Ever wake up from a night out of eating and drinking and look 6 months pregnant? Or more often, you wake up with a flat belly and by 7 pm you look pregnant? That my friend is bloating of the stomach.
It could be the foods you eat, alcohol, medication, constipation, or other medical condition. Want to know how to avoid bloating by changing your lifestyle?
And how to relieve stomach bloating? In this post, you will identify what causes stomach bloating and gas and foods that can reduce it.
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What is Abdominal Bloating?
Abdominal bloating or stomach bloating is described as feeling full, swollen, tight. Sometimes the abdomen becomes hard, painful, and distended.
Along with excessive gas (flatulence), pain, abdominal rumbling or gurgles, and frequent burping or belching can accompany bloating.
What Cause Stomach Bloating
Bloating of the stomach often occurs because the gastrointestinal (GI) tract fills with air or gas, and sometimes it’s because of illness.
Typically, gas builds up in the GI tract when eating or drinking or from the breakdown of undigested foods. The burp or flatulence you may experience results from gas leaving the body.
Other causes of bloating of the stomach may be a food allergy, medication, heartburn, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, and sometimes constipation.
How To Avoid Stomach Bloating
Changing your diet is the first step to avoiding bloating. To identify these foods, try keeping a food journal to record what and when you eat and how you feel within 24 hours.
If you are bloated because of constipation, try to increase your water, and fiber intake along with regular exercise.
Besides keeping a food journal, also eat and drink slowly, avoid dairy, carbonated drinks and avoid chewing gums since this can cause you to swallow excess air.
What Foods Causes Bloating?
Your food choices are usually a major cause of bloating, but most people are unaware of what these foods are.
Keep in mind that everyone is different. The foods that cause bloating for me may not affect you. Keep a food journal if you are trying to identify problem foods for you.
For example, some people recommend Greek yogurt as a stomach bloating relief. But I would never try this because dairy contains lactose and I am lactose intolerant and become gassy after eating dairy.
So, here is a list of common foods that may cause bloating.
Whole grains
Whole grain contains fiber, raffinose and starch that, when broken down usually causes gas.
Carbonated drinks & stomach gas
Drinking sodas and carbonated drinks increases the amount of air you swallow leading to gas in the abdominal tract.
Vegetables and stomach bloating
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower contain the complex sugar raffinose.
Raffinose goes through the intestine where it’s broken down, producing methane gas, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.
That can lead to excess gas in the GI tract that eventually passes through the rectum.
Other problematic vegetables to avoid include onions, garlic, and legumes
Fruits and stomach bloating
Fruits such as peaches, apples, prunes, nectarines, and pears contain sorbitol, a natural sugar our body has trouble digesting.
Sorbitol and soluble fibre from the fruits are broken down, producing the same gasses as vegetables leading to gas in the GI tract.
Dairy and stomach bloating & gas
Dairy, a well know culprit that contains lactose.
Most people are lactose intolerant because their body does not produce enough lactase enzymes. And they usually have difficulty digesting lactose.
I am lactose intolerant and let me tell you, having dairy products wasn’t fun. That’s part of the reason my diet is now plant-based.
Related: Simple Tips To Transition To A Vegan Diet
Why do beans cause gas?
Beans, an important part of my plant-based diet, but sadly it causes gas.
The more beans you eat, the better or the less gassy you become because you get accustomed to eating it.
Beans cause gas because they contain a sugar that cannot be broken down fully in the small intestine. In the large intestine, the sugar is broken down causing fermentation and gas.
Can Salt Cause Stomach Bloating?
Salt is a well know culprit that causes bloating. When we consume too much salt, it leads to water retention, which causes bloating.
Salt can also lead to other long-term medical problems such as high blood pressure. Instead of adding salt to your foods, try using spices to add flavour.
Ever consume salty foods and the more water you drink, the more you want? Until you experience bloating of the stomach and distended abdomen.
This is because your body holds on to water when there is too much sodium, therefore potassium-rich foods are great to counteract bloating.
Because potassium pushes out sodium (salt) from your body, reducing bloating.
To avoid bloating, reduce your intake of processed foods, they usually contain preservatives that are high in salt, sugar, oils, and God knows what else.
What Relieves Bloating Fast?
Always speak with your doctor before starting any new medication or treatment or changing your diet.
So, what relieves bloating fast?
Stomach bloating can be a simple fix if it’s due to lifestyle choices.
But occasionally it can be a serious medical condition. If not, then incorporate the list below into your diet for the best result.
- Probiotics
- Digestive enzymes – helps breaks down food
- Exercise also helps relieve the build-up of gas.
- Limit junk foods and carbonated drinks
- Although fruits and vegetables are important in our diet limit combining foods that may cause bloating.
- Atrantil provides all-natural relief from bloating.
Natural Remedies To Reduce Bloating Fast
Natural homemade remedies are usually my first choice for stomach bloating. Consider having a warm cup of water with lemon, apple cider, and ginger first thing in the morning to aid in digestion and to reduce bloating.
Below you will find a list of natural stomach bloating remedies, period bloating remedies or even remedies for alcohol bloating.
- Peppermint tea, ginger tea, ginger lemon tea, green tea
- Infuse water overnight with lemon, cucumber, ginger, and mint.
Atrantil is a solution that provides daily digestive support and balance. Made from Peppermint, Quebracho, Horse Chestnut Extract, and other ingredients.
Atrantil provides relief from bloating and abdominal discomfort with lasting, long-term improvement.
Green juice for bloating
Use a juicer to juice these ingredients and enjoy:
- 1 thumb-size turmeric and ginger
- about 1 bunch of mint
- 1 bulb fennel
- 1 head of kale
- 2 oranges
- 2 cucumbers
- half of pineapple
Green juice for bloating
Use a juicer to juice and enjoy
- 1 lemon peeled
- about 1 bundle of cilantro or parsley
- 1 head of kale
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- thumb size ginger add more if needed
- 1 head of fennel
- 1-2 cucumber
Apple cider lemon drink for gas and bloating
This is my go-to remedy. It works wonders for me and can help you too. It keeps the bloating down and is a great detox.
- ½ of a lemon juiced
- about 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp powder turmeric or ½ “ fresh turmeric grated or blend
- about ½ thumb-size grated ginger
- 1 tbsp honey is optional, in 2 cups of boiling water. Add more water if needed. enjoy first thing in the morning.
Detox green smoothie
Smoothie for unblemished skin and constipation relief. Blend ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Have it for breakfast. Add or remove ingredients to make this your own.
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- ½ lemon juiced
- 2″ ginger peeled
- 1 green apple
- about ½ bundle of cilantro or parsley
- 1 large ripe banana fresh or frozen, add more to make it sweeter
- 4-6 leaves of kale, spine removed or 2 packed cups of spinach
- 1 cup of pineapple or mange optional
- 2-3 cups of water or coconut water. Start with 2 cups of liquid, add more if needed.
Best Foods For Stomach Bloating
Now that we know what foods cause bloating, here is a list of foods that will help you reduce stomach bloating.
These are the most common foods to choose from that have worked for me and will be beneficial for you.
Dark chocolate or cacao powder, fruits with high water content, and foods high in potassium are best to reduce bloating and gas.
Potassium-rich foods are great because they help to reduce the sodium (salt) content in your body.
Vegetables that may help you avoid stomach bloating
- Fennel – The components in fennel seeds have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties known to relax intestinal muscles allowing the release of gas. You can juice fennels, sliced, and added to salads or use the seeds for tea.
- Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory spice effective in relieving cramps and bloating associated with a distended abdomen. Also ginger has a soothing and relaxing effect on the intestine, reducing inflammation in the colon.
- Asparagus – Contain a diuretic that reduces water content and prebiotic to help keep your gut running smooth.
- Avocado – Packed full of potassium and antioxidants to reduce bloating and inflammation.
- Cucumber – Has high water content and is also a natural diuretic that helps you to pee more.
- Butternut squash – High in potassium, which helps to balance out sodium and water content in the body.
- Beets – Another potassium-rich food. High in fibre and potassium helps to remove sodium from the body and reduce bloating.
- Celery root – Effective in fighting bloating and water retention.
- Spinach – Packed with antioxidants that fight inflammation.
- Zucchini – Full of fiber and helps keeps the gastrointestinal tract moving.
- Artichokes – A fibrous vegetable helps keep food moving in GI tract, preventing constipation.
- Flaxseed – High in fiber helps to keep things moving along in the intestine. Relieves constipation.
Fruits that may help you avoid stomach bloating
Fruits with high water content help to reduce bloating and hydrate your body, including cantaloupe (high in potassium), watermelon and honeydew.
They are also natural diuretics, causing frequent urination, removing salt and water from the body.
- Bananas – bananas along with other potassium-rich foods helps to push sodium and water out of the body. Try to incorporate foods high in potassium into your diet to reduce bloating.
- Lemons – the acidity of the stomach’s digestive juices is like that of lemons. Add lemon to warm water for a gentle laxative effect and is a natural diuretic. So consuming lemons regularly aids in digestion and reduce salt content in the body.
- Kiwi – contain enzymes that help speed up digestion, along with potassium to reduce sodium and water content in the body.
- Grapefruit – high water content helps hydrate the body.
- Oranges – high in potassium and water helps reduce bloating.
- Pineapple – high water content, contains digestive enzymes that assist in protein breakdown that could otherwise cause bloating.
- Papaya – contains digestive enzymes that helps breaks down food and fight inflammation.
- Berries – contain antioxidants, fights inflammation. With low sugar content are better choice to reduce bloating, including raspberry, strawberry and blueberry.
- Coconut – filled with water containing potassium, helping to balance out the sodium content in the body to reduce bloating.
Final Thoughts On Overcoming Bloating And Gas
You can correct abdominal bloating with proper diet and exercise. Incorporate more potassium-rich foods into your diet and avoid salty and highly processed foods.
If you want to reduce your chances of looking pregnant in that skin-tight dress, try limiting your intake of foods that cause bloating.
But when bloating becomes an issue, try Atrantil a natural remedy for fast relief. If nothing works, then you might need to see a doctor, just say.
