
Olivia Dunne's dog Roux steals the spotlight in recent post: 'I'm tryna be this snug'
Olivia Dunne's sleepy pup Roux charmed her fans in her latest Instagram story
2023-11-28 13:50

Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill takes to the skies with his pilot's license
Tennessee running back Derrick Henry is very happy that his teammate Ryan Tannehill enjoys flying and earned his pilot’s license this summer
2023-08-15 18:00

Trump says he won't take part in Republican debates
WASHINGTON Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would skip the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing
2023-08-21 08:37

Joey Porter Jr. gives first INT to his dad, Steelers legend in emotional gesture
Joey Porter, Jr. recorded his first interception as a pro on Saturday night against the Bills. The Steelers rookie gave the ball to his dad, Pittsburgh legend Joey Porter Sr.Joey Porter is a dad now, if you want to feel old. Want to feel even older? Porter's kid, Joey Porter, Jr., just reco...
2023-08-20 09:37

I tried anti-bloating pills for two weeks, and now I know the gassy truth
Our bellies have always been the target of derision and ire. Long have they been poked and prodded. Sighed at and sucked in. Reprimanded and insulted. But ever since social media became the new WebMD for chronic self-diagnosers, it’s been open season on every little bodily function. Every involuntary twitch, skin bump and mood shift has been analysed to death – but none more so than the dreaded bloat. Stomach bloating can happen for all sorts of reasons. Often the main culprit is a big meal. It’s that feeling of being uncomfortably full and needing to undo the top button of your jeans, as if you’ve just had a particularly heavy Sunday roast. Unless you have real food intolerances or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or the symptom is caused by hormonal changes, bloating is the body’s normal reaction to eating a little too much. It usually subsides after a few hours. But this is 2023. A bit of bloating is no longer something you can just wait a few hours to get rid of – social media dictates that it needs to be gone immediately, and if it doesn’t then there must be something wrong with you. And not to stop there, either. You should also be cutting 10 different types of foods out of your life, doing five simple exercises 200 times a day and taking an assortment of supplements and pills because God forbid your stomach be round for the next two hours. According to Dr Tamara Alireza, a functional medicine specialist at Skinfluencer London, bloating should be taken seriously if it doesn’t come and go with food. If it becomes a chronic problem, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as persistent stomach and pelvic pain, changes to bowel habits, unexpected weight loss, fatigue and fever, vomiting, or bleeding, it may be something different entirely. “Excess bloating can be linked to IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and coeliac disease, but also to more serious conditions,” she says. But we are a society obsessed with quick fixes, and anti-bloating pills have become a popular “cure” for the woes of a distended belly. Last month, fitness influencer Sam Cutler took it to new heights when she provided the pills for her wedding guests during the meal. Some viewers of her TikTok video – which sparked so much horror that it rapidly went viral – claimed that the pills were essentially “laxatives”. The glut of brands that have emerged in recent years would disagree, though. Many claim to use all-natural ingredients to “speed up digestion” and reduce gas without a laxative effect. Admittedly, curiosity got the better of me. I am lucky enough not to suffer from any particularly gut-churning conditions, but I do have eyes bigger than my stomach. It means I regularly end up regretting wearing trousers to a meal, cursing myself as my belly strains against the waistband. Could these pills really make me feel more comfortable after a big dinner, or would they just lead to some unfortunate toilet habits? I am kindly sent a couple of packs by Wild Dose, which lists extracts of ginger, liquorice, fennel seed, turmeric, peppermint leaf and dandelion root alongside a “proprietary enzyme complex” and a probiotic blend in each brown pill. They smell very herbal and are a rather unappealing greenish-brown colour – it initially makes me wonder if it’s an omen for what my guts are about to experience. After two weeks of taking them daily, I found that they did make a slight difference in my post-meal stupor and I feel comfortable quicker than before. However, the change has been marginal and, if anything, they made me more gassy, to the chagrin of my significant other. The medical community is reluctant to support the efficacy of similar supplements, as there remains little clinical research to back up their claims. Dr Alireza describes anti-bloat pills as a “Band-Aid on a fire hydrant” for people who have genuine problems with their gut. “I generally would not recommend taking any pills to counteract the bloating,” she says, “rather I would be keen to first determine the source of the issue.” She points to her practice, which aims to determine the root cause of symptoms and treat it – instead of providing temporary fixes. But I think the real reason behind social media’s obsession with bloating has nothing to do with #guthealth. Instead, it is our inherent fatphobia and fear of fatness that fuel this battle against the bloat. Are we so afraid of looking fat for even a couple of hours that we flock to pills and exercises with such abandon? Given the way people have fallen over themselves to get their hands on Ozempic, a drug intended to help diabetes patients but which has made a name for itself as a weight-loss miracle, it appears the answer is yes. It’s no mistake, either, that women are the primary targets for anti-bloating content online. Studies show that women are twice as likely to experience it as men, particularly during menstruation and menopause because of hormonal fluctuations. But the expectation for women to maintain at least the illusion of thinness at all times is also much higher. Many of us learned at an early age how to suck in our stomachs and – even as adults – keep them sucked in pretty much all day. As I write this, I realise that I’ve been subconsciously engaging my core muscles despite sitting behind a desk. No wonder the promise of no more bloating is so appealing, if it makes looking mildly smaller less of a chore. Joanna Dase, fitness expert and operations director of female-focused health clubs Curves, says that any medical conditions should be diagnosed by qualified professionals rather than social media. She acknowledges that while bloating can affect body image, no one should worry about your normal, natural responses to digestion. “If you have a professional opinion and there is no health problem related to it, then you just need to have an actual understanding of your body and its natural functions, and being OK with yourself. It’s just how your body breaks down food.” Read More Wellness gurus claim your hormones are out to get you – but is it just another scam? ‘Thanks Pfizer’: The weird world of shakes, health anxiety and illness online A One Direction fan claimed she had a brain tumour. Five years after her death, we still need answers How to protect pets from wildfire smoke amid air quality alert Gamer finds indent in head from prolonged headset use after shaving his hair From masks to AC units: All the dos and don’ts to keep safe from wildfire smoke
2023-06-08 13:30

Overwatch 2 PachiMarchi LTM End Date
Blizzard has rolled out the PachiMarchi event in Overwatch 2, featuring a new PachiMarchi LTM. Here's when it's set to end.
1970-01-01 08:00

Fnatic Upset, Hylissang Worlds 2022 Trips Delayed After Positive COVID-19 Tests
Elias "Upset" Lipp and Zdravets "Hylissang" Iliev Galabov will see delayed starts to their 2022 League of Legends World Championship runs for Fnatic.
1970-01-01 08:00

Klaasen's 83-ball 174 propels South Africa to huge 416-5 in 4th ODI against Australia
Australia claimed Heinrich Klaasen’s wicket on the last ball of the innings but not before he had smashed 174 off only 83 balls as South Africa posted a huge 416-5 in the fourth one-day international
2023-09-15 23:47

James Madison riding 13-game winning streak and making the transition to FCS look almost easy
James Madison must be making fellow Sun Belt Conference programs wonder "who invited these guys?'
2023-11-16 03:32

Fans love rumours that Harry Styles and Taylor Russell are dating
As rumours about a possible romance between actress Taylor Russell and musician Harry Styles circulate, fans seem to be happier than ever over the potential couple. A photo of the two at the opening night of The Effect, a play by Lucy Prebble, which Russell is staring in went viral, with fans loving the pair together and showing their support across social media. Fans of both Styles and Russell seemed elated over the rumours, calling the couple “cute”: Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Another called Russell a “bad b*tch”, seeming overjoyed by the photos. One fan called the possible a relationship a “win”: On TikTok, fans didn’t hide their excitement either, with user Jasmine saying she was “here for this!!” After the photos circulated. @jasminedarya wait here for this!!! Here for this!!! #harrystyles #taylorrussell #harrie #harries #harryshouse #bonesandall #timotheechalamet A fan of Styles also shared her delight on TikTok, using the John Lennon and Yoko Ono song ‘War is Over’ in the background calling Russell “gorgeous, and absolutely perfect in every way”. @hotlesbianrry FINALLY a break from the embarrassment of the man you stan dating a racist. #harrystyles #taylorrussellharrystyles #taylorrussell #tayrry The tone is very different to how Styles’ fans spoke about his ex-girlfriend Olivia Wilde, with Styles himself calling the hate directed towards Wilde “toxic” in a Rolling Stone interview. Whilst neither Styles nor Russell have publicly confirmed their relationship, it’s clear the majority are rooting for them if they choose to. Russell is a Canadian actress known for roles in the likes of Bones and All, Waves, Lost in the Space and the Escape Room films. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-11 19:13

Five Nikola electric trucks catch fire at Phoenix factory, company says 'foul play suspected'
Nikola, a startup company that makes electric and hydrogen-powered semi trucks, said in a tweet Friday morning that several of its trucks had been damaged in a fire at the company's Phoenix, Arizona headquarters.
2023-06-24 04:53

Kevin Spacey: antihero of screen and stage
Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sex offences by a UK jury, became a household name playing dangerous, darkly charismatic antiheroes in hits from "The...
2023-07-26 22:41
You Might Like...

Trump appeals New York judge's fraud ruling

Babies should get new drug that prevents RSV, CDC panel says

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge not expected to need toe surgery after season, manager says

Bills seek to slow Dolphins' speedy offense in early showdown between AFC East powers

Who is Zoil? TikTok troll mocks xQc during London IRL livestream: 'You two are trimmalizing red light'

The CLASS40 IBSA Ready for the Transat Jacques Vabre

BlizzCon is returning in 2023

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as Lauren James ban confirmed ahead of England vs Colombia