More money more problems?

Inflation happens when the government tries to make up for a situation and starts handing out ‘free money’ which results in the value of the dollar to drop. Then the government cannot afford to pay back the accumulated debt, making the value of the dollar lower and overall increase in prices.

• Same way of how America became the land of “bang for your buck” with the food portion sizes relative to prices, Americans started glutinously eating away demanding food industries to match the caliber of their appetite. The manufacturing of food became heavily processed and leading to quantity over quality. Diminished quality of food led to rising health issues.
• In the economy, there is a surplus of money handed out. However, it appears that our microbiome behaves in a similar method leading to the common nuisance we can all relate experiencing:

Bloating (inflation of the stomach)

That uneasy feeling of fullness in your stomach and everything feels uncomfortable. Your stomach appears to be inflated but you don’t know where it’s coming from! Summer is coming and we certainly don’t want to be that girl with a Fupa

So what causes bloating?

Here is why inflation happens in the economy represented in a gut microbiome perspective:

• We are supposed to be consuming organic and natural foods. However, an influx of processed foods in the American diet, overexposes us to toxic materials which agitate the gut lining.
• The toxic materials start change the good bacteria into bad bacteria gas as by products of fermentation. These gases have both direct and indirect effects on the gut, and may also be used as diagnostic markers to diagnose bacterial overgrowth.
• In the economy, the government is constantly borrowing and expanding debt. The foods we consume causes methane gas to build up just as how the debts of the economy build up, the buildup of gas starts to physcially expand the stomach.

“SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is an imbalance of the microorganisms in your gut that maintain healthy digestion. When too many bacteria, or the wrong kind, populate the small intestine, it can lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as gas and diarrhea.”

• Which caused a (literal) inflation in our stomach and inflation in economy where there was no recovery from the propulsive processed foods ultimately leading to the value of our health to decline.

So, how can we hedge against inflation?

We are all unhealthy and bloated to some degree. How can we deal with this?We would deal with bloating by taking common OTC medications such as:

• Antacids contain simethicone, which adheres to bubbles in the stomach so that gas is more easily released.
• Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) may help reduce bloating caused by an upset stomach.

However, we can solve the root of the problem with these sustainable lifestyle adjustments:

Here’s 6 ways:

1. Take Probiotic supplements

Inflation is real. Food prices are high and it’s quite difficult to eat out nowadays without breaking the bank. We opt for easy snacking and microwavable meals at home but this really affects our gut health and creates serious bloating. Taking supplemental probiotics cuts the cost of expensive fermented foods and makes up for all the good bacteria we need to consume. Here’s a really good probiotic without having to spend too much money.

Shop here.

2. Eat more dietary fiber

Currently, dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 grams a day. That’s about half the recommended amount.

When purchasing probiotics, buy ones that contain prebiotics as well. Prebioticsare dietary fibers that are consumed by the probiotics helping them to multiply providing you a stronger source of healthy bacteria.

Shop probiotics + prebiotics here.

3. Cut out artificial sweeteners and salt intake

Read here for the effects of artifical sweeteners on bloating.

4. Try to avoid fried and dairy products.

If you really can’t compromise dairy, taking probiotics + prebiotics will help you digest dairy products without the side effects of lactose intolerance and hormonal acne problems.

5. Walk incline level 7–10 with speed 3.0 on the treadmill for 30 minutes

Physical activity such as this will help expel gas that causes pain and help move digestion along. Also, you can sweat out all those toxins and extra water retention.

6. Cut down on gluten

“The supplementation of GFD with probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli, could help to restore altered gut microbiota, reducing both gliadin toxicity and immune activation [1], while improving the daily ingestible gluten amount to better tolerate the GFD.”

Works Cited

[1] Caio G., Riegler G., Patt Urelli M., Facchiano A., De Magistris L., Sapone A. Pathophysiology of non-celiac gluten sensitivity: Where are we now? Minerva Gastroenterol. Dietol. 2017;63:16–21. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]