Bloating and abdominal swelling become more frequent after 40, mainly due to hormonal, digestive, and metabolic changes that can slow digestion and encourage the build-up of gas.
Diet plays a major role in bloating: favouring easy-to-digest foods (lean fish, white meats, cooked vegetables) and limiting processed or overly salty foods can help reduce fermentation and water retention.
Good hydration and a sufficient intake of fibre support bowel function and help reduce the sensation of a bloated stomach.
Regular physical activity and stress management are essential, as they stimulate digestion, improve metabolism, and help maintain a flatter stomach on a daily basis.
Do you feel that, despite all your efforts, your stomach just will not stay flat? Bloating is a common problem after 40, but it does not have to take over your life. There are many simple ways to maintain a flat stomach without extreme constraints. Here are a few straightforward tips to help you keep a flat stomach after 40.
Bloating is most often caused by the build-up of intestinal gas, directly linked to poor dietary habits.
What happens during perimenopause and menopause?
Oestrogen levels decline, which can cause dryness of the vaginal mucosa. This hormonal upheaval leads to changes in the composition of the vaginal microbiota.
Menopause is a challenging transition for many women, often accompanied by intimate discomforts and symptoms of varying intensity: vaginal dryness, recurrent urinary tract infections, vaginitis…
However, some menopausal women whose flora remains dominated by protective lactobacilli experience far fewer symptoms than those whose microbiota has been altered.
How to ease a bloated stomach?
Managing your stress
Stress is one of the main causes of bloating and digestive issues after 40. Taking steps to reduce your stress levels can make all the difference when it comes to maintaining a flat, bloat-free stomach. This can include taking time for yourself, keeping a journal, exercising regularly, practising yoga or meditation, or talking to friends and family about what is going on in your life.
Watch what you eat and drink
A healthy diet rich in fibre can help ease bloating. Eating smaller meals throughout the day rather than large ones can also help prevent bloating by reducing pressure on your digestive system. In addition, it is essential to avoid fizzy drinks and other carbonated beverages. The gas in these drinks inflates the stomach and increases the tendency to bloat.
High-fibre recipes are available in the MiYé recipe book.
Drinking plenty of water (around 8 glasses a day) is also important for managing bloating, as staying hydrated helps eliminate toxins from the body. Finally, avoiding processed foods, particularly those high in sodium, can also help reduce bloating. Processed foods tend to be saltier, which leads to water retention and bloating.
Exercising regularly
Regular exercise is essential for staying in shape and reducing abdominal fat, and lengthy gym sessions are not necessary to achieve this.
Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, cycling, or even yoga all work wonders for reducing bloating while helping to build muscle mass, which in turn provides more energy throughout the day. Try varying your activities throughout the week to avoid getting bored quickly -- this will make exercise much more enjoyable.
What foods should you eat to avoid a bloated stomach?
To avoid excessive gas production in the intestines, it is advisable to:
- Favour grilled and white meats and poultry, as they support good digestion.
- Lean fish, cooked in foil or grilled, as they have a lower fermentation content.
- Hard-boiled or poached eggs, as they are cooked without fat.
- Choose cooked, tender vegetables over raw ones. For sensitive intestines, it is best to remove the seeds and skin from vegetables, then blend them into purees.
- Eat foods that contain both soluble and insoluble fibre.
- Stay well hydrated with at least 1.5 litres of water per day.
Keeping a flat stomach after 40 is not impossible -- it simply takes a little effort and commitment. By managing your stress levels, eating well, reducing your consumption of processed foods, and exercising regularly, you should start to see results before long. Why not put these tips into practice from today?
Discover the Pack Reset, made up of Équilibre Féminin and Élixir Détox, two key references in the MiYé range, designed to support a fresh start and restore hormonal balance.
NB: start with the detoxifying elixir before beginning the food supplement (avoid taking both simultaneously).
FAQ
How to reduce bloating during menopause?
To reduce bloating during menopause, it is important to act on several levels:
- adopt a diet rich in fibre (fruit, vegetables)
- limit salt and alcohol to reduce water retention
- drink enough water
- engage in regular physical activity
These steps help stimulate bowel function and limit bloating, which is often linked to hormonal changes.
Why does the stomach grow during menopause?
Abdominal weight gain is mainly linked to the decline in oestrogens.
This leads to:
- an accumulation of fat at the abdominal level
- a slowing of the metabolism
- a loss of muscle mass
As a result, the body burns fewer calories and stores fat more easily, particularly around the stomach.
How to know if you have a hormonal belly?
A "hormonal" belly is often characterised by:
- fluctuating abdominal swelling (linked to the cycle or menopause)
- bloating or digestive issues
- localised fat gain around the stomach
It is generally linked to hormonal fluctuations that disrupt bowel function and fat distribution.
Why does my stomach feel bloated as if I were pregnant?
This sensation is often due to bloating or water retention.
During menopause, the decline in hormones slows digestion, disrupts the microbiota, and encourages the build-up of gas or fluids in the abdomen.
This can give the impression of a very swollen stomach, sometimes similar to early pregnancy, but is generally benign.
Sources:
MSD Manuals – Intestinal gas and bloating
https://www.msdmanuals.com/fr/accueil/troubles-digestifs/symptômes-des-troubles-digestifs/gaz
➤ (causes of bloating and aggravating factors)INSERM – Intestinal microbiota (gut flora)
https://www.inserm.fr/dossier/microbiote-intestinal-flore-intestinale/
➤ (key role of the microbiota in bloating)




























































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