Feeling bloated? How to Get Rid of Belly Bloat

Bloating: A condition in which the abdomen (belly) feels full and tight.

Have you ever experienced this?

We’ve all been there. All felt bloated after a dinner out, after a long weekend, after an “off” few days. Here are some tips to get rid of that awful belly bloat!

Don’t skip your next meal.
Just eat a smaller meal rich in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are full of water and can hydrate you. Eat small, mini-meals throughout the day.

Drink water.
Avoid carbonated beverages or juices, just stick to water. Drinking water can flush items through your digestive system and help restore your hydration.

Limit salt.
Sodium/salt can cause you to retain or hold on to extra water- making you feeling puffy in your hands, feet or face. Limiting sodium can help with that!

Eat foods rich in Potassium.
Having a lot of salt/sodium in our diet can cause increased bloating. When we eat potassium-rich foods, this helps our kidneys get rid off excess sodium and help reduce stomach bloating. Foods rich in potassium include beans, tomato juice, bananas, potatoes, prunes, raisins, oranges juice, and spinach.

Find the Culprit.
Look at the ingredients of foods you’ve been eating.

• Artificial Sweeteners- particularly sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol) can cause gas and bloating. Foods that are “sugar free” may contain sugar alcohols.
• Added fibers in items such as breads, bars, cereals, yogurts may contain chicory root, or inulin, which can cause gas and bloating.
• Look back at your food diary. Have you had beans lately? A new grain? A lot of dairy?
• Many people are lactose intolerant (which means they cannot digest the sugar in cows milk, lactose) but can still tolerate cheese and yogurt. If you begin to notice lactose bothering your stomach, cut it out. Then introduce it slowly with small portions of yogurt (with probiotics) or cheese.
• Carbonated beverages cause some people to be gassy or bloated.

Exercise.
Get moving, at a minimum of 30 minutes per day, to help with your digestive system.

Add fiber.
You should be eating about 25 g fiber per day, and most people don’t get nearly that much. Introduce more fiber into your day slowly until you meet the recommended amount. Choose foods with natural fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans. When adding more fiber into your diet, add more water as well.

Eat probiotics daily.
Yogurt is rich with probiotics and can improve gut health and boost your immune system. Choose yogurts with the seal, “Contains Like & Active Cultures.”

Add some healthy herbs.
Try the following herbs in relieving your bloating, gas, upset stomach:

• Ginger
• Peppermint
• Chamomile

 

If you have severe or chronic bloating, it is best to go to your Doctor to make sure you don’t have a more serious condition.