(And the surprising digestive fixes that actually work)

If you’ve ever cleaned up your diet — swapped processed foods for salads, smoothies, high-fiber meals, and even probiotic supplements — only to end up more bloated than before, or just never actually healing your bloat, you’re not alone.

In fact, people with IBS, SIBO, slow motility, leaky gut, or other bacterial or fungal overgrowths often get more uncomfortable when they start eating "healthier."

So no, you’re not crazy.
And no, your stomach isn’t sabotaging you.

There’s a real reason for this — several, actually — and once you understand them, digestion becomes so much easier and calmer.

The Hidden Truth: Bloating Isn’t About How “Healthy” Your Food Is… It’s About How Your Gut Breaks It Down

Most gut-sensitive people can’t tolerate a sudden increase in fiber, raw veggies, legumes, salads, or dense nutrient-rich meals until their gut motility, enzymes, mineral status, and microbiome balance improve.

Not to mention cold, raw foods require more "digestive fire" to break down. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cold is not recommended for strong digestion. That is why they serve tea at most asian restaurants - to encourage good digestion. 

"Healthy" foods aren’t the problem.
It's your digestive capacity.

Here’s what’s actually happening inside your body:

1. Many “Healthy” Foods Are Harder to Digest Than People Realize

When you switch to a healthier diet, you often add:

• raw vegetables
• cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels) 
• legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black or kidney beans) 
• large salads
• whole grains (quinoa) 
• high-fiber meals
• cold smoothies 
• seeds + nuts 
  
• garlic
• onion

Al of these are nutrient-dense... but they're also mechanically and chemically harder to break down, especially if you already struggle with:

✔ low stomach acid
✔ dysbiosis
✔ IBS
✔ SIBO
✔ slow motility
✔ chronic stress

Raw veggies require more stomach acid and more digestive enzymes.
Cruciferous veggies increase sulfur gas.
High-fiber smoothies ferment fast in sensitive guts.

And we touched on TCM considering raw, cold foods to be detrimental the digestive environment. 

So even though they’re “healthy,” they overwhelm an already struggling digestive system.

2. If You Have IBS or SIBO, You Might Be Eating Too Much Fiber at Once

Or the wrong kinds...

This is one of the biggest mistakes gut-sensitive people make.

Fiber is essential — but when you go from eating 10–15g/day to 20–30g/day overnight, your gut can’t handle the sudden increase.

Especially insoluble fiber like:

• kale 
• spinach
  
• quinoa
• seeds 
• grains
• raw salads
• oats

These fibers bulk without soothing the gut and can trigger: 

• painful bloating
• pressure
• distension
• gas
• constipation 
• more inflammation 

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, is gentler and forms a gel that calms digestion - but most people get too little of it. Our gentle prebiotic fiber is solely made of soluble fiber.

While our gut-liver axis supportive hot cocoa and gut-skin axis supportive kiwi lemonade are made up of a mixture of both insoluble + soluble fibers. 

⭐️ THE FIX: Spread Your Fiber (Not All at Once)

Your gut is a complex system and doesn't respond to jolting or forcing. Attempting to go from 10-15g of fiber daily to 30-45g can cause harm. This is because your digestion needs gentle coaxing to evolve and build up to be able to process these non-digestible plant fibers, allowing them to work their way through the small intestine, onto the colon and grab onto toxins like excess estrogens, microplastics, even cholesterol that you are ready to eliminate. 

Your microbiome require a diverse range of plants (prebiotic fibers) to feed the good bacteria and prevent the bad bacteria from taking over and feeding off of your good guys. 

Reestablishing a balanced and strong digestion requires a layered, gentle approach of consistent and evolving coaxing from solely low FODMAP soluble prebiotic fibers, to FODMAP Friendly insoluble and soluble prebiotic fibers, and all the way to cruciferous veggies. 

But cold foods should be eaten in moderation and preferably not first thing in the morning. 

Instead of:

❌ a huge salad
❌ a giant smoothie
❌ fiber-heavy breakfast bowls

Do this instead:

✔ small amounts of 4-5 fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies at breakfast
✔ warm, glycine-rich soup with 4-5 veggies, grains, or legumes
✔ steamed 4-5 veggies, legumes and grains 

I always recommend soluble, gentle fibers first — like our Preme’s Gentle Prebiotic Fiber or our Hot Cocoa Daily Detox. We use Sunfiber's PHGG because it is: 

• Low FODMAP
• Clinically studied for IBS
• Slow-fermenting
• Gentle on motility Known to reduce bloating 

You can drink both in warm beverages to soothe and support "digestive fire."

Your gut responds to consistent support - unfortunately, oftentimes what has been practiced as "healthy" is actually hurting our digestion.

3. You May Be Low in Minerals (This Is Huge and Overlooked)

Hydration is not just about water. Although, your water source is crucial. Your gut’s ability to digest food, produce stomach acid, move motility, and absorb nutrients depends heavily on minerals — especially:

• Sodium
• Potassium 
• Magnesium 

When these minerals are low (and they often are in IBS/SIBO), your digestion struggles. Spring and Mineral waters are rich in minerals but Reverse Osmosis waters, purified water, your Brita, and tap water do not have enough of them. 

What happens when minerals are low?

Your colon pulls water to compensate → bloating. 

Your motility slows down → bloating. 

Your lymphatic system becomes sluggish → bloating

Your stomach acid drops → bloating. 

Your sleep suffers, anxiety increases → bloating. 

And the wild part?

Most “healthy” people drink water all day…
but if that water isn’t paired with minerals, it can actually worsen bloating by diluting electrolytes.

This is exactly why Preme’s Kiwi Lemonade Gut–Skin Electrolytes focus on sodium–potassium balance — not just high sodium like most electrolyte brands.

Balanced minerals = better motility = less bloating.

4. Your Digestive Enzymes & Stomach Acid May Be Too Low

When you suddenly increase healthy foods — especially plants — you need more:

• enzymes -> breakdown protein, fat, carbs
• bile -> emulsifies fat, moves toxins out, keeps bacteria in check
• stomach acid (HCL) -> triggers enzymes, absorbs minerals, sterilizes food

But if you’re under stress, have IBS, or have SIBO, H. Pylori, had your gallbladder removed, Candida, Crohn's, Liver Disease, Celiac, Diabetes, Mold exposure, Estrogen dominance, parasites, and more, these digestive resources are often low or impaired.

Low enzymes = undigested food
Undigested food = fermentation
Fermentation = gas + bloating

Even the healthiest meal can cause discomfort if the digestive system can’t properly break it down.

Signs you may have low enzymes/stomach acid:

• You feel full for hours
• Protein sits heavy 
• You belch after meals
• You get bloated even with small meals
• You crave sour or salty foods 

This is why warm foods, slow eating, and smaller portions help so much. 

5. Your Gut Motility Might Be Slow (Very Common in IBS, SIBO, PCOS)

Motility = how well your gut moves food forward.
When motility slows:

Food ferments. Gas builds. Bloating happens.

Cold foods, raw foods, smoothies, and salads all move slower through the stomach and intestines — giving fermentation more time.

This explains why:

• hot meals feel better 
• soups feel soothing
• warmth calms the stomach 
  
• herbal teas reduce pressure

Warmth = stimulation of gut motility. 

Cold = stagnation. 

6. Your Liver Might Be Overloaded — Which Makes Even “Healthy” Foods Harder to Digest

This is a piece of gut health most people miss:

Your liver and gut work together. When the liver is sluggish or overloaded from stress, toxins, poor sleep, alcohol, medications, or inflammation, your digestion slows down — even if your diet is clean.

A sluggish liver can lead to:

• slower bile flow
• poor fat digestion
• increased bloating after meals
• constipation 
• pressure under the ribs
• feeling full quickly 

In both functional medicine and TCM, the liver is responsible for smooth digestion. When it's not supported, you can feel: 

• bloated "for no reason" 
• heavy after eating 
• puffy 
• foggy 
• inflamed
• angry

⭐️ Liver support improves digestion.

Gentle liver-supportive herbs can help stimulate bile, support detox pathways, and relieve that “backed up” feeling that causes bloating, even when you're eating healthy.

This is why Preme’s Hot Cocoa Gut-Supporting Electrolytes include gut-liver support like:

• Milk Thistle 

Supports the liver’s natural detoxification pathways and encourages healthy bile flow, which helps your body break down fats and makes meals feel lighter and easier to digest.

• Marshmallow Root

A naturally soothing herb that supports the gut lining and helps calm irritation. It’s ideal for anyone with a sensitive stomach, IBS flares, or inflammation after eating.

• Minerals

When minerals are low, detox slows → toxins circulate longer → bloating, fatigue, headaches, skin issues, and sluggish digestion get worse. They activate liver detox enzymes and support liver cells to flush waste. 

• Glycine, from our Grass-Fed Collagen 

If glycine is low → toxins get partially processed but not fully cleared → causing sluggish digestion, fatigue, and bloating. Glycine is a key nutrient that supports the liver's removal of waste. It also helps produce healthy bile acids

• Cold Pressed Raw Cacao

When cacao is cold-pressed and left unalkalized, it retains powerful polyphenols that gently support liver health and digestion. Raw cacao helps the liver manage oxidative stress while promoting balanced bile flow and a healthier gut-liver connection.

🌿 So… What SHOULD You Do If You’re Bloated Even When Eating Healthy?

Here’s a digestible plan.

⭐️ 1. Start Your Day With Hydration + Electrolytes (Not Coffee)

This wakes up digestion, motility, and stomach acid.

Preme’s Hot Cocoa is warm and the formula supports:

✔ sodium–potassium-magnesium-trace mineral balance

✔ cellular hydration

✔gut–liver axis

✔ low-FODMAP gut building hydration

⭐️ 2. Add Gentle Soluble Fiber EVERY Day

This is key.
Not a giant fiber hit… gentle daily support. 

Preme’s Gentle Prebiotic Fiber is:

✔ slow fermenting

✔ clinically studied

✔ IBS-friendly

✔ digestion soothing

⭐️ 3. Eat Warm, Cooked Foods First Thing in the Morning

Think:

• oatmeal or millet
• eggs
• soups 
• sautéed veggies
• steamed white rice
• warm chia pudding 

Avoid smoothies if you're already inflamed. 

⭐️ 4. Use Meal Order: Veggies → Protein → Carbs

This stabilizes blood sugar and improves digestion dramatically.

⭐️ 5. Stop Eating So Fast, No Standing Up

Chewing = digestion.
Undigested food = fermentation

Sitting and taking deep breaths puts your body into a greater state of "rest & digest." 

⭐️ 6. Spread Fiber 

Never overload your gut in one meal or on day one. Try 10g per meal and work your way up after a week to 12g and then 15 or 20g. 

⭐️ 7. Build Your Way Up with Fiber

You never want to stop at just soluble fiber like in our Gentle Prebiotics and our Hot Cocoa, you want to work your way up to tolerating more doses in a day and or an insoluble fiber like in our Kiwi Lemonade Skin Radiance. 

The more fiber and different types of fiber you get in a day, the more your body can grow a diversity of bacteria, strengthening your immunity, digestion, and preventing disease. Your body just has to have the stamina to do it without bloating, build your way up. 

⭐️ 8. Don’t Chase Meals With Water

Drinking too much water with meals dilutes stomach acid.

Drinking cold, contaminated tap water or water without enough minerals is actually just dehydrating you and hurting your gut microbiome. 

Drink mineral-rich, room temperature water between meals instead.

✨ The Bottom Line: You’re Not Broken — Your Gut Is Overwhelmed

Your gut doesn’t need restriction.
It doesn’t need perfection.
It needs predictable support, gentle prebiotic fibers, balanced minerals, and warmth.

Once digestion feels safer and calmer, healthy foods become easier and more enjoyable because you are: 

• supporting the growth of good gut bacteria
• crowding out bad bacteria
• improving leaky gut 

❤️ Ready to Support Your Gut on a Daily Basis?

Try the two soluble fiber only products designed for sensitive digestion:

👉 Preme Gentle Prebiotic Fiber - Low FODMAP, science backed bloat-free. 

👉 Preme Hot Cocoa Daily Detox - Low FODMAP prebiotic fiber with liver support. 

👉 Preme Kiwi Lemonade Radiance - FODMAP Friendly prebiotic fiber with skin support.