Bloating can be a sign of various things, but some people find fruit, because it is often eaten raw and is high in fibre, difficult to digest.
Keep a note of how your body copes with different fruit, as sometimes, for instance, fruit such as papayas (best with lime squeezed on top), pears and apples are better tolerated than citrus fruits.
You could also try blending the fruits into a smoothie, or a clear juice if you have a juicer that removes the peel, etc, as sometimes chomping fruit makes us swallow lots of air — slowly sipping juice may mean less bloating afterwards. Peeling the fruit might also help.
Try cooked fruit or fruit that has not been in the fridge. Cooking the fruit can make it gentler on the gut, and room-temperature fruit is better tolerated than cold.
You might also consider taking a combination prebiotic and probiotic supplement. So-called “bad” bacteria in the gut can lead to excess gas (common causes include poor eating habits, antibiotics or the overuse of laxatives). Prebiotics are special sugars that encourage the growth of good bacteria, while probiotics are the good bacteria themselves, such as acidophilus and bifidus. When choosing a supplement, something in the region of 5-10g per day is the normal dose.
It may also help to boost your intake of prebiotic foods such as Jerusalem artichokes, onions and chicory. This could make you feel a little more windy to begin with, but eventually your body will adapt and the result will be a healthy culture of good bacteria in your bowel. This might sound like a rather odd objective, but actually a good supply of healthy bacteria in the gut can also help to reduce our risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Aloe vera juice can help to soothe the gut and reduce bloating — I’d choose an organic one — take 10ml three times a day, ideally half an hour before eating or drinking anything hot (try it for a couple of weeks).
It’s also possible that you are very sensitive to non-organic pesticides or waxes, so see if eating organic fruit makes a difference.
If you still haven’t noticed an improvement, then all is not lost if you can keep up a good intake of fresh vegetables. Try vegetable juices for a raw nutrient hit. Beetroot, carrot, ginger and fennel is one of my favourite blends, as I find that it gives me a real energy boost — and it supplies quite a good amount of vitamin C and other essential nutrients.
Finally, if all of the above doesn’t seem to work, consult your GP about seeing a gastroenterologist, as bloating can sometimes be a sign of “early dumping syndrome”, which, although relatively rare, is worth checking out. This occurs when food moves through the stomach and into the intestine too quickly and, because it has not been broken down enough, the result is a bloated feeling after food, particularly raw fruits.
My 14-year-old son is 5ft 11in (1.8m) tall and weighs 9st 5lb (59.4kg). He is extremely fit, very healthy, bright and easygoing. He eats three large, healthy meals each day, including at least five — although nearer 10 — portions of fruit and vegetables. However, he is constantly hungry and generally “grazes” on snack foods between meals. We have worked out that his daily sugar intake is more than 200g. He drinks only water apart from a glass of fruit juice at breakfast. I am worried that he might be doing himself long-term harm. His teeth are fine, though.
Jackie, Stockport
As the elder sister of a brother who is now 6ft 3in, I can well remember the food-hoovering sessions that went on in our house as soon as Paul got home from school — boxes of cereal would disappear, loaves of bread had to be hidden, etc. Like my brother, it sounds as if your son is doing fine, as his weight is perfectly acceptable for his height. At 14 years old his body is physiologically programmed to grow, grow, grow and to pack on the muscle. I think you are doing a fantastic job of bringing him up nutritiously: if all the young men I saw in my practice ate ten portions of fruits and vegetables each day, I would be delighted.
Although most of the time I am against refined sugar, as too much can lead to tooth decay, obesity, mood swings, etc, because your son seems fit and healthy, a little sugar could help to give him more energy. Since he is so active, sugary foods and drinks may be an important source of energy before he works out and for topping up energy levels afterwards.
Of course, I would urge parents to provide the healthiest sugary products; for example, organic fruit yoghurts, pure fruit spreads on wholemeal toast or bagels, good quality mixed fruit and nut bars, oat flapjacks, breakfast cereals with plenty of wholegrains, organic muesli with lots of dried fruit, oats, nuts and seeds. Empty, sugary cereals that are just puffed rice and sugar are best avoided.
Wholemeal bread with a quality peanut butter or hoummos would give him some protein and good fat (peanuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are good for our hearts). If you prefer to offer something savoury after school, bowls of soup will do the trick, as will a cheese and ham sandwich on wholegrain bread. I’m a big fan of Dr Karg’s crackers — available from supermarkets and health food stores — as they taste good and are full of seeds rich in omega oils.
Some teenagers need vast amounts of food to satisfy their growth demands — you can tell if they are eating too much by looking at their height-to-weight ratio and checking how well they are feeling.
It’s great to hear that your son's teeth are strong, as damage can be a side-effect of too much sugar — note that although it can seem the most logical thing, cleaning teeth immediately after eating something sweet is actually not the thing to do, as the mixture of high sugar levels and acidity in the mouth means that the teeth will be extremely susceptible to damage if you brush them. Either wait at least 30 minutes, by which time the saliva has neutralised the acid again, or eat a piece of cheese, which will correct the acidity levels and remove some of the sugar from the teeth. Or chew some chewing gum — although it is not the healthiest product on the market, it can help to protect the teeth.
Protecting teeth and keeping your child’s mouth healthy is vital. Poor dental health has been linked to heart disease (if the mouth is damaged, bacteria can enter the blood).
I’m also glad to hear that your son is drinking plenty of water — this is very important for his overall health and can be a useful tip for parents whose teenager comes in ravenously hungry: make them have a large glass of water before they eat anything, as sometimes it’s actually hydration that they need — they just think it’s food.
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