7 Proven Ways to Reduce Bloating
Bloating happens to everyone, but there are many factors that goes into what could be causing the inflammation. Male or female, we all want a flat tummy, right? Luckily, there are proven ways to reduce bloating, so you can be confident and informed that your ab progress is not visibly hindered. Finding the root cause of the problem will not only help you immediately, but you can be mindful and stop it before it even begins. After all, prevention is the best medicine.
Bloating is caused by excess gas production or disturbances in the digestive system. It's not the same as water retention, which are two completely different things. Bloating involves excessive amounts of solids, liquid or gas in your digestive system.
Before diving into the below ways to reduce bloating, be sure to check to see if you can identify if you have any food allergies or intolerance to common foods like lactose, eggs, fructose & gluten. Food allergies or intolerance are very common, if you suspect that you're intolerant to specific foods, see a doctor to see what you an do.
7 Proven ways to reduce bloating:
1. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners that are high in sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols can be found in sugar-free foods and chewing gums which can be considered to be safe alternatives to sugar. Despite this, they can cause digestive problems in very high amounts with your large intestine digesting them and produce gas which leads to bloating.
2. Take a digestive enzyme supplement or a probiotic. Studies have shown that certain probiotic strains can help relieve the symptoms of bloating. Certain enzymes that are found over the counter can help break down indgestible carbohydrates that can provide almost immediate relief.
3. Avoid constipation. While constipation is very common, it can have a ton of different causes. Almost always, it leads to symptoms of bloating and cause discomfort. Exercise and eating soluble fiber is recommended to keep constipation at bay.
4. Limit sodium. Most processed foods tend to be high sodium and low in fiber which leads to that bloating feeling. If you're buying processed foods, try to get less than 450 mg of sodium per serving in any product.
5. Eat smaller meals more frequently instead of larger ones. This one is simple, if you're stuffing yourself with large meals, you're simple eating too much. Try eating smaller meals, more often to avoid bloating. Chewing your food better can also reduce the amount of air you swallow and let's you eat slower, which can help with eating less.
6. Add ginger, lemon and high potassium foods into your diet. Ginger and lemon alleviate bloating and help with overall digestion. Foods with higher potassium (like bananas) also help flush out sodium and water from the body as well.
7. Stay hydrated, drink more water. When we are dehydrated, our body holds on to any water it can. Drinking more water helps flush out stored water in the body as well as excess sodium. The more water you drink, the less bloated you'll be. Try drinking a glass of water before your morning coffee.
In a perfect world, our diets would be 100% balanced and we would never give into our sweet tooth or junk food. However, with small, simple improvements in our diet and with your newfound knowledge on preventing bloating, you can be confident you're on the right track!