Bloated by 3pm? The Habits I Use to Feel Lighter

By mid-afternoon my waistband used to tell me how my day was going. Puffy, tight, sucking it in for photos. If that sounds like you, pull up a chair.

I'm Dee, a women's health practitioner of 15 years and the woman who blends Dee's Teas. Bloating comes up in my clinic more than almost any other complaint, and the women asking tend to eat well enough. They're busy. They eat at their desks, skip lunch, then inhale dinner at 8pm.

Your gut digests in rest-and-digest mode

Your body runs two broad modes. Fight or flight gets you through a deadline. Rest and digest gets your food broken down. Eat while answering emails and your body stays in deadline mode while your digestion waits in line. I watch the mind-body link play out on a plate: a stressed woman and a calm woman can eat the same salad and walk away feeling different.

The habits I swear by

• Sit down to eat. Phone face down, three slow breaths before the first bite.
• Chew more than feels normal. Your stomach has no teeth.
• Space your meals. Grazing from 9 to 5 gives your gut no break.
• Walk for ten minutes after dinner. Your belly will thank you more than the couch will.
• Look for patterns. If certain foods line up with your worst days, keep a food diary for two weeks. Bloating that's painful or won't settle deserves a chat with your GP.

Where the tea fits

I built the Bloat Buster Duo around how I live. Detox Tea goes in my cup first thing: dandelion root, milk thistle and peppermint, bitter herbs traditionally used to support digestion. De-Stress Tea is my evening cup, with fennel and ginger, herbs traditionally used to settle the stomach after a meal, plus chamomile to help me slow down.

The ritual counts as much as the herbs. Sitting with something warm tells your body the rush is over, and that's the soul part of cell to soul.

Whenever you're ready, snag the Bloat Buster Duo here. It should be very helpful if 3pm is your puffy hour.

General information only, not personal medical advice.