While it is difficult to determine what causes bloating (everyone is different!) ), certain triggers are known to trigger bloating. We all feel guilty about wolfing down our lunch and rushing back to work, but news flash: eating too fast is one of the culprits of bloating. Eating certain foods and beverages, such as cruciferous vegetables (think: broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage), beans and carbonated beverages, can lead to the need to unzip your pants, especially for those with food intolerances or sensitivities. Due to changes in progesterone and estrogen levels, the menstrual cycle usually causes your abdomen to swell (and not very well) causing your body to retain more water and salt (read: bloating). Or, it may be a combination of these factors in addition to other causes such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease) and weight gain.
Tips to reduce bloating
1. identify food intolerances
PSA: Food intolerances and allergies are on the rise; in fact, more than 20% of the population in industrialized countries suffers from food intolerances or allergies. The top 3 most common? Dairy, gluten and caffeine. When you have a food intolerance, symptoms (think: diarrhea, bloating, rash) usually appear within hours of eating the food you’re intolerant to. Nicole Swingle, RD, a nutrition coach, recommends keeping a food diary: “Evaluate which foods or beverages are causing your bloating symptoms and what time of day or month the bloating usually occurs,” she says. If you suspect you have a food intolerance, consult your doctor or registered dietitian, who can diagnose any food intolerances, often using an exclusion diet.
2. Eat more foods with extra benefits
Give up processed, sugary and sodium-laden foods that can upset the balance of the gut microbiome (hello, gut inflammation and bloating) and instead buy foods rich in antioxidants, antimicrobials, prebiotic fiber and resistant starches. webb says antioxidant-rich foods such as asparagus, spinach, berries and sweet potatoes and herbs such as ginger, oregano, turmeric and cinnamon not only taste delicious, but also help fight inflammation and support a healthy gut microbiome. “Consider adding more foods with prebiotic fiber and resistant starches, such as oats, barley, potatoes, beans and fruits, to your diet to feed your healthy gut microbes and increase the production of certain types of fatty acids, including butyric acid, to strengthen your healthy gut barrier.”
3. practice positive thinking with meals
Between work deadlines, nurturing relationships and maintaining healthy habits, being present at every mealtime may seem like a luxury, but if we’re not focused at mealtime, our intuition pays the price. “Chewing each bite of food well without distractions or multitasking can help you relax and digest better by allowing you to enter a more ‘rest and digest’ phase,” says functional gut health nutritionist and owner of Savvy Stummy. According to Sarah Olszewski, MS, RDN, CDN, owner of Sarah Lynn Nutrition, the simple act of chewing food thoroughly helps to “pre-digest” it, making it easier to break it down later in the digestive process. So before you start breakfast, lunch and dinner, take a few deep breaths, chew your food slowly and thoroughly, and enjoy every bite.
4. Eat lighter meals in the evening
Sometimes it’s impossible to avoid those late-night snacks (we all succumb to them, and that’s okay). But as a general rule of thumb, sticking to small, light meals at dinnertime will give you a solid dose of intuition (and sleep quality). “Because of our body’s circadian rhythm, when the sun starts to set, the body starts to relax and get ready for bed, which means it produces less stomach acid and may slow down digestion compared to early morning,” Lee describes. Substitute lighter dishes (Greek chicken bowl, anyone?) instead of heavier foods like pizza and steak. Prepare dinners for the week and set a food curfew 2-3 hours before work to ensure solid bonus points for Zzzs.
5. Try taking supplements
ICYMI, another culprit of bloating is an imbalance in the gut microbiome (read: imbalance of good vs. bad bacteria in the gut). Taking probiotics can tip the balance in favor of fewer strains of gaseous bacteria, thus reducing flatulence and bloating. But please note: not all probiotics are created equal. “The clinical benefits of probiotics depend on many factors, including the species and strain of probiotic,” Webb clarifies. “Different strains of the same species can produce different results.” Webb recommends checking out the U.S. Probiotic Guide to steer you in the right direction to find the best probiotic for your needs. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to eat more fermented, probiotic-rich foods, including sauerkraut, miso, kimchi and yeast bread.
Another supplement worth considering adding to your arsenal is peppermint oil. “Peppermint is an antispasmodic, so it can help reduce abdominal pain, cramping, mild flatulence, bloating and overall discomfort,” Webb says. Interest piqued? Ask your healthcare provider to help you determine the timing and dosage of a peppermint oil supplement.
6. Drink more water
No matter what your health goals are, staying hydrated is key to achieving them, and reducing bloating is no exception. “Hydration is both a long-term secret and a quick way to relieve bloating,” says Weber. “When you’re dehydrated, your body retains fluid, leading to bloating and the feeling of fluid retention. In addition, dehydration can lead to constipation, which is another culprit of bloating.” Start your morning with a glass of water (yes, before coffee) and set small goals to drink the prescribed amount of water throughout the day. If plain water isn’t your favorite, try adding flavor with fruit, cucumber or mint (just avoid soda-more of a carbonated beverage). Weber warns that whatever water you drink, drink it slowly – gulping can cause gastrointestinal distress.
7. Make a cup of tea
If you just need a break from drinking H2O, check your tea cabinet or drawer for inspiration. Specifically, choose mint, ginger, dandelion and fennel varieties. “Peppermint is an antispasmodic, so it can help alleviate abdominal pain, cramping, mild flatulence, bloating and overall discomfort,” Webb says. As for ginger tea, the plant known for its spicy properties has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can aid digestion by stimulating the production of saliva and stomach acid, Lee says. She also endorses dandelion and fennel tea: “As a bitter digestive, the bitterness in dandelion can help with upset stomachs, bloating, flatulence and constipation, help break down proteins and fats, improve stomach acid, and support liver and detoxification functions,” Lee explains.
8. Evaluate your fiber intake
High-fiber foods – popcorn, whole nuts, raw vegetables, just to name a few – are harder to digest and can aggravate bloating and flatulence in some people. If these are the usual suspects in your diet, Weber encourages breaking up the so-called roughage of these foods: roasting vegetables, steaming leafy greens, and choosing nut butter over whole nuts. Similarly, Swingle advocates gradually (gradually becoming the key word) increasing your intake of dietary fiber, i.e., soluble fiber like bananas, oats and flaxseed, to help you stay regular and reduce bloating.
9. Think of ginger as your best friend
Ginger is probably second only to the cure-all for bloating because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while curcumin, a natural component of ginger root, benefits peristalsis (that is, the rate at which food leaves the stomach and continues along the digestive process). Add ginger in the form of tea, freshly grated or chopped ginger root, and you can add it to sauces, dressings or salads or condiments (think: sushi). The bottom line: whatever ginger you choose to add to your mixture will help you digest and fight bloating.
10. Get out there
It turns out that hot walks don’t just improve cardiovascular health. One of Weber’s quick de-swelling tips? You guessed it – walking. “Light exercise can help get trapped gas out of the intestines,” she says. a 2008 study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases found that walking helped food pass through the stomach faster. As Everyday Health notes, the faster the stomach empties, the faster gas can enter the small intestine, causing less discomfort.
11. Do yoga flow
Check the workout and get rid of bloat in one breath by assuming yoga poses such as child’s pose, spinal twist, seated forward bend, cat and cow and face down dog. “Certain yoga poses, such as baby pose, help release gas from the digestive tract by changing the position of the abdominal muscles,” Olszewski notes. Lee agrees, “Rather than a rigorous workout, simple exercises and yoga stretches, such as side bends and downward facing dog, can help massage the digestive tract to relax and strengthen our digestive system to stimulate digestive enzymes.” In other words, no standing push-ups or pounding the sidewalk here.
