Intermittent fasting is a type of eating that has been practiced historically and has grown in popularity in recent years. While weight loss is one of the primary reasons individuals fast, other potential benefits include detoxification, greater physical performance, and improved energy balance.
Those who experiment with intermittent fasting may encounter various symptoms or adverse effects. Stomach growling is one such symptom.
What causes stomach growling when fasting intermittently?
As food, liquid, and gas pass through the stomach and small intestine, stomach growls are produced. Borborygmi is the medical term for this grumbling sound that originates from your insides. That noise is usually caused by excessive gas flowing back and forth in the intestines.
It is typical for your stomach to growl or rumble during the digestive process. Because there is nothing in the stomach to mask these sounds, they can be heard by the person experiencing them as well as by those nearby. Hunger, insufficient digestion, or indigestion are all possible reasons of stomach grumbles.
While the true cause of stomach rumbling is unknown, it frequently occurs when you haven't eaten in a long period, such as during intermittent fasting. It can also indicate low blood sugar and your intestines' inability to absorb enough nutrients from your blood.
Because food takes up space and your digestive muscles become more concentrated on breaking down and absorbing the meal than moving air around, putting food into your system frequently reduces the noise.
Once you've gotten to know your body's reaction to intermittent fasting, you'll be able to tell the difference between true hunger and the infrequent "hunger pains" that manifest as stomach growls.
While most stomach noises are innocuous, they can be annoying and even embarrassing at times. Not to fear, there are several methods for dealing with stomach growling.
How to stop stomach from growling while fasting
There are several techniques you can take to manage stomach growling while intermittent fasting.
1. Get some water
Drinking water is one of the simplest and possibly most efficient ways to accomplish this. This can be ordinary water or water with apple cider vinegar added.
2. Eat fewer acidic foods
Reducing the amount of high-acid foods and beverages in your diet can help stop the grumbling noise. Citrus, tomatoes, and some sodas are examples of such foods.
Coffee is also a part of this. Limiting or quitting coffee in the morning may help lessen stomach grumbling that occurs several hours later. Try a cup of coffee-flavored tea instead.
3. Psyllium husks
Another option is to combine your water with psyllium husks. This sort of fiber causes your stomach to expand and feel full, lowering hunger signs such as stomach growls.
While psyllium husks do contain calories, they may be little, depending on the rest of your fasting plan. As always, it is recommended to experiment with this option and alter your fasting routine accordingly.
4. Don’t overeat
Overeating can make it harder for the digestive system to function, which is why we might experience more digestive gurgling after substantial holiday meals.
You can more easily prevent overeating by concentrating on smaller portions more frequently throughout the day and eating slower (which allows your body to sense fullness).
5. Sparkling water or a cup of black coffee
Depending on your intermittent fasting regimen, you could also try drinking sparkling water or even black coffee. This will relax your muscles and stop them from growling.
Bulletproof coffee is a simple blend of black coffee and a source of fat, usually in the form of oil or butter, that some people who practice intermittent fasting incorporate to avoid hunger pangs and their manifestation.
6. Consume gently
Given that stomach growls are caused by air moving around in the intestines, one technique for reducing them is to minimize the amount of air that gets in there in the first place. Slowing down when eating is one thing you can do.
Chewing and swallowing each mouthful thoroughly before opening your mouth for another food may assist in lowering the quantity of air in your system. You can also try drinking via a straw to reduce the amount of air you swallow.
7. Try to ignore the growling of your stomach.
Finally, you may just sit and wait it out. While you may prefer to avoid your stomach growling, nothing will happen if you listen to it for a few minutes. You might be perfectly content just amusing yourself and waiting for them to disappear.
Although stomach growling is commonly connected with hunger and a lack of food in the stomach, it can happen at any moment, even when there is no hunger.
8. Walking after eating
Moving food through your stomach and intestines quickly after eating aids in digestion. Studies have shown that even a light, relatively short walk of half a mile right after eating can significantly hasten gastric emptying.
Remember that vigorous or high-impact exercise is not appropriate right after a meal because it would be too much.
9. Be mindful of your anxiety triggers.
You know how when you're anxious, your stomach feels like it's in knots? High levels of short-term stress or anxiety can actually slow gastric emptying, which is the process by which your stomach sends food into your intestines. This can stall digestion and keep your stomach growling.
Try deep breathing to calm the central nervous system and lessen physical side effects if your anxiety is high.
10. Limit the amount of sugar you consume.
Overindulging in sugars, especially fructose and sorbitol, can result in diarrhea and flatulence, which raises intestinal noise.
11. Get enough calories
getting enough calories while the feeding window is open. When you eat any meals, it's imperative that you eat wholesome food. That entails consuming an adequate amount of protein, vegetables, and few carbohydrates. Your calorie intake will depend on how active you are, but you must consume enough calories daily.
This will delay the onset of hunger by assisting in the transition of those energy sources well into your fasting period.