How To Beat the Bloat

It’s one of those nights when your belt needs buckled just a little bit looser or you have to suck it in just to get your dress zipped because of stomach bloating. We’ve all been there. Even those with the flattest stomachs can be subject to the unsightly stomach bulge and physical discomfort of bloating. That’s why we’re here to provide you with easy tips you can implement to help beat the bloat!

Eat slowly

One of the easiest ways to beat the bloat is to eat your food more slowly. We say this is easy, but in all reality that might not be the case when considering the rushed, distracted, and high-paced society that we live in. Many people eat extremely fast and don’t give this habit a second thought until that uncomfortable “I ate too much” feeling takes over, resulting in a protruding stomach and bloating.

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet, tells WebMD that, “Eating quickly and not chewing your food well can cause air swallowing that leads to bloating. So slow down and enjoy your food. Your meals should last at least 30 minutes. Also, keep in mind that digestion begins in the mouth and you can decrease bloating just by chewing your food more.”

Plus, eating at a slower pace is a proven way to help you to consume less food. Precisionnutrition.com explains, “One of the most important benefits of eating slowly is that it gives your body time to recognize that you’re full.”

Eat more greens

Every health expert will tell you to eat more green leafy vegetables, and for good reason. Besides being packed with nutrients, green vegetables are also filled with fiber. Fiber-rich foods help you to stay full longer and aid in digestion, meaning that you will be more regular and avoid the bloat. Along with their helpful fiber, greens have a high magnesium content which will help contribute to regularity. Lastly, greens provide ample amounts of chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plants, which can naturally cleanse the digestive tract.

Keep it Regular

Another cause for bloating is constipation, so to beat the bloat you’ll need to keep things regular, if you know what we mean. Constipation can be caused by numerous reasons, some of the more common being not drinking enough fluids, a diet lacking fiber, and too little physical activity.

To keep things more regular, WebMD suggests to eat a diet high in fiber (25 grams per day for women and 38 for men) from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Also, drink plenty of fluids (aim for 6-8 glasses a day) and aim for physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Avoid carbonated drinks

It’s easy to see why carbonated drinks can lead to bloating:the fizzy bubbles created by carbonation are gas, which can temporarily be trapped in your belly, leading to a poochy look. (Shape) To beat the bloat, you’ll have to avoid carbonated drinks as much as possible. If you don’t like just plain H2O, try flavoring your water with lemon or lime juice, or make a pitcher of water infused with cucumbers or other tasty veggies.

Avoid artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners found in processed foods, reduced-calorie products, and diet drinks contain bloat-promoting compounds such as aspartame, sucralose, and cyclamate. The digestive tract cannot break down these chemical compounds very well, which can lead to bloating. According to WebMD experts recommend consuming no more than 2 or 3 servings of artificially sweetened foods and drinks per day, but try to steer clear of them altogether when possible.

Limit intake of gassy foods

Our gut flora (the good bacteria that always reside in our digestive tract) help us to digest foods that our bodies have trouble breaking down. As a result, these bacteria produce gas as they digest food in the large intestine, which can lead to bloating. WebMD suggests to limit your intake of the following gassy foods if bloating is a problem for you:

• Beans and lentils
• Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables
• Lactose
• Fructose
• Foods that are rich in starch (corn, pasta, potatoes, etc.)
• Whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat, etc)

Since this list contains a lot of nutritious foods that can be an important part of a healthy diet, gastroenterologists usually direct patients to remove one possible offending substance at a time (ie, dairy first, then fructose-containing liquids, then fiber, and so on). (Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2011) By just removing one type of gassy food from your diet at a time, you should be able to pinpoint which food is the major cause of your bloating.

Try foods and drinks that help beat the bloat

Since we’ve mentioned foods that are major contributors to bloating, this section will share with you foods that are known to help beat the bloat.

Dr. Oz suggests drinking dandelion tea to beat the bloat by stimulating bile to help break down fatty meals that can contribute to bloating. It is also a mild diuretic that will help to get rid of any excess water that your body is holding onto.

Additionally, WebMD shares that several studies have found that peppermint tea, ginger, pineapple, parsley, and yogurts containing probiotics may help reduce bloating.

Another way to beat the bloat is to spice things up a bit with a little cayenne pepper. Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, tells Women’s Health, “The capsaicin in cayenne pepper reduces gas and bloating because it increases the flow of digestive enzymes through your intestines. Capsaicin also kills the bad bacteria in our bellies that cause gas and bloating.”

To sum it up

This article aimed to solve the problem that many people face on a daily basis: how to beat the bloat. Most of the tips that were outlined above require minimal changes to be made to your diet in order to help with this common concern. Have you tried any of these tips on how to beat the bloat? Leave us a comment below!