Bloating. I get it – at least I think I do. That’s what I blame my overextended stomach on anyway. And no, it’s nothing to do with overeating of course…
When I was approached to take part in the Lactofree #beatthebloat 7 Day Challenge, it was like some higher force had answered a prayer. I’d been especially grumpy that week as my stomach was playing up so I was up for trying anything!
My food for a week arrived and it included a lot of things I’d never normally buy, such as trout – it’s been ages since I ate fish! And I am slightly ashamed to admit that – especially since I have a great fishmonger nearby and I’m always raving about the benefits. So that was exciting. The polenta also intrigued me, especially as it came ‘raw’ (by this I mean the granules). As you can see, I have no idea how to cook polenta… but anything that gets us away from our usual routine is a good thing.
The first thing I did was look over the recipes and the 7 day meal plan. It was written by Lucy Jones, a consultant dietician, who had started with tips to help avoid bloating. I think most busy Londoners would fail at least half of these. I mean, who’s got time to chew well? And who doesn’t talk whilst eating (sorry mum, I know you brought me up better). My biggest fail would probably be ‘avoid over-eating’. I’m not known for my portion control – it’s my biggest weakness.
What I did like was the list of anti-bloat snacks. These included a glass of Lactofree milk (with a suggestion to make it into a smoothie by adding chia seeds, oats and a handful or so of chopped fruit), a portion of fruit, a small handful of nuts (almonds and walnuts were cited as the best – I can’t imagine they mean a packet of Nobby’s Dry Roasted Peanuts) and a pot of live natural yoghurt with a handful of pineapple chunks and a teaspoon of cinnamon (I know pineapple’s good for digestion).
I’m really looking forward to this! Although it also seems quite daunting too – there’s a lot to make and a lot of the meals (all of them – there’s a veggie omlette for breakfast for example) require cooking. This is going to have to mean ORGANISATION.
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