Distended Abdomen

Question
Hi
I have struggled with a big bloated belly most of my adult life, and it has gotten worse now that I have reached my fifties.
I am overweight but not obese, and my belly is not 'fat' it is more swollen like a pregnant lady.
It could be genetic as my Dad and uncles looked this way at my age. They both died of colorectal cancer so that is a concern.
I do not over eat-I actually eat around 1500 calories a day which is less than recommended for my size.
I also get lots of cardio.
My doctor doesnt believe it is genetic, or a a medical condition like celiac-all my tests come back clean. I dont think he believes how little I eat and how much I exercise.
My weight is not so much a concern as my bloating.
I tried cutting out all wheat products (celiac) for a month-didnt help.
The only success I had was last summer when I cut out red meat for a few weeks, while consuming the same calories. My belt went in a notch. I fell off the wagon however as all the bbq meat was too tempting.
I am not a big booze drinker but have also noticed that anything with a high alcohol content such as spirits or high alcohol beer also causes bloating-even if I only have a couple. I can drink six Coors lites with no problem.
I also seem to have a problem with dairy and/or fat. My wifes deliciuos scalloped potatos with cheese bloat me up but mashed potatoes are fine.
So, I have determined I am intolerant too red meat and  possibly dairy, and fat.
Doesnt seem to be much info on this particular problem, just lots of info on dairy and wheat intolerance.
Your thoughts appreciated!

Answer
Thank you for contacting allexperts. I hope that I can assist you with your question.

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner on this question.  I have gotten a new job and it is taking up a great deal of my time. I have not been on the internet for a week!

Regarding your bloating issue.  It sounds to me as though your body is rejecting something that you are eating.  This is not a normal sign, as you are aware.  You are right to be concerned about this.  

Issues like this are more often caused by what we eat, than how much.  You mention in your message to me that you seem to have a problem with dairy and fat.  Dairy products are the number one cause of allergies in this country.  Without doing more sophisticated testing on you, from your description, my guess would be that you have an allergy to dairy products and this is what is causing your bloating.

Contrary to what you may read in magazines and newspapers, dairy products are not good for you.  IN addition to causing many allergic reactions, they also increase mucus and often contain hormones, antibiotics and other chemical additives that are potentially harmful and deadly to a person.  Humans are the only species on earth that drink milk after they are weaned and it is not healthy or natural to do this.  When my clients come to me I always advise them to stop consuming any dairy product.

From what you tell me, I feel this is your problem.  I think that if you will stop consuming dairy products you will find that your bloating issue is not as pronounced.  Also, I don't know what your diet is like, but I always recommend to my clients to reduce their intake of meat as well.  The meat on the market today is also full of hormones and antibiotics and other chemicals.  The people who produce meat in this country will deny this.  However, it has been proven time and time again.  At the very most you should be eating only about 4 ounces of meat twice a week.  (Four ounces of meat is about the size of a pack of playing cards). I know this does not sound like much to you, but if you eat more, you will be putting your health in danger.

Also, if you can find a source for naturally  raised meat in your area, that would be better.  There are producers of grass-fed, all natural, no hormone, no antibiotic meat out there, you must look for it.  You can try doing a search on http://www.localharvest.org for natural beef and meat.

Another issue would be to increase your consumption of fresh, whole, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oil to approximately 75 percent of your diet. Preferably eaten raw and preferably organic. Cooked foods should only be 25 percent of your diet.  Your body needs living foods in order to maintain your health and repair the damage that occurs on a daily basis.  I cover this in greater detail on my blog at http://everydayhealthandwellness.blogspot.com

Eating foods that are highly processed can also be part of your problem.  There are many chemicals that are used to preserve processed foods. Many people have a sensitivity to these products. By cutting them out, you can determine if this might be part of your bloating problem as well.

Finally, make certain that your elimination is good.  You should be having a bowel movement at least once a day, and preferably twice or three times.  If you are not having one at least once a day you are not getting the fiber that you need.  Again, fiber can be found in unprocessed, whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.  By reducing your meat consumption (which has been shown to contribute to certain types of cancer, particularly colorectal) and increasing your fiber consumption, you will effectively "clean out" your digestive system.  You might also consider doing a full body cleanse to make certain that you have gotten all the fecal matter and other residual food out of your system by going to www.bepurecleanse.com.  It is expensive to do a full body cleanse, but it is worth it in the amount of toxins that you will get rid of.

Overall, try changing your diet in the ways that we discussed here, and see if that does not drastically improve your condition.

Thanks for being patient with my response.

Tasha

1. Prev:Fruit juices and bad LDL cholesterol
2. Next:healthy eater having trouble with weight loss