How to prevent bloating

 

 

Bloating is a health condition that is very common but disturbing to patients and frustrating to clinicians because effective treatments are universally limited and not quite successful.

What is bloating?

Bloating is when excessive air or gas gets trapped in the gastrointestinal tract, causing what most people describe as feeling full, tight, or swollen in the stomach.

Bloating can also make your abdomen or tummy hard, painful and rumbling. It can make you belch repeatedly and also develop waist enlargement, also called abdominal distension.

With that said, let’s discuss the simple things you can do to prevent bloating.

1.      Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated can help you debloat, but becoming dehydrated can cause your body to hang on to any fluids that can cause bloating or even constipation, a major cause of bloating. Water can actually help flush our system and reduce puffiness.

Practice drinking up to 1.5litres of water daily and cut down or avoid hydration ‘robbers’ like caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated or sugary drinks. Choose water, herbal teas like peppermint or ginger tea and decaffeinated coffees and teas. Researchers have found they reduce stomach distension and help to prevent symptoms of bloating.

2.      Avoid swallowing too much air

Swallowing excessive amounts of air, also referred to as aerophagia is likely to cause bloating, especially in people with gut disorders. You can reduce any excess air in your gut if you avoid:

·         Chewing gum

·         Eating  too fast

·         Drinking with a straw

·         Drinking carbonated beverages

3.      Be careful of portion sizes

Another way to prevent indigestion and then bloating is to avoid eating large portions of food and overeating. Such portions put a lot of pressure on your digestive system and produce a lot of belly gas.

4.      Take a walk

If you feel like gas is the cause of your belly bloat, going for moderate aerobic exercise or a walk may help. That can help prevent bloating by lowering stress levels and speeding up the passage of trapped gas through your digestive tract.

Put on your go-to sneakers, a podcast and walk around the block and in at least 15 minutes, you will feel some relief.

5.      Chew adequately and eat slowly

Some people take pride in eating too quickly. That’s unhealthy. If you are one of them, please stop it even when you’re in a time crunch. Eating too fast makes you swallow air, eat large portions of food and a lot of food too, hence gas accumulation and that balloon feeling.

You can beat the bloat by eating slowly.

6.      Eating fatty food

Fatty food can make you feel uncomfortably stuffed because fat takes longer to digest. Yes, fat keeps the stomach full for a longer time compared to protein or carbohydrates.  So, avoid bloating by eating less fat daily.