We’ve all been there. That uncomfortable, jeans-popping sense of fullness that follows a big meal. It may seem like it should only happen to those who constantly over indulge in huge portions of junk food but in reality, bloating can happen to even the most devoted followers of a healthy diet.
Bloating, which often results in a tight, distended stomach, discomfort in the abdomen and a general sluggish feeling, occurs when the body produces too much gas or holds on to excess water, causing that swollen sensation.
Whilst that big dinner could certainly be the cause, there are other diet and lifestyle factors which can be to blame. If you’re battling the bloat, try these tips:
Step away from the salt!
Salt can be a key culprit when it comes to bloating. Too much of it can interrupt your body’s delicate balance, telling your kidneys to put their natural filtering process on hold in order to dilute the sodium in your blood. With your body holding on to more water than usual, it’s natural you’ll feel bloated. Avoid adding extra salt to your food and keep your intake of salty foods like crisps, nuts and processed meat like bacon low.
Back away from the beans!
Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat the more you….are prone to suffer with bloating.
Beans haven’t earned their notorious reputation for no reason. Although they are a wonderful source of protein and other nutrients, they do contain saponins which interfere with digestion, resulting in an over production of gas in the bowels. If you’re a lover of lentils, you might want to try avoiding them for a few weeks to see if you notice an improvement and, if you do, reintroducing them slowly and eating them less frequently, soaking them before cooking and pairing them with fermented foods like sauerkraut to keep the side effects to a minimum.
Take it slow
It’s no surprise that with our busy lifestyles, along with everything else we do at warp speed, we rush our meals. The average worker in the UK takes just 34 minutes for lunch and not all of this time is spend eating.
Rushing like this means we’re not taking the time to thoroughly chew our food or let it settle before dashing off to our next appointment. Give your body time to properly digest. Take smaller bites, chew up to 40 times if you can, take in plenty of water with your meal and wait for your food go down before you get back to your busy day.
Give up on gum
Chewing gum is one of the more surprising causes of bloating. As we mindlessly chew away we tend to swallow more air than we normally would, which can lead to trapped gases in the digestive system.
If you want to keep that minty breath freshness but want to keep the bloating at bay, try sucking a mint or munching a small piece of parsley (yes, really!)
Can the soft drinks
When you think about all the millions of tiny fizzing bubbles frothing and bursting in your can of cola, it’s not really surprising to consider that they’ll behave in the same way inside your stomach. Your body already produces natural gasses as part of the digestion process. Adding even more is a recipe for a very swollen stomach, not to mention a few burps. Try to stick to non-carbonated drinks if you want to prevent bloating.
Don’t wait to hydrate
It’s been said that by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Keeping your water levels topped up offers many health benefits but beating the bloat is one of the more noticeable ones.
Taking in plenty of H2O helps not only to replenish the fluids we lose throughout the day, it also tells the body not to hold on to water as it’s not at risk of dehydration. If you find plain water hard to stomach, try infusing it with fresh fruit like lemon or mint and cucumber for a refreshing thirst quencher.
Test yourself
If you’ve tried the tricks and tips above but are still battling the bloat, it might be worth taking a deeper look at the cause.
It’s important to have a chat with your GP if you are concerned but if you’ve ruled out any serious health conditions, you might want to consider taking a food intolerance test for bloating. Around 9 million adults in the UK have food intolerances, causing a range of problems such as digestive discomfort, bloating, IBS and other complaints.
With a simple home testing kit, you can pinpoint your problem foods and banish the bloat. Learn more about food intolerance tests here.