In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Tamanna Singh, certified menopause coach and co- founder of Menoveda, revealed the reasons behind persistent bloating. Bloating is normal, but if your stomach feels tight and swollen almost every day, and it’s not about what you ate last night, your hormones might be behind it more than your diet is.
When estrogen is high relative to progesterone, a common pattern during perimenopause, your body tends to retain more water and salt. That bloated, puffy feeling isn’t just discomfort. It’s often a hormonal imbalance showing up physically, and it can appear even on days when you’ve eaten carefully. Slower digestion is another factor. This slowdown can also affect how efficiently your body absorbs nutrients, which is worth knowing if you’ve been feeling low on energy alongside the bloating. Stress plays a significant role too. Tamanna highlighted that high cortisol affects digestion directly, slowing it down and increasing water retention, which is why bloating often gets dramatically worse during stressful weeks, even if your diet and routine haven’t changed at all. ● Reduce excess salt and processed food, which worsen water retention ● Track your bloating alongside your cycle or stress levels to spot patterns. Occasional bloating is completely normal.
Estrogen and progesterone both affect how your body holds on to water and how your gut moves food along, according to Tamanna. “As hormone levels shift, gut motility can slow down, meaning food sits longer than it used to, leading to gas, heaviness, and that “I look pregnant by evening” feeling so many women describe to me,” Tamanna explained.
