I was so bloated my husband said I looked pregnant & I hated going out…every woman faces my hell but 65p pill ‘cured’ me

SHE was one of the lucky ones, she could eat what she wanted and never worry about her shape or size, being naturally slim and gorgeous. Until midlife hit. Tina Dutton could no longer fit in her clothes, after ballooning in size. Strangers offered her seats on the train believing she was pregnant, and she was often too embarrassed to leave the house. Tina Dutton, 59, from London, says her muffin top and bloating disappeared after three weeks of taking a supplement Credit: Supplied The fashion influencer relied on ‘tent dresses’ to hide her bloating, which made her look “nine months pregnant” Credit: Supplied Now 59, Tina tells Sun Health: “I would get up in the morning feeling normal, then by 11am, my whole body started to change shape. “My face and arms would become bloated, too. I became unrecognisable as the day went on. “By the afternoon, I looked nine months pregnant.” She built up a ‘bloated wardrobe’ – rails of smock tops and tent dresses – to wear when she couldn’t face anything fitted. But as a fashion influencer, it was harming her business. Perimenopause had left her feeling “hot, bloated and uncomfortable” Credit: Supplied She says people would offer her seats on the train which made her feel self-conscious Credit: Supplied “As an influencer, my job is to make clothes look good and this was affecting what I could wear,” she says. She cancelled social plans, felt anxious about leaving the house and wondered if other people were judging her new shape. Her husband Anthony, 73, who is retired, also noticed, as Tina recalls: “He once told me – not in a nasty way – that I looked pregnant. That didn’t go down well! “People also used to offer me a seat on the train! I was very conscious of people thinking, ‘Can’t she just lose a few pounds?’ “When I was having one of my ‘good days’ friends would tell me, ‘You look so different today’.” Like many women going through perimenopause – the years before periods stop – Tina suffered classic symptoms including hot flushes, mood swings, anxiety and insomnia. She says: “I also became more short-tempered, irritable and angry. Sometimes, my husband would walk off until I calmed down.” But, the most debilitating thing was severe bloating. “I never worried about my weight until I became perimenopausal,” she says. “I could eat anything and people used to tell me I was lucky, because I was so slim. “I thought menopause wouldn’t affect me. Then at around 53, everything began to change. Within six months I didn’t know who I was anymore. The London-based influencer (chic50style.com) was uncomfortable, too. Tina tried cutting foods out her diet to blast the bloating but nothing helped Credit: Supplied She didn’t bother seeing a doctor after a colleague, who was slightly older than Tina, told her, “I know exactly what you’re going through. This is just the start of it” Credit: Supplied She says: “In the summer, the hot weather would make me swell up even more and travelling on the underground was a nightmare. “Some nights, I’d get so hot, due to night sweats, I couldn’t sleep. That made the bloating the next day even worse. “I’d often cancel plans at the last minute. I would get all dressed up, look in the mirror and think, ‘I look awful in that’. So I’d end up staying in. “Or, if I did go out in something that fitted perfectly, my whole appearance would double within hours.” One time, Tina went out with friends for dinner wearing a slim-fitting dress but felt increasingly “hot, bloated and uncomfortable” over the day. Desperate for answers, Tina began tracking her diet to try and find a bloating culprit. “I still couldn’t work out what was causing my bloating,” she says. “I tried everything. I would have plain black coffee in the morning, because I’d heard that it could act as a diuretic. “I’d also drink hot water with lemon, and water throughout the day, but that just added to the bulk.” She gave up bread, dairy, juice and tried supplements to no avail, and even feared her bloating and swelling was an allergic reaction. When she mentioned symptoms to a colleague who was slightly older, she told Tina, “I know exactly what you’re going through. This is just the start of it.” Tina didn’t bother seeing the doctor, fearing they’d have the same response. “So, I went on my own path, and that’s when I came across Neuaura Bloatburn,” she says. “I reluctantly decided to give it a go and for the first couple of weeks, it didn’t make any difference. “Then after about three weeks, I started to feel good, as if a weight had been lifted.” Neuaura Bloatburn (currently £39 for 60 capsules, neuaura.co) is a mix of natural ingredients, including ginger, turmeric, peppermint and a caffeine-free green tea extract. After just three weeks Tina noticed her bloating had gone. “After a month, I knew it was working, because I could put a skirt on and move around,” she says Credit: Supplied Neuaura Bloatburn is a mix of natural ingredients, including ginger, turmeric, peppermint and a caffeine-free green tea extract Credit: Neuaura “The ingredients work together to eliminate bloating, improve digestion and boost metabolism. “I took two pills a day – one in the morning and one in the evening,” says Tina. “After a month, I knew it was working, because I could put a skirt on and move around. “I hadn’t changed anything else.” Best of all, Tina “wasn’t worrying about what I looked like”. Now she says: “I have more energy, I’m not anxious and I feel much calmer. I can wear anything I want. “My legs are more defined, my muffin top has gone and I’ve regained my waist – all without any additional exercise. “I’m back in leggings and can wear all my old clothes. My digestion feels better. “I call it the ‘whoosh’ effect, where in the first four or five weeks, I could feel all the water draining. “Even the puffiness under my chin has gone and my face looks narrower. “My husband can see that I’m happier and says maybe he should take the supplement too. “People keep saying, ‘You look so different, what have you done?’ “I tell them that I’ve finally found something that works for me. “There were times in the last few years where I genuinely considered giving up my work. “Now, I’m really enjoying life once again.” What's the doctor's verdict? “BLOATING and weight gain is incredibly common during menopause,” says nutritionist and psychologist Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart. “This is something many women face, even if they haven’t changed how they eat or exercise. “The reason is down to declining oestrogen levels, which can slow down metabolism, increase fat storage, especially around the abdomen, and make the body more resistant to insulin. “Certain foods can also trigger bloating by increasing gas or water.” Neuaura Bloatburn is a mix of natural ingredients, including ginger, turmeric, peppermint and a caffeine-free green tea extract. “Ginger is anti-inflammatory, aids digestion and can help reduce bloating,” says Dr Newman-Beinart. “Peppermint contains menthol which has a soothing effect on the gut. It can help relieve spasms and reduce trapped gas.” Dr Nicky Keay, medical doctor, hormonal health expert and author of Hormones, Health and Human Potential (Sequoia Books, £16.99), says: “A balanced microbiome in the gut helps to break down food, aids in the absorption of nutrients and helps to keep down inflammation. “There’s a particular subgroup of the gut microbiota, called the oestrobolome, that metabolises and recycles oestrogen. “When oestrogen levels fluctuate, during perimenopause, and then decline with menopause, these microbes become less active and may potentially contribute to menopausal symptoms such as bloating, fatigue and low mood. “‘Feeding’ the gut microbiome with pre and pro biotic foods, including some herbal supplements can help.” Other tips from Dr Newman-Beinart are: Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause trapped gas Skip processed and salty foods, which are high in sodium and can cause water retention Choose water-rich foods like cucumber, melon and leafy greens to support digestion, reduce inflammation and help flush out excess sodium Probiotic-rich foods such as live yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut support the gut microbiome and can reduce bloating over time High-potassium foods such as bananas and avocado help regulate sodium levels and reduce water retention Fennel seeds ease digestive discomfort. Sipping fennel tea after a meal or gently chewing the seeds can help relieve post-meal bloating Add fresh ginger to smoothies, herbal teas, or warm water with lemon Drink peppermint tea after meals to aid digestion