Support for bloating that won’t settle, especially when cutting foods out hasn’t fixed it.
Flat in the morning, six months pregnant by the evening. Clothes that fit at breakfast and don’t by dinner. Turning down meals out because you know how you’ll feel afterwards. Most people I work with have already tried cutting out gluten, dairy or both, and a probiotic or two. Some of it helped a bit. None of it solved it.
I’m a registered nutritional therapist specialising in gut health, and persistent bloating is the most common reason people get in touch. I work with clients across the UK by video call, and in person in Hove by arrangement.
Bloating is a symptom, not a diagnosis
Bloating is your gut telling you something isn’t working as it should. The useful question is what. In my clinic, it usually comes down to one or more of these:
- How well you break food down. Low stomach acid, sluggish bile or eating in a rush all leave more work for the bacteria further down.
- Fermentation in the wrong place. Bacteria fermenting food too early, as in SIBO, or a sensitivity to certain fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs).
- Constipation. Even if you go every day, slow transit is one of the most common and most overlooked causes of bloating.
- The gut-brain connection. Stress changes how your gut moves and how sensitive it is. For some people, the way the abdominal muscles and diaphragm react to normal amounts of gas is the main issue, and that can be retrained.
- Hormones. Many women notice bloating shifts across their cycle.
- Specific foods. Real reactions do exist, but they’re usually part of the picture rather than the whole of it.
More on this in why bloating isn’t just about food.
What the pattern tells us
When and how your bloating happens is one of the most useful clues we have, which is why I ask so many questions about it.
- Within an hour of eating often points higher up the gut: digestion, or bacteria in the small intestine
- Building steadily through the day is very common, and there are several reasons for it. I’ve written about why bloating gets worse in the evening.
- Alongside constipation suggests we need to look at transit first
- Worse before or during your period brings hormones into it
- After specific foods only is the pattern where food changes are most likely to help
Keeping a simple record for a week or two before we start, of what you eat, when bloating starts and how your bowels are, saves a lot of guesswork.
See your GP first if any of these apply
Nutritional therapy works alongside medical care, not instead of it. Please see your GP before booking if you have:
- Persistent or frequent bloating if you’re a woman over 50, particularly if it’s new
- Blood in your stool, or black, tarry stools
- Weight loss you can’t explain, or feeling full very quickly
- Anaemia, or tiredness that isn’t going away
- A new change in bowel habit, particularly if you’re over 50
- A family history of bowel or ovarian cancer, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease
If you haven’t been tested for coeliac disease, ask your GP about that before cutting out gluten. The test only works if you’re still eating it.
How I work with bloating
Most clients join my 16-week programme, Restore Revive Thrive. In short:
- A free 30-minute discovery call to talk through your symptoms and whether I can help
- A 90-minute initial consultation covering your history, symptom pattern, diet, sleep, stress and medication
- Testing only where it changes the plan, such as a breath test for SIBO or a comprehensive stool test
- A phased plan covering nutrition, lifestyle and movement, with check-ins every two weeks
It’s £350 a month for a minimum of four months, with any testing paid to the lab separately. See everything that’s included.
Hi, I’m Teddy
I’m a registered nutritional therapist (DipNT, mBANT, CNHC) and founded Berkeley Nutrition in 2020. I focus on gut health because I know first-hand how much digestive problems can take over your life.
Questions about bloating
Is it normal to be bloated every day?
Some change in your stomach through the day is completely normal, especially after meals. Bloating that’s uncomfortable, that changes what you wear or eat, or that’s getting worse isn’t something you just have to put up with.
Should I cut out gluten or dairy?
Not without a good reason. Cutting foods out often gives some relief at first and then stops working, and your diet ends up narrower than it needs to be. If gluten is a question, get tested for coeliac disease first, while you’re still eating it.
Do probiotics help with bloating?
Some people find a particular probiotic helps. Others, particularly if bacterial overgrowth is involved, feel worse. It’s better to understand what’s driving your bloating before adding more bacteria in.
Could my bloating be SIBO?
It might be, especially if it starts soon after eating. It’s one of several possibilities. Read more about how I work with SIBO.
Is bloating the same as IBS?
Bloating is one of the most common IBS symptoms, but plenty of people have bloating without IBS. Read more about how I work with IBS.
Do I need a test?
Not always. The pattern of your symptoms often tells us a lot. If a test would change the plan, we’ll talk it through, including the cost, before anything is ordered.
Do you work online?
Yes. Most clients work with me by video call, from anywhere in the UK. In-person appointments in Hove are available by arrangement.
Ready to talk it through?
Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll go through your symptoms and when they happen, and you’ll come away with a clearer idea of what might be behind your bloating, whether or not we end up working together.