1. distention is the gut sticking out; bloating is how it feels and what it is doing inside
2. have you measured your chest and shoulders when normal and when bloated to prove they get smaller? My weightlifting husband agrees with me about the whole smaller muscles when bloated thing
3. yes and no about C and bloating. Being regular helps bloating almost more than anything else, but you can still have terrible bloating and not be C (believe me!). If your bloating is the kind that results from C (yes there are different kinds of bloating IMO) of course it will help. Your goal is to cure C first and this is partly why. Being regular is the key to improvement. (that is why I always encourage people with C to take a SFS even when they say it makes them bloated- b/c once the C is gone the bloating should/may get better)
Quote: Now the question becomes, what can I do to ensure my body does have a more fuller, softer release of stools and less gas left inside?
Lots of SF with IF mixed in! Plenty of water and tea. Foods with plenty of moisture and the right amount of fats.
-------------------- IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!