How to Eliminate Perimenopause Bloating With Natural Remedies

I used to be able to eat anything. I'm not kidding. I never got indigestion, bloating or any other type of digestive problem. And then, out of the blue, I started getting bloated. First, it was only when I ate pasta, or drank too much coffee. Eventually, I was bloated all the time. Sometimes I would feel like I was going to explode. Like there was someone blowing up a balloon inside my stomach.
Causes of perimenopause bloating are generally related to hormone imbalance, but they can range from food intolerance to a decline in digestive function. A decline in function happens naturally as you age, but we modern humans have been on a quest to see how fast we can ruin our digestive systems for a hundred years or so.
This may come as a surprise, but we don't eat real food anymore. Let's take whole grains, for example. You've probably read over and over about the need to consume more whole grains if you want to be healthy, right?
What most people don't know is that grains need to be sprouted before cooking for maximum health. You need to soak them in order to neutralize the phytic acid that is present. Phytic acid interferes with absorption of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. In addition, grains contain enzyme inhibitors, which neutralize the enzymes in your digestive tract. Sprouting grains before cooking also increases the amount of Vitamin C, some B vitamins and carotene.
And let's be clear about what a whole grain is or isn't. Whole wheat pasta is NOT a whole grain. Whole wheat muffins or breads or pancakes are not whole grains. Whole grains include brown rice, millet, couscous, quinoa. Not instant versions, but the ones you actually have to cook.
So we spend years and years eating overly processed food that contains pesticides, genetically modified ingredients, grown in soil that has very few nutrients, and is usually full of rancid vegetable oils and/or some form of fructose, and we wonder why we end up with digestive problems.
Steps to Reduce or Eliminate Perimenopause Bloating
If you know there are foods that increase bloating for you, try to reduce or eliminate them. I know this is hard to do, but it is a foolproof way to reduce perimenopause bloating. It took me years to do this, even though I hated the bloating. I kept thinking that my body had never reacted to these foods before, so why should I change my diet now? Needless to say, that didn't work very well.
Use herbs to help balance out your hormones. Black cohosh, dong quai, wild yam, and vitex (chaste berry) are all hormone-balancing herbs. Or you could try some bioidentical progesterone.
Use herbs to help your digestion and/or reduce stress. Stress is extremely hard on your digestive system. Digestive herbs include gentian, dandelion, ginger and peppermint. There are many herbs for stress. My favorites are scullcap, vervain and motherwort.
Learn about fermented foods. Learn how to make them and eat them. Your digestive system will thank you. When your digestion is working well, you will not only be without symptoms like perimenopasuse bloating, but you will gain energy as well.
Candice Hughes is the founder of the Natural Approaches to Menopause website, a resource for women who want to go through menopause using natural remedies. Candice studied herbal medicine at the Pacific School for Herbal Medicine. For more information about perimenopause bloating and natural remedies, visit http://www.natural-approaches-to-menopause.com/perimenopause-bloating.html

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