something different.

• 4:38Speaker 02

  But people really fixate on that and they see it as a problem. And I see lots of stuff online saying, you know, you need to have, you know, two or three bowel movements a day. And that's just not true.

• 4:49Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 4:50Speaker 02

  In terms of constipation definition, uh, the actual definition of functional constipation is um, including less than three bowel movements a week. However, when I look at my constipated patients, quality of life plays into that. So a lot of times people are trying to aim for a bowel movement every day or every other day to feel comfortable. And when they start skipping more than that, that's when they start to notice pain and discomfort associated with constipation. So if you're experiencing normal abdominal fluctuations of like expansion and contraction,

• 5:29Speaker 02

  and it's not associated with pain, it's not associated with changes in bowel habits, that's probably normal. Um, as soon as there's like this pain, this discomfort, um, a lot of patients that have severe constipation, experience a lot of pressure, nausea, um, that's the red flag there to say, okay, there could be something going on. I should get this looked at.

• 5:51Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, yeah, that's great advice. Um, and in your practice, what are some of the most common causes of bloating you see? And I want to have like actual bloating, not just like I ate, I ate something and there's food in my gut.

• 6:05Speaker 02

  For sure. So in terms of bloating, one of the biggest causes of bloating that people haven't been able to figure out is constipation. A lot of people do struggle with constipation, whether it's from diet and lifestyle or other things going on. Um, but you know, a lot of my patients, especially my women that are like forty plus, maybe nearing perimenopause, they're like, I go to the bathroom every day. I don't think I'm constipated. But when we actually look at it, they actually have quite a high stool burden or they're F O S or full of stool. Um, and so stool volume, stool frequency all plays a role in that. And

• 6:46Speaker 02

  um, you know, as we age, things can slow down. As hormones change, things can slow down. Um, women, but even men can experience things like pelvic floor dysfunction, which contributes to chronic constipation. Uh, so there's a lot of factors out there where people. Are experiencing constipation and they're like, oh, maybe I have SIBO, maybe I need to do all these crazy things. When in fact, you know, constipation needs to be dealt with first before you start, you know, diving down that rabbit hole.

• 7:15Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, you know, back to kind of like wellness culture. I just feel like the same way it's more socially acceptable to talk about bloating than it is to talk about losing weight to look snatched. It is a lot cuter to talk about bloating than it is to talk about constipation.

• 7:28Speaker 02

  Right.

• 7:28Abbey Sharp?

  So I think that's, you know, often left out of these conversations that we see online. Um, when, like you said, like this is often the root problem. This is actually, you know, something we have to be talking about and thinking about more. Um, okay. So you talked about being full of stool, F O S. I love that. Um. What are some signs that you're not fully eliminating your bowels? Because like you said, like sometimes you'd be like, well, I went to the bathroom today, but like, what are, how do you know? And not to get crude, but like, how much poop should, is normal per day? Like, what should we be aiming for?

• 8:02Speaker 02

  Absolutely. So it can greatly vary based on how much fiber you consume because fiber bulks stool. Um, but typically like one to two cups of stool is normal, but lots of my patients are passing, you know, um, kind of rabbit poops are really thin, pencil thin stools in very small volumes. And they may actually consume a regular or high fiber diet. Um, they're complaining of bloating. They're complaining, you know, every time I eat, I just feel so full and uncomfortable. Um, so they might be passing small amounts of stool every day, or they might be somebody who's, you know, can go three or five days without a bowel movement.

• 8:40Speaker 02

  Uh, the best way to actually diagnose somebody being full of stool is an abdominal X-ray. I always feel like it's a really underutilized tool. But in absence of doing that, my patients end up pursuing all of these other things when if we would have just done the abdominal X-ray and seen that they're full of stool, we would have managed the constipation, not dove down.

• 9:02Abbey Sharp?

  Right.

• 9:03Speaker 02

  You know, all these other rabbit holes with motility studies and hydrogen and methane breath tests to diagnose SIBO. Um, just getting back to the basics with something like that can help your physician see, oh my goodness, their whole colon is full of stool. Um, so that can be a really helpful tool, especially when there's pelvic floor involvement.

• 9:24Abbey Sharp?

  That is very helpful for folks to know. And aside from the general discomfort of it, of being full of stool, being constipated, are there any kind of short or long-term risks of stool, just kind of like sitting in the intestines for longer periods of time?

• 9:40Speaker 02

  Not like wellness culture says there is. However, it can create a lot of discomfort. It can create a lot of gas. The longer stool sits in the colon, the more fermented it gets. A lot of patients do complain of really stinky, foul smelling gas when they're full of stool.

• 10:01Speaker 02

  And of course, you know, the harder your stool gets, the harder it is to pass. People are bearing down or pushing more, which leads to hemorrhoids, which is, you know, the worst.

• 10:12Abbey Sharp?

  Brutal.

• 10:12Speaker 02

  Especially after pregnancy.

• 10:14Abbey Sharp?

  Any, yeah, any pregnant person, anyone who's been pregnant just knows the hell of that. And it's kind of like almost inevitable. Once you've pushed a baby out of your vagina, that that's, you know, you've pushed everything, let's just say out. So yeah, it's rough.

• 10:29Speaker 02

  Hundred percent.

• 10:29Abbey Sharp?

  So that's super good to know. Okay. And obviously, when we're dealing with constipation, fiber-rich foods, along with hydration, is super key. It's like you said, like when it gets hard, it's harder to pass, all that. But ironically, too much fiber can also be a source of bloating, gas, and distension for a lot of folks. So there's like this Goldilocks dose when it comes to fiber. What should we be aiming for? And how much is too much when we're trying to kind of balance the seemingly competing problems of like having constipation and also having bloating, but we're trying to get in those high fiber foods?

• 11:05Speaker 02

  Hundred percent. So in my book, in Backed Up, we talk about constipation subtypes. And better understanding your constipation subtype will better help you understand how to overcome the constipation and get in enough fiber. Because you're right, some people are short on fiber. They have functional constipation where if we just bump up their fiber, bump up their fluid, we're going to get them moving. On the other hand, if you have something like pelvic floor dysfunction, where you're just not coordinating a bowel movement properly, maybe your pelvic floor is too tight, it's not relaxing, maybe your diaphragm's not moving.

• 11:45Speaker 02

  You might not be helped by more fiber because the bulking effect of that fiber can actually make it harder for you to pass stool. So I typically find that if you fall more into the severely constipated category, we got to get you cleaned out first before we start adding in fiber. If you're like mild to moderately constipated, you know, we can be a bit more aggressive with fiber without it making things worse. But when it comes to fiber, you know, choosing the right kinds of fiber and using strategic fiber strategies can kind of globally help all different types of constipation. And if it doesn't, it actually gives us a clue as

• 12:30Speaker 02

  to what might be going on with your constipation.

• 12:32Abbey Sharp?

  And can you give us a couple of examples of like good sources of fiber that are helpful for constipation, but also less likely to trigger bloating, gas distension?

• 12:43Speaker 02

  Absolutely. So two of my favorites, I have a list of constipation superfoods. Two of my favorites that perform well in the research and well with my patients in practice. One is kiwi fruit. So two kiwi fruit a day is not only a good source of fiber, but it actually also contains an enzyme that's been shown to help with the movement of the bowels and soften the stool. And people tend to actually prefer that in comparison with prunes. Now, I love prunes. They're a great way to resolve constipation. But the way that they work is that they, the type of carbohydrate in them pulls water into the bowels. And with

• 13:22Speaker 02

  that pulling of water can create bloating and discomfort in certain people. So while prunes can be a helpful strategy in some, if you struggle with something like IBS C or IBS constipation, that bloating can lead to the perception of pain and discomfort. So sometimes kiwi fruit is a better option than prunes.

• 13:45Abbey Sharp?

  Yes. And, and that research you were mentioning about the kiwi, like that, that is fantastic research. And it also actually showed that not only did it help with the constipation, it also helped with the bloating. So it really is that like, that perfect, that's perfect superfood when it comes to that, you know, those IBS symptoms. I love that.

• 14:03Speaker 02

  I also really like.

• 14:06Speaker 02

  Uh flaxseed, ground flax. Um, because the type of fiber in it isn't super fermentable, but it really lends well to good stool consistency and a quicker transit time or how quickly things move through your gut. So, um, ground flax, I like to just sprinkle it on my yogurt. Uh, it's a really easy way to up your fiber intake without contributing to excess bloating and gas.

• 14:31Abbey Sharp?

  Amazing. Yeah. One of my personal favorites when it comes to supplemental fiber. I love partially hydrolyzed guar gum. Um, because again, really great for regulatory gut health, but gentle and non-bloating for those of us who are more sensitive to FODMAPs, for example. And you, you actually mentioned the fermentation. So I wanted to kind of touch on that because, you know, um, again, when we're talking about bloating and gas, like often we're talking about the fermentation of specific carbohydrates in the gut by our good bacteria. And most of that hot happens from FODMAPs. And maybe people have heard that term. Um, it stands for, for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. It's a big, big, big, big word.

• 15:14Abbey Sharp?

  Um, but these include a wide range of foods like dairy and cauliflower and beans and garlic, onions, sugar alcohols. Like a lot of the foods that people, you know, often identify as triggering for them. Um, and I always like to talk about having like a FODMAP bucket. Like we all have our little FODMAP bucket. Some peoples are deep, some peoples are shallow. Um, so, you know, some people can tolerate tons of FODMAPs and not have any kind of symptoms. And others can feel like, oh my God, I get bloated after like two bites of cauliflower, which is me. Um, and it sucks because a lot of really healthy and delicious, you know, nutritious, high fiber foods are rich in FODMAPs. Um, so yeah, I just wanted to kind of mention that

• 15:57Abbey Sharp?

  because if you love these foods, but they trigger bloating, um, you know, a good digestive enzyme supplement, like a lactase for dairy and alpha galactosidase is for legumes. Um, can be really helpful because we want people to enjoy these kinds of foods because they're nutritious for us and, and, you know, great sources of fiber, but can be triggering for a lot of us folks.

• 16:18Speaker 02

  Absolutely.

• 16:33Abbey Sharp?

  I want to talk about some other kind of sneaky causes of bloating that maybe people are less likely to think about. Like, they may, they might know the cauliflower makes them blow. They might know that, okay, if I haven't pooped in two days, I'm gonna feel bloated. But other kind of sneaky things that people aren't really thinking about?

• 16:51Speaker 02

  Yeah, so one that I see that's actually quite common is a lot of people are consuming a lot of carbonated beverages, and they don't realize, they think, okay, well, it makes me burp, but they don't realize that any air that they don't actually burp out travels through the digestive tract and contributes to bloating. I, my husband, for example, is an air swallower. So when he talks a lot, he actually swallows a lot of air. So people that chew gum, people that smoke, you tend to swallow a lot more air. And they tend to look for, you know, what food could be contributing to this, when in fact, it's

• 17:30Speaker 02

  actually either behavioral or related to things like carbonated beverages. And so watching intake of that, or getting to know whether you're an air swallower, can be a really helpful, you know, information in managing bloating. A lot of people don't realize that they do it.

• 17:49Abbey Sharp?

  How do you know if you're an air swallower? Is there a test for that?

• 17:53Speaker 02

  Well, you know, it's kind of funny. It's not a very scientific test. But if you know somebody that's like constantly burping, I always see on social media, they're like, ooh, low stomach acid, drink, you know, apple cider vinegar, or whatever. But chances are, you're probably an air swallower. So what you can do is actually put a pencil in between your teeth, like bite down on it, and you can hold it there. So if you're noticing like you're burping a lot, and you know, you're either talking, or smoking, or chewing bubble gum, if you hold a pencil between your teeth, and it stops you from like, creating these burps, you can actually prove that like, you can't swallow air when you're holding a pencil between your teeth. So I learned that from an SLP, a speech-language

• 18:35Speaker 02

  pathologist, who can actually properly assess if you're an air swallower. But that's like a really easy thing. Like, I shouldn't throw my husband under the bus.

• 18:45Speaker 02

  I was like, hold this pencil because he's like, I can't stop burping. There's something wrong with me. And I was like, put this pencil between your teeth. And it like prevented him from, you know, swallowing air for, you know, 15 minutes. He didn't have any burps at all. And I was like, see, like, this is behavioral, behavioral. So.

• 19:00Abbey Sharp?

  There you go. Yes. And the smoking you mentioned, I mean, just another reason to quit, another reason not to vape.

• 19:07Speaker 02

  Or vape. Yeah.

• 19:08Abbey Sharp?

  Oh, yeah. Like, all that, all that. So that's, that's a good reminder for, for our listeners as well. Okay. You know, back to what I was saying, kind of at the top of the interview about a lot of anti-bloating messaging being kind of e-decoded. The irony of this, to me, is that these messages can often encourage under-eating, which actually can perpetuate or cause bloating. And people don't know that. Can you talk about how not eating enough can affect our digestion and bloating?

• 19:41Speaker 02

  100%. So a lot of the messaging around bloating online is very restrictive, and it can actually perpetuate worsening symptoms. So while constipation related to underfeeding isn't a subtype, in our book, we're like, you know, this isn't talked about enough. We added it as an additional subtype. Because we see so many people under-eating, and when you under-eat, you slow your bowels, you miss out on an opportunity to get in those foods that help to stimulate bowel movements. You mess with your body's natural rhythm, because when you eat, it triggers something called your gastrocolic reflex, which is the reflex

• 20:23Speaker 02

  where your nervous system stimulates motility, your movement in your bowels. And so every eating opportunity is an opportunity to stimulate normal motility in the bowels. And if you're skipping meals, you're missing out on that opportunity. So between inadequate intake

• 20:40Speaker 02

  Um inadequate intake of, you know, things that are going to stimulate normal motility of your bowels, inadequate eating opportunities, all of those compounds to slower bowels and increase bloating. So a lot of times it's actually getting enough food at enough eating occasions to overcome the constipation and the bloating that a person's created through restriction.

• 21:03Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, so interesting. And you know, another interesting kind of take on this as well is I was speaking to another colleague of ours, Eric Williamson, when we were discussing metabolism and that, you know, if your metabolism slows down because of extreme caloric restriction, as we would see in something like anemia disorder or disordered eating, all of your organs, including your digestive organs, will kind of pull back on their energy expenditure, which means that, you know, motility and peristalsis, which is key for, you know, moving things through the digestive tract so that you can have regular bowel movements and reduce bloating, that's all going to slow down. And, you know, it's, I can really

• 21:44Abbey Sharp?

  empathize with people who kind of get trapped in this cycle because the bloating kind of can perpetuate a lot of the disordered eating because you're feeling uncomfortable. If you eat, you know, anything, which just reinforces this fear of food, so then you eat less and then you kind of get, it keeps you trapped in this. And I just think, you know, also like the unpleasant symptoms of the bloating and the distension, like that can further exacerbate that hyperfixation on how your body looks and feels. So it's, it's very messy and that's really where working with, you know, an expert like yourself comes into play.

• 22:20Speaker 02

  100%. I mean, it's the restriction that, you know, is really hard to overcome. And so there are so many non-food strategies to resolve constipation.

• 22:32Speaker 02

  And in somebody that's struggling to meet their energy needs, maybe has a fear over meeting their energy needs, using other strategies to resolve constipation so that we can improve symptoms enough to actually be confident in meeting those energy needs can be really helpful. So medication is a huge part of constipation management in severe constipation or constipation where diet intervention is not appropriate, like in an eating disorder or disordered eating. And I don't want people to lose sight of that because all of the information online is like, do it naturally. Well, for some people, that's not a good fit. It was not possible. They are on meds. They have other medical

• 23:12Speaker 02

  conditions. They maybe have an extra long colon that, you know, we need medication to overcome some of those structural abnormalities. So there's so many contributing factors to constipation that really do need a zoomed in look. So that's important.

• 23:28Abbey Sharp?

  Super helpful.

• 23:43Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah. Okay. Now, speaking about disordered eating and mental health, can we talk about the impact of stress and anxiety when it comes to just general bloating, IBS? You know, how does our mental health affect our digestion?

• 23:59Speaker 02

  We know that irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of gut-brain interaction where our brain and our gut aren't communicating appropriately. We actually think of our gut as our second brain because our nervous system and our gut is so extensive and responsible for so many things. And so when our body is stressed, it can actually change the communication between our brain and our guts to not only change digestion, but change how we perceive digestion. And so a lot of patients with irritable bowel syndrome actually perceive normal digestion and appropriately. So when they do have fermentation, so production of

• 24:42Speaker 02

  gas from, you know, consumption of fermentable fibers, or we talked about those prunes pulling water into the bowels. That stretch creates an inappropriate communication between the brain and the gut to say like, "Hey, perceive this as pain." And so with that, that can then create a cycle where digestion changes because the body feels under stress from that.

• 25:04Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, a- a- and it is amazing. Again, it's something that not enough people talk about in, you know, typical wellness culture online. We're not talking enough about the impact of our, of our brain and mental health. But studies suggest that around like 60% of people with IBS have psychological comorbidities. So this is clearly, you know, deeply intertwined. And, you know, as an IBS C girly myself, I realize that like managing stress is easier said than done. So I think, you know, self compassion is so important here because dealing with IBS symptoms like bloating and constipation is so stressful at times. Like when I'm traveling

• 25:48Abbey Sharp?

  and I just go one day without pooping, I literally start to freak out because I, and I just get in my head, "Oh, my God, I'm gonna be constipated for three days. I'm gonna not be able to dry myself." Like, it's all I can think about. It's like all consuming. Do you have any tips or hacks for helping manage stress-related IBS?

• 26:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, so same over here. When I'm stressed, I definitely notice an uptick in pain related to digestion. And, you know, I think both you and I are probably people that, you know, operate well under stress, really kind of like high performance anxiety.

• 26:25Abbey Sharp?

  Yep, yep.

• 26:26Speaker 02

  Kind of hope. And with that, you know, our body's in that fight or flight more often than it should be. We're probably ruminators.

• 26:37Abbey Sharp?

  All that.

• 26:37Speaker 02

  Testificers.

• 26:40Speaker 02

  And so you kind of actually hit the nail on the head. Self compassion is such an important skill when it comes to managing digestion. And it's actually, it's really hard at the beginning. I was like, "Oh, this feels so stupid. I hate doing this. I don't want to be compassionate to myself." But I can be compassionate to other people.

• 26:59Abbey Sharp?

  Right.

• 27:01Speaker 02

  It's simply just like stopping, taking a moment, sitting with the discomfort of being a human being. So just like, okay, it's okay to feel this way. Everybody feels this way sometimes. This is part of being human. This is part of living with a digestive disorder. And reminding yourself, this is just like a moment in time. Uh, because I get caught up and I'm a catastrophizer and it's so easy to spiral and fixate. And like, you're a fixer, I'm a fixer. We don't, we wouldn't have ended up in dietetics. Nope, it's true. Um, so you know, we're always trying to fix it, but um, my friend Casey Burgland does a lot of work in the mind body space.

• 27:43Speaker 02

  And you gotta, you know, sit with that discomfort and feel it and remind yourself it's okay to feel this way. Everybody feels this way sometimes. Um, you can use like a turnaround phrase, like I'm, I'm learning to trust my body. Or I'm learning to sit with discomfort. Um, it might not feel right in your body to be like, okay, I'm, I'm learning to, you know, trust my gut. A lot of people are like, oh, that doesn't feel really true for me. So just learning to sit with discomfort can be a really helpful skill. And it is hard to do it when you're in it. Yeah. But if you're consistent with it, if you consistently try and try and try self compassion, it's going to be your default. So you're going to actually rewire your brain um, to default to that when you're struggling.

• 28:27Speaker 02

  So that's a really helpful tool. Love it. Um, I think there's a lot to be said about cognitive behavioral therapy when you struggle with digestion. Because you know, a lot of digestion, I often see like self fulfilling prophecies where my patients, you know, have had an emergency with their bowels and maybe it's on the way to work when they're stuck in traffic. And that one incident precipitates a lot of stress and fear. And when we're experiencing stress or fear, guess what? Our brain and our gut are talking to one another inappropriately and starting to do things that we don't actually want to happen. Yep. Um.

• 29:06Speaker 02

  And so, working on cognitive behavioral therapy, uh, working with a therapist specifically on strategies around reducing rumination or catastrophization, uh, can be extremely helpful. I find that to be one of the most beneficial things for irritable bowel syndrome patients.

• 29:23Abbey Sharp?

  A hundred percent, a hundred percent. And, you know, for, for at-home support too. I love the Nerva app. I don't know if you've ever tried the Nerva app. I mean, I'll, I'll leave a link to that in the show notes. It's not sponsored. I just have used them myself. It's like gut hypnotherapy. Um, there's like lots of different, you know, any kind of mindfulness, meditations and breathing practices, like all of that can be so helpful for when you're just having those, those moments. And again, like when you're busy, it's easier said than done to take those moments, you know, especially, you know, we talk about like bathroom habits and having like a good like poop routine in the morning. And like, sometimes that's just not possible if you have a, you know, early morning flight or an early morning

• 30:04Abbey Sharp?

  meeting or your kids are, you got up late or your kids are, you know, on top of you. It's like, you know, i- it is very hard to, to be able to, to find that space for yourself to, to take that moment and, and kind of breathe through it. Um, but for a lot of folks who do struggle with digestion, that, that, that relaxation piece is so, so key.

• 30:25Speaker 02

  A hundred percent. Yeah.

• 30:27Abbey Sharp?

  Well, this was so helpful, as always, Andrea. Um, of course, I'm going to be leaving links in the show notes for people to follow you online and to reach out for one-on-one counseling through Ignite, um, and also to get a copy of your new ebook.

• 30:42Speaker 02

  Right.

• 30:42Abbey Sharp?

  So, um, thank you so, so much for joining us.

• 30:45Speaker 02

  Yeah, thank you for having me.

• 30:51Abbey Sharp?

  That was so insightful. I always learn so much from talking to Andrea. She really is one of the best in the gut health biz. And this discussion really helps set the stage to introduce you to new theories, newest product, Digest and De-Bloat, which I carefully designed to help ease digestion and uncomfortable bloating. You know, I have been really critical of so-called anti-bloat products in the past for various reasons. You know, most offer suboptimal dosages buried in these proprietary blends, or what my scientific advisory and I would call "low-hanging fruit" when it

• 31:30Abbey Sharp?

  comes to ingredients with strong efficacy. Not to mention, the supplement world is enormous, and far too few brands are third-party testing their products for safety and purity. And if they are, those results aren't often shared publicly. So pushing for products that I could trust, and also that my followers could trust, was a huge part of why I felt I needed to start a wellness and supplement company in the first place. So at New Theory, we are proudly woman-owned, dietitian-founded, and committed to evidence-based, transparent, effective supplements that can help you live your healthiest, happiest

• 32:13Abbey Sharp?

  life. More importantly, though, we're really all about self-care. And as I mentioned earlier in the episode, so much of the online conversation around bloating is actually just wellness culture code for "look skinny." The marketing tends to focus on eating massive amounts of cakes and pizza "guilt-free," insinuating that as long as you look snatched, what you eat doesn't actually matter. I don't know about you, but I just feel like obsessing over how flat your stomach looks after you eat a slice of pizza is like the furthest thing from self-care. Not to mention, as we discussed earlier in the episode, a lot

• 32:58Abbey Sharp?

  of the foods that cause bloating are actually inherently very nutritious for us. So like, think salads, and beans, and dairy, and whole grains. As a dietitian, my goal is to help empower you to make food choices that nourish your body and help you feel your best. So if a digestive supplement can help you make those choices without discomfort, that to me is an invaluable act of self-care. So in my life, for example, I really heavily lean on dairy as a satiating source of protein and bone-supporting nutrients that I just truly enjoy. But eventually, my FODMAP bucket just gets too full.

• 33:43Abbey Sharp?

  And even though I love it, I know I'm going to get an IBS flare. So leaning on a digestive aid like Digest and Deep Bloat really just helps me make food choices that serve me best in the moment without anxiety and fear of symptom repercussions. And this really has been such an integral part of my own food freedom journey. But yeah, let me briefly tell you about New Theory's newest product. As Andrea and I discussed, the cause of someone's bloating is often multifactorial and individualized. So we designed Digest and Deep Bloat to attack digestive symptoms from a multitude of angles.

• 34:24Abbey Sharp?

  Our potent formula features a combination of evidence-based gut-soothing herbal extracts and powerful digestive enzymes to address different potential sources of bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and general digestive distress. So to tackle inadequate digestion at the source and enhance nutrient absorption from the foods that we eat, we use a combination of evidence-based digestive enzymes. So we got lactase for all you cheese and ice cream lovers, alpha galactosidase for beans, legumes, and cruciferous veg, and fructanase for onions, garlic, and all of those inulin-packed health foods.

• 35:06Abbey Sharp?

  Then, we combine those enzymes with ginger, curcumin, fennel seed, DGL licorice fruit, and chamomile extracts, which collectively and independently have been studied for their anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and pro-motility properties. So for example, ginger extract has unique pro-kinetic effects, meaning it's been shown to increase stomach and intestinal muscle activity to effectively move food along the GI tract, which in turn helps to support regularity and digestion. And as we discussed earlier, regularity and motility are key players in bloating.

• 35:48Abbey Sharp?

  Reduction. Then the combination of curcumin and fennel seed extracts has been shown to help reduce abdominal pain by 50% and significantly improve quality of life. While chamomile and DGL licorice have powerful antispasmodic effects, which helps to relax the muscles in the GI tract to reduce bloating, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea, and other common symptoms of IBS. Yes, you could incorporate more of these whole foods into your diet, and they are super nutritious, so I definitely encourage you to do that. But drinking like chamomile tea, for example, is just not going to have the clinical benefits we would see from extracts in efficacious dosages. And I am all about supplements that actually work.

• 36:33Abbey Sharp?

  After months of consulting with our advisory team and countless iterations and group testing of this formula, we are so excited about where we landed. And to celebrate the launch, my listeners are going to get a 20% discount to try the product first. So you can check out neuetheory.com, that is N-E-U-E-theory.com, and you can use the promo BITEBACK20 at your checkout. I am so excited to hear what you guys think and what meals and foods you have found that it's made the biggest difference with. But alas, I have a big glass of wine and a cheese board waiting for me to help celebrate this milestone of a day, so I'm going to go get to that.

• 37:18Abbey Sharp?

  But thank you again to Andrea Hardy for helping me bite back against pseudoscience online. And please don't forget to leave me a review and subscribe to the channel. It really, really does help me out. Signing off with Science and SaaS, I'm Abbey Sharp. Thanks for listening.

• 37:42Speaker 00

  Welcome to the 50th Hunger Games.

• 37:44Speaker 01

  Witness the beginning of the revolution.

• 37:47Speaker 00

  Hey Mitch, you can try to take down these games from the start.

• 37:50Speaker 01

  Filmed for IMAX.

• 37:51Speaker 00

  Make them remember you.

• 37:54Speaker 01

  The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Leaping, November 20th, rated PG-13.