What Does My Bloating Mean? with Tamara Duker Freuman, RD

10/12/21 • 27 min

Let's Gut Real - Easy to Digest Nutrition Science

Did you know, how you experience bloating can say a lot about what is going on in your gut? Bloating and distension can give us clues as to what is going on in your gut and how to best help!

This week I interview Tamara Duker Freuman, RD on IBS symptom language and why it's KEY to understanding what a patients bloating means. Plus, we cover different gut disorders and how bloating and distension present with each - getting clear on how to discuss bloating with patients so you can 'sleuth out' what is going on!

Tamara Duker Freuman is a registered dietitian and is nationally known for her expertise in digestive health and medical nutrition therapy for gastrointestinal diseases. She works out of East River Gastroenterology & Nutrition (www.eastrivergastro.com), a private Manhattan-based practice known for its expertise in disorders of the gut-brain axis and specialized diagnostics.

In addition to her clinical work, Tamara is a high-profile nutrition writer whose advice on healthy living and dietary management of digestive disease has been read by hundreds of thousands of people each month.

Tamara is the author of one of my favorite books - The Bloated Belly Whisperer. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely need to. Today, she is here to talk to us about everything bloating related.

We talk about:

Tamara’s background and how she became interested in digestive disorders
The difference between bloating and distension and why they occur
How bloating and distension relate to IBS symptom management
The symptoms of constipation-induced bloating
The symptom of upper gut bloating / early onset bloating
Functional dyspepsia what it is, and how it is different from IBS
The symptoms of impaired gastric accommodation
Whether bloating is always related to food
If ‘I feel bloated’ is the new ‘I feel fat’ and what people should know about the intersection of body image and bloating
Body dysmorphia, how to identify it in patients and the different treatment approaches to consider

Connect with Tamara on her website at www.eastrivergastro.com on Instagram @tamarafreuman or on Twitter or on her Facebook here as well!

Did you know, how you experience bloating can say a lot about what is going on in your gut? Bloating and distension can give us clues as to what is going on in your gut and how to best help!

Tamara is the author of one of my favorite books - The Bloated Belly Whisperer. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely need to. Today, she is here to talk to us about everything bloating related.

We talk about:

Tamara’s background and how she became interested in digestive disorders
The difference between bloating and distension and why they occur
How bloating and distension relate to IBS symptom management
The symptoms of constipation-induced bloating
The symptom of upper gut bloating / early onset bloating
Functional dyspepsia what it is, and how it is different from IBS
The symptoms of impaired gastric accommodation
Whether bloating is always related to food
If ‘I feel bloated’ is the new ‘I feel fat’ and what people should know about the intersection of body image and bloating
Body dysmorphia, how to identify it in patients and the different treatment approaches to consider

Connect with Tamara on her website at www.eastrivergastro.com on Instagram @tamarafreuman or on Twitter or on her Facebook here as well!

Previous Episode

Is Dairy Bad for Gut Health? with Lauren Twigge, RD

Diary is a highly debated food. Does it contain hormones? Does it cause inflammation? This week I interview RD Lauren Twigge on how dairy is shaped by media perception and what the research shows.

Lauren Twigge is a Dallas based registered and licensed Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She works in corporate wellness and counsels private clients by day and runs her growing Instagram account by night. Lauren was born and raised in a family of farmers located in central California and is an outspoken supporter of the agricultural industry. Growing up on a dairy and being raised around farming her whole life has given Lauren a unique perspective on food and her passion is to work at the crux of agriculture and human nutrition to fight misinformation and give consumers back their food confidence.

We talk about:

How Lauren became interested in the field of dietetics
Where the fear of dairy comes from
Misinformation around agriculture
The difference between a dairy intolerance vs allergy
Why do we consume dairy / is it good for us?
Does dairy cause inflammation?
Does dairy cause autoimmune conditions like IBD?
Do the hormones in dairy affect my hormones?
Does the type of milk I choose matter? (organic, non-GMO, grass fed, etc.)
The safety and nutrition of different types of milk on the market
Organic vs. conventional dairy
Are there antibiotics in milk?

Connect with Lauren on Instagram @nutrition.at.its.roots or on her website laurentwiggenutrition.com

Next Episode

What is the Psychosocial Approach to IBS Treatment? with Johannah Ruddy, MEd

We discuss how the psychosocial approach to patient care, which looks at both the psychological and social aspects of a patient’s life, impacts a patient’s symptoms and overall quality of life.

This week I interview Johannah Ruddy on the psychosocial approach to IBS treatment.

Johannah Ruddy is a national expert, researcher, and writer on teaching communications skills to patients and providers and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Rome Foundation. She has 22 years of executive leadership experience working with a variety of non-profit organizations nationwide and a strong background in writing for patients as well as a speaker at GI practices, medical centers, and conferences in the area of provider communication and patient advocacy.

Her new book, co-authored with Dr. Drossman, Gut Feelings- Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions, A Guide for Patients and Doctors is now available on Amazon.

She holds a Bachelor of science degree from the University of New Mexico in Political Science, a Masters of Education from New Mexico Highlands University and is a doctoral student at Campbell University. She lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina with her husband of 21 years and their two sons.

We talk about:

How Johannah became interested in IBS
Johannah’s own experience with IBS
Johannah’s work as a patient advocate & her current work in disorders of the gut-brain interaction
Frustrations for patients diagnosed with IBS
How to better communicate IBS symptoms with doctors
How clinicians can diagnose and treat IBS and other digestive disorders
How health care providers can properly communicate with patients who have disorders of the gut-brain interaction
Why patient centered care matters and how it can benefit both the doctor and the patient
What IBS patients wish they knew about their diagnosis and the journey?
The relationship between functional diseases and associated stigma
The stigma with IBS? How does disorders of the gut-brain interaction research change that?
Role of stigma in the patient’s acceptance of an IBS diagnosis and their quality of life

Connect with Johannah on Instagram @johannahruddy on Twitter @JohannahRuddy or on LinkedIn. You can find her book: Gut Feelings- Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions, A Guide for Patients and Doctors which is now available on Amazon: https://romedross.video/GutFeelingsWebsite