I'M CHLOEan experienced Naturopath who is going to help you

get your gut health back on track.

So that you too can experience a flatter stomach without the dreaded bloat!

Hello and welcome, 

If your digestive system leaves you bloated, uncomfortable and inpain by the end of the day, then I’m here to tell you that somethinghas gone a little wrong and it’s time to get to the bottom of it!

As women, bloating, wind and digestive issues are usually the lastconversation we like to discuss with our friends at a dinner party.

It can be embarrassing especially if colleagues and friends arequestioning if your bloated tummy is an early pregnancy bump. (Yes,this happens a lot more regularly than you would expect..)

Believe it or not, bloated tummy’s and digestive concerns are one ofthe most common ailments I see in clinical practice by women, soyou aren't alone! 

If you’ve been trying to figure out what on earth is causing thatbloating, through endless hours on the internet and you have no cluewhere to start, then you’ve landed in the right place. Ongoing bloatingdoesn't just happen for no reason, finding the cause of your bloatingthrough functional medicine testing is going to give you the evidencethat you need so you can treat it fast and effectively without theguesswork.

I’m here to be your friendly and trustworthy gut-guru, leading you toa healthy, happy, calm and flat tummy.

Reading this book is the first step towards a healthier digestive systemwhich will make you feel confident no matter what you’re eating orwearing (hello sexy dresses and goodbye baggy pants!).

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

INTRODUCTION

1

What is the

CAUSE to your

bloat?

A bloated, distended stomach can be caused from four primaryreasons. These four reasons include:

1. Low Stomach Acid Production 2. Small or Large Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth 3. Parasite Infection 4. Food Sensitivities & Leaky Gut Syndrome

I will discuss these four sneaky causes to long term bloating so that youcan aim to get to the bottom of your bloating for good!

I will then layout a tummy flattening diet plan that you can start today,which will help you to effectively reduce your bloated stomach nomatter what the cause is. 

2

Do you eat on the way to work because you have no time to sit downand enjoy your breakfast? Or maybe you get so caught up with tickingthings off your to do list, you don’t end up breaking for lunch andinstead sit in front of your computer whilst you work and lunch at thesame time (multi-tasking pro!).

The problem with this picture is that you are greatly impeding healthydigestion by confusing your body on what it should be focusing on,and that is definitely not digesting!

When you are in a state of ‘busyness’ your body is in a state of stress.When you are stressed, your body switches on something called thesympathetic nervous system which drives circulation to your brain,arms and legs (away from your digestive system).

This results in a slowing down of digestive processes, reducingstomach acid production and pancreatic enzyme production whichare essential for breaking down the food that you are eating.

Low

stomach

acid

3

Prolonged stress and other factors such as helicobacter pyloriinfection, zinc and vitamin B6 deficiency as well as inflammation cansignificantly reduce your ability to break down food and absorb all ofthat nourishing food your body is yearning for.

This can leave you with inadequate stomach acid production which iswhat kick starts your digestion to begin with.

Without adequate stomach acid, your small intestine will end up withundigested protein molecules which will putrefy and ferment causinga very bloated and unhappy tummy!

Not only that, but if the pH of your stomach is too high (more alkalinethan acidic) it will also impair carbohydrate digestion. This is becauseyou require high acidity to kickstart pancreatic enzyme release in thesmall intestine to break down carbohydrates.

This can create an even bigger problem called small intestinal bacterialovergrowth which I will discuss on the next page.

How Did I End Up With Low Stomach Acid?

Constipation Bloating within 1-3 hours after eating Burping and belching during or after eating A feeling of food sitting in your stomach (slow digestion) Eating red meat causes nausea Wind that smells like rotten eggs (this is due to proteinputrefaction)  Rosacea Dry, brittle peeling nails (reduced ability absorb minerals) Undigested food in your bowel motion

Common Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid

4

To improve your digestion and increase healthy stomach acidproduction, follow these steps.

1. Sit in a calm, peaceful environment for lunch (away from yourcomputer desk) for 15 - 30 minutes. This will allow your body toswitch to the parasympathetic nervous system which engagesresting and digesting.

2. Chew your food properly and thoroughly (avoid big gulps andswallowing your food too prematurely). Aim to chew each mouthful5-10 times for softer foods and up to 30 times for meat andvegetables before swallowing.

3. *Take a hydrochloric acid supplement (HCL) with pepsin tokickstart your stomach’s own production of acid, 10 minutes beforeyour main meals. Often long term use of HCL isn’t required, andusually a short course anywhere from 1-3 months is enough toinitiate healthy stomach acid production.

4. Take herbal bitters in water 20 minutes prior to eating such asgentian, Angelica root, wormwood, Chen pi, dandelion root, globeartichoke, barberry and golden seal.

5. Address any digestive infections or nutrient deficiencies.

*Note: Hydrochloric acid supplements should not be taken when there hasbeen a history of peptic ulcers, gastritis, or reflux. 

How To Kickstart Stomach Acid Production Naturally

5

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when there arehigher numbers of bacteria from the colon found in the smallintestine, such as streptococcus. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowthhas been shown to affect 11% of the population globally.

High numbers of bacteria should not be present in the small intestinewhich can lead to a number of uncomfortable symptoms, not justbloating. 

Alternating constipation or diarrhoea or Irritable Bowel Syndrome Upper digestive bloating Abdominal pain Food intolerances particularly to fructose, lactose, casein andgluten Frequent bowel motions (over three times per day)

Common Symptoms of SIBO

Small

Intestinal

Bacterial

Overgrowth

6

Research led by Dr Pimentel in Los Angeles has shown that foodpoisoning and gastroenteritis are the two main triggers to smallintestinal bacterial or fungal overgrowth.

Whether that’s from a trip to Bali or India which left you sick for 24hours or a week, or a viral gastro bug that was passed through youroffice at work, it can leave your digestive system in a muchunhealthier state.

This is because food poisoning exposes you to a pathogenic bacteria,which creates absolute havoc on the way through. It initiatessignificant amounts of inflammation and damage to the delicatelining of your small intestine whilst throwing your immune systeminto disarray.

This immune dysregulation can initiate autoantibodies which altersthe natural sweeping mechanism that clears the small intestine ofbacteria and food molecules (also known as the migrating motorcomplex).

Liken it to a dirty plate that sits in your sink for a few days without awash, it will eventually grow mould.

The same happens in your small intestine. Without the automatedcleansing mechanism that has now been paralysed, your smallintestine will begin to collect or ‘grow’ bacteria or yeast that certainlyshouldn’t be there.

This bacterial or yeast overgrowth is having a little party in your smallintestine, feeding on the food that is coming in.

This leads to fermentation and production of gas which creates thatuncomfortable bloated stomach by the end of the day. 

How Did I End Up WithSIBO?

7

8

How Do I Know If I Have SmallIntestinal Bacterial Overgrowth?

Bacteria in the small intestine will produce two types of gases as aresult of the fermentation of food in your small intestine, these are

hydrogen or methane gases.

These two gases can be picked up through a simple non invasivebreath test which you can do in the comfort of your own home. Thistest will determine if you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

. 

I Need Help Interpreting My TestIf you are wondering which test would be most suitable for youand you'd like a referral, then please get in touch where I can:

 1. Discuss the most suitable test for you based on your symptoms  2. Interpret your test results  3. Provide you with a tailored effective treatment plan to addressyour small intestinal bacterial overgrowth so that you can have aflat tummy in no time.

To make a 1:1 face to face Naturopathic appointment, please clickhere.

A Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis may also be recommendedto determine if there is overgrowth of bacteria or yeast. The majorityof bacteria or yeast is present in the large intestine which can migrate

up to the small intestine leading to SIBO.

A comprehensive stool analysis can determine whether it's bacterial,yeast (e.g. candida) or both. This is important because each of these

infections will require different herbal treatment to effectively reduceyour bloating and get rid of it for good!

How to Determine if it's Yeast or Bacteria Overgrowth

Parasite

Infection

The two most common parasite infections are Blastocystis hominis,followed by Dientamoeba fragilis, occurring in approximately 6% ofthe Australian population.

Parasites not only cause inflammation and significant digestivesymptoms, but they also leach a number of essential minerals fromyou.

Along with bloating and a sore, uncomfortable stomach, one of thebiggest symptoms when it comes to parasite infections is fatigue.

This is because these two parasites absolutely love iron and iron is anessential requirement for healthy energy levels, especially in women.

If you are struggling to get through your work day without wanting totake a nap, even after a good 7.5-9 hours sleep per night, then aparasite infection could be a cause to your bloated stomach andfatigue.

9

Common Symptoms Of A Parasite Infection

Nausea Loose bowel motions

How Did I End Up With A Parasite?Parasite infections are often passed through faecal oral route(disturbing I know!).

Sharing toilet facilities at work, in public or with children that areinfected (and who may not be washing their hands properly) canresult in cross contamination.

It could mean simply touching a tap after you’ve washed yourhands or opening the toilet door, followed by eating with yourhands and hey presto! You have yourself a friend that you could dowithout.

Another big one can be untreated tank water. If you are drinkingstraight from a rain tank at home/work, or overseas, it could havebeen contaminated with faeces from squirrels or a rodent. Highlyunsanitary I know. 

How Do I Know If I Have A Parasite?

To accurately diagnosis a parasite infection, a quick stool analysis isinvolved. Stool tests aren’t always the funnest of experiences (don’tworry it can be our little secret) but it is the most accurate way to geta diagnosis.

When it comes to parasite stool tests, they can vary in accuracy. Theappropriate stool test is a Faecal Mulitplex PCR, which simplymeans it tests for the DNA fragments of the parasite, involving amuch higher sensitivity for detection.

If you would like a referral for a Faecal Multiplex PCR test, pleasearrange a 1:1 Naturopathic appointment here.

Painful stomach with excessive gas Skin rashes such as hives

10

Food

Sensitivity

Do you ever notice that when you eat a particular food, you notice aworsening of your bloating? Perhaps you also get a sharp stabbingpain, or urgency to run to the toilet?

If so, you may be reacting to something you are eating in your dieton a day to day basis without realising it (watch out, it might be theone food that you LOVE…).

How Did I End Up With A Food Sensitivity?

A food sensitivity involves an immune reaction to a food protein thatcauses inflammation in the digestive system. This comes about fromsomething called ‘leaky gut syndrome’.

There are many things that can cause the protective wall of yourdigestive system to break down and initiate a food reaction. 

11

What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Regular antibiotic use Regular alcohol consumption (one too many wines during the workweek..) Small intestinal bacterial or fungal growth Parasite infection Pain medication particularly NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatories) like aspirin Prolonged stress

This may include:

Imagine the lining of your digestive system is like the walls of yourhouse. It’s goal is to safeguard you from the cold, insects andunwanted visitors. The exact same thing happens in your gut.

The walls of your digestive system safeguards the rest of your bodyfrom toxins, bacteria and undigested food molecules from enteringthe blood stream.

Now if you broke a window, or a wall fell down in your house it wouldallow all sorts of insects, and unwanted visitors to enter. The samehappens when the wall of your digestive system breaks down andbecomes ‘leaky’ allowing unwanted visitors to cross over such as foodproteins.

When this happens, your immune system essentially rounds up thearmy to attack this unwanted visitor launching an immune reaction.This creates inflammation which can further damage the digestivesystem, and also initiate number of symptoms associated withinflammation.

It will also tag that food protein (e.g. gluten or casein from dairy) as aforeign invader, launching a similar immune reaction every time youingest it. 

12

Common Symptoms Of A Food Sensitivity

Stomach cramping and bloating Diarrhoea Skin rashes such as eczema, hives, Seborrheic Dermatitis andKeratosis Pilaris Asthma Sinusitis and post nasal drip Recurrent infections 

Common Food Sensitivities

Eggs Dairy (casein) from cow’s milk Gluten found in pasta, bread, baked goods Nuts (most common are peanuts and almonds)

How Do I Know If I Have A Food Sensitivity?

Sometimes food sensitivities can be hard to pin point especially ifyour symptoms feel like they are there all the time.

A food elimination diet involves removing common foodsensitivities from the diet for approximately 6 - 8 weeks.

If it’s a food sensitivity, often symptoms will significantly reducewithin this time frame. You can then challenge each food for 1-3days and see if any one of your symptoms come back.

13

If that sounds far too difficult to implement in your busyschedule, then a food sensitivity test can be taken.

This involves taking a small blood sample from a finger prick,and testing an IgG immune response to 96 different foods.

This test is different to an IgE allergy test that is done throughan Allergist or your Doctor which is only testing for an

immediate reaction which occurs often in anaphylaxis e.g.peanut allergy.

The test will map out any possible food sensitivities that youhave and rate it from mild, moderate to severe. 

Food Sensitivity Testing

14

Kickstart A

Flatter Stomachwith these

dietary tips!

I have had immense success with this diet to quickly andeffectively reduce bloating and a distended stomach.

Whether you have low stomach acid, small intestinalovergrowth, a parasite infection, or a food sensitivity, you can

benefit from these dietary changes that aims to:

Today you can start to reduce yourbloating by simply changing to

a low starch, low sugar diet.

1. Reduce the food that feeds bacteria and

fungal overgrowths in the small intestine

and/or large intestine.

2. Reduce fermentation and gas production.

3. Reduce inflammation and leaky gut

syndrome.

16

Low Starch &

Low Sugar

Dietary

Guidelines

If these dietary guidelines are going to help yourbloating, you should see a change with in 3-4

weeks.

These dietary guidelines aim to reduce overgrowth of bacteria, yeastand reduce the food available to any possible parasite infection.

This diet also aims to remove common food sensitivities whichcould be driving inflammation and irritation in your digestivesystem leading to bloating.

Though this diet will provide symptomatic relief and make you feelbetter, it is still important to get to the root cause of your bloatingby addressing the possible triggers as mentioned above. This willensure you don’t have to stay on such a restricted diet for longperiods of time.

17

Protein (meat, fish,

poultry,legumes)

Processedmeats (such assalami, ham,

processedchicken)

- Organic meats:  beef, pork,veal, lamb, chicken, turkey(maximum of once per weekfor all red meats) - Cold-water deep-sea fish(eg. Salmon, Halibut, CannedLight Tuna (eat Albacore onlyonce per week), Cod, Sardinesand Anchovies. - Legumes: Black, Adzuki,Mung, Chickpeas, Lentils, &Barlotti beans, eat 1-2 timesper week (these beans areeasier on digestion andcontain less starch). - Tofu and tempeh can beconsumed 3-4 times a week. - Eggs (organic &pasteurised)

Dairy Products

Milk, cream, ice-cream,chocolate,cheese and otherdairy productsand dairy solids.(Dairy containslactose which isa natural sugaras well as caseinwhich can be acommon foodsensitivity)

- Milk: Unsweetened AlmondMilk, Coconut Milk (avoid soy

milk as it can be a commonfood sensitivity and cause

bloating) - Dips: Hummus and other

dairy-free dips

Sugar,sweets, sugaradded tofoods

Stevia, 80% Dark Chocolate,Xylitol (small amounts only,can cause bloating)

Sweets

Food Group Foods to Avoid Foods to Enjoy

18

Vegetables /salad

Avoid whitepotato/corn

- Pumpkin, artichokes,beetroot, cabbage, greenpeppers, tomatoes, parsnips,squash, cabbage, cauliflower,brussel sprouts, string beans,asparagus, onions, egg plant,okra, kohlrabi, endive, lettuce,cucumbers, sweet potato (1/2cup only) celery, spinach,broccoli (1/2 cup only),zucchini, onions, salad greens,kale and bok choy. - Eat 7-8 serves of vegetablesper day (1 serve = ½ cup). -Vegetables should be eatenraw, steamed or gently stir-fried. Do not boil ormicrowave.

Grains: Bread and

cereals

 Wheat, Rye,barley, Corn,White Rice,Buckwheat,Millet, Soy flour,potato flour,tapioca,arrowroot orgluten-free flour-Bread -Pasta - Cereals &Crackers

- Quinoa (a grain that is highin protein) – use in salads, atdinner, or quinoa flakes as a

breakfast cereal/porridge - Chickpea Flour (Besan flour)

- Brown rice - Wild rice - Amaranth

- Millet

Alcohol, Caffeine(Coffee, Tea),Milk, Cola, softdrinks, juices

Herbal teas, Green tea, filteredwater, freshly prepared veggiejuices, turmeric latte, dandelionroot coffee substitute

Beverages

Food Group Foods to Avoid Foods to Enjoy

19

Fats, Oils,Spreads

Butter,margarine,shortening,unclarified

butter, refinedoils, peanuts,commercial

salad dressingsand spreads.

- Cold pressed extra-virginolive oil, infused oils (garlic orchilli) - Ghee - Flaxseed oil - Sesame Oil - Nut Butters (Melrose ABC    Spread, Almond butter) available in the health foodsection of the supermarket orin health food stores) - Tahini (sesame seed paste) - Fresh Avocado

Fruit Avoid grapes,banana, melons(rockmelon,watermelon,honey dew),pineapple,mango, driedfruit (containssulphurpreservative).

2 servings of fruit per day- Berries (all varieties) – 1/2cup - Citrus fruit (orange,grapefruit, mandarin) - 1 piece- Kiwi – 1 piecePassion fruit –1 piece - Rhubarb – 1 stalk - Avocado – 1⁄4 - Cherries – 3 - Lychee – 5 - Pomegranate – 1⁄2 small or1⁄4 cup of seeds - Stone fruit (nectarine, plum,peach) - 1 piece

Food Group Foods to Avoid Foods to Enjoy

20

Nuts andSeeds

Peanuts,cashews,

roasted andsalted nuts, any

nuts that aremouldy or

smell “rancid”.

- Fresh unsalted andunroasted nuts such asalmonds, walnuts, pecans,hazelnuts, pine nuts andBrazil nuts (can soak andactivate for improveddigestion) - Seeds such as sesame,sunflower, flaxseeds, pumpkinseeds. - Eat a small handful of nuts(variety) per day(approximately 15 nuts)

Yeasts Foodscontaining yeast,commerciallypreparedcondiments,peanuts, cannedfoods, Vegemite,Promite, Bread,Beer,Wine/Champagne, Spirits.

Yeast-free foods: all freshvegetables, nuts and seeds(described above), yeast freeand gluten free breads,beverages listed above, nutspreads, avocado etc.

Food Group Foods to Avoid Foods to Enjoy

21

CONCLUSION

Getting on top of your bloating is essential for your overalldigestive health and well being.

Not only will you feel so much better at the end of the day without

the dreaded bloat, but you will feel more energised and comfortableat work so that you can focus on what matters most!

To review here are my top tips for getting on top of that bloatedtummy:

1. Eat your meals in a relaxed environment away from yourcomputer desk.

2. Chew your food adequately to initiate digestion.

3. Take a HCL supplement or herbal bitters to increase stomach acidproduction and support healthy digestion.

4. Treat any digestive pathogens such as small bacterial or fungalovergrowth as well as parasitic infections.

5. Identify food sensitivities through an elimination diet or foodsensitivity test.

6. Heal leaky gut.

7. Go on a low starch diet to reduce fermentation in the digestivesystem.

Top Tips

22

If you would like help determining whichtest would be more appropriate for youor you’d like one on one guidance togetting your digestive health back ontrack, then feel free to book a one on onesession so we can get your digestivesystem feeling a lot happier.

Yours in health,

Chloe xo