Bloat is inflammation’s embarrassing relative. Where inflammation is dredged up casually in conversation (“it accelerates aging,” “it’s caused by processed foods,” “it’s absolutely cured by turmeric”), the issue of bloat is often left unsaid. Not everyone feels gassy or bloated all the time, but when they do, it can ruin an otherwise decent day.
A prudent person will tell you that there are no shortages of natural solutions to ease a bloated stomach — exercise, eating slowly, and avoiding salty foods top the list — but I’m lazy. I’m also a glutton. So in my case, the easiest, natural answer arrives via a powder forged in a University of Cambridge science lab.
The Nue Co. is the latest brand riding the growing wave of luxury wellness potions. Its founder is Jules Miller, who developed the line after suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. She approached the Nue Co. armed with the knowledge that vitamins and minerals delivered in their “whole state,” as in not isolated from their plant source, are more readily absorbed by the body and less irritating during digestion. From there, five powders were borne, including “Skin Food,” “Energy Food,” the ever-helpful “Debloat Food.”
Debloat Food is uniquely satisfying in that it is not totally disgusting. Rather, it tastes like cinnamon, and when added to a glass of almond milk or a smoothie it goes down as easily as dessert. There are a few factors at play within the formula. Cinnamon, ginger root, and turmeric work to aid digestion and diminish signs of gassiness. Maqui berry, which is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory fruit, is in the mix, too, as are prebiotics, which feed the friendly bacteria in the gut that in turn keep your trips to the bathroom regular and your stomach gas-free.
Debloat Food will not do ridiculous things like make you lose weight or help your six-pack take flight. It will, however, shrink the little air pouch that balloons after a deeply satisfying and unhealthy meal. It’s also way less embarrassing to tote around than, say, a tub of synthetically derived Metamucil. And all it takes is a daily teaspoonful of powder.
The Nue Co. Debloat Food, $75 at Shen.
