Bloating, Brain Fog, & WTF Reactions — Why Your Body Suddenly Hates Half Your Pantry

Regina Cooley
Jul 30
3 min read

Reacting to foods I've always loved and tolerated.

So listen… I used to be able to crush a giant bowl of pasta, cheese-loaded everything, and a glass of wine , shoot an entire pizza without so much as a burp.

Now? One rogue ingredient and I’m bloated, moody, foggy, and asking Google if dairy intolerance can hit midlife like a wrecking ball (spoiler: yes).

If you’ve suddenly developed reactions to foods that never used to bother you, you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone. Midlife bodies play by new rules — and our guts are loud about it.

🧬 Why Food Sensitivities Show Up After 40

As estrogen declines and cortisol rises, our gut lining becomes more permeable (aka “leaky gut” risk increases). That means:

Once harmless foods may now trigger inflammation
Our immune systems become more reactive
Digestion slows (hello constipation + bloat)
Stress absolutely tanks gut health (and most of us are under A LOT of it)

Basically? Your gut is the new boss. And she’s over your processed snack phase.

🩺 What This Looked Like for Me (Hello Bloating & Brain Fog):

Let’s say… I went through a breakup with certain foods. And it wasn’t mutual. Suddenly, the foods I loved — most dairy, some grains, soy, and just about anything processed — were making me feel:

Gassy AF (real talk: “What died in there?” vibes)
Puffy and inflamed
Foggy, tired, and irritable
Itchy, rashy, or just... off

So I had to listen. Not restrict, not panic — just get curious.

🧠 Signs You Might Be Reacting to a Food:

Granuloma annulare - an outward manifestation of my internal inflammation. As you can see its nearly gone... that one had been with me for around 5 years!

Brain fog/trouble concentrating
Mood swings or irritability
Weird skin flare-ups or rashes (my before and current to yhe right -Granuloma annulare)
Bloating within an hour of eating
Gas, cramps, or bathroom issues
Feeling “off” after certain meals (trust that gut feeling — literally)

🛠️ What Helped Me Figure It Out:

1. Food-Mood Journal (for 5–7 days max)

I tracked what I ate + how I felt for a week. I wasn’t obsessive. Just curious. Patterns started to emerge. And no, it wasn’t in my head.

2. Temporary Elimination (Not Forever!)

I paused some of the common culprits:

Dairy (this was hell - I love me some cheese!)
Gluten-heavy grains
Soy
Ultra-processed “health” bars and snacks
All added sugars

And guess what? The fog lifted. The puffiness eased. My jeans fit again without a prayer and a dance. Then I added things back one at a time and found what my body could vibe with — and what it couldn’t.

3. Gut Repair Support

This is where Isagenix not-so-quietly stepped in for me. I’m not making this a sales pitch, but I will say that giving my gut something gentle, anti-inflammatory, and rich in greens made a huge difference.

(Ask me privately if you're curious — no pressure, always real.)

🔍 Gut + Energy Support Tools I Use

– Daily Greens

– Gentle Cleanse

– Stress + Cellular Recharge

– Easy-to-Digest Protein

– Fiber + Probiotics

4. Grace Over Guilt

Sometimes I eat the pizza. Sometimes I bloat anyway. Sometimes I eat “clean” and still feel weird.

Midlife is not a precision machine — it’s a messy, magical lab experiment.

So I stopped making it moral. Food isn’t good or bad. It either supports me right now… or it doesn’t. And I adjust accordingly — no guilt needed.

💬 Final Thought:

If your body is suddenly reacting to foods you’ve always eaten, trust that it’s not punishing you — it’s talking to you.

Listen. Get curious. Support your gut. Because when your digestion works? Your energy, hormones, and mood get a major glow-up.

📣 Up Next in the Series:

“The Plate That Fights Back: What I Eat to Keep My Hormones from Hijacking My Life”

We’re building a hormone-balancing plate, rebel-style—no tiny portions. No sugar-shaming. Just powerful, nourishing food that fights for you.

Cheers Until Next Time,

Regina