A healthy stomach means a healthy body. If the stomach is not digesting food properly it leads to indigestion, the cause of many harmful diseases (1). The undigested food creates toxins in our body resulting in poor absorption of nutrients. It causes a deficiency in our body, our hormones do not get proper protein and essential nutrients which results in hormonal imbalance.

In short bloating may lead to a vicious circle of diseases. That is why it is very important to look after your diet and eating pattern. One of the most common problems nowadays is bloating. Many of my readers tell me about their bloated stomach (2) problems. Today we will discuss bloating, how to get rid of bloating and simple ways to relieve gas.

What is Bloating?

Swelling in the abdominal area or gastrointestinal tract due to gas is known as stomach bloating (3). You feel full without eating anything. It gives you a feeling of unease. Gases present in the abdominal area increase its dimension. It can be identified by frequent burping or farting (4).

Symptoms of Stomach Bloating

Here are few bloating symptoms

1. Feeling of fullness and unease without eating anything.
2. You will feel as if your stomach is swollen and sometimes it causes pain.
3. Frequent burps and farts.

Causes of Stomach Bloating

Here are a few points that will answer your question what causes bloating?

1. Bloating is mainly caused due to improper digestion (5).
2. When you eat too spicy or heavy food, it causes chemical reactions in our stomach which leads to the release of gases.
3. Many times our body is not able to metabolize and excrete food in a proper way which causes flatulence (6) and ultimately bloating.
4. Sometimes disturbed sleep and stress lead to bloating.
5. Heavy dinner and sleeping immediately post dinner. This is a bad lifestyle habit and needs to be corrected to get rid of bloating.
6. Eating too much at a time and then starving for a long time.
7. Lack of physical activity.
8. Inadequate protein digestion.
9. Inability to break down sugar and carbohydrates fully.
10. Imbalances in gut bacteria (7).
11. Excess consumption of alcohol (8) and salty food causes dehydration which then leads to bloating.
12. In some people bloating is caused due to bowel obstruction. Bowel obstruction is caused by scar tissue or a tumor which grows and presses against the bowel, the bowels become blocked and hold stool and fluid which causes gases (9) and bloating. In this case, medication should be taken from authorized medical practitioner to get rid of bloating.
13. Hormonal changes or imbalance are one of the main causes of bloating. Especially in women with the rise in estrogen levels the uterine line thickens during ovulation more fluids and blood build up.
14. Bloating is also caused if you have some serious chronic disease. It is caused due to the intake of antibiotics and as a side effect from those medicines (10).

 

How to Get Rid of Bloating?

Once we find out that the round stomach is due to bloating we go to the next step to find answers to the questions How to stop bloating? How to get rid of bloating? How to reduce bloating? etc. So here are some ways in which you can reduce stomach bloating.

1. Avoid too Salty and Heavy Food Especially for Dinner

Salty and spicy food takes more time to digest. During digestion, these foods react with digestive enzymes and acids which causes the formation of certain gases. These gases fill up the abdominal passage and are released through burping or flatulence. When these gases are stuck in the passage and not released then it causes bloating.

2. Eat Something Within 15 Minutes of Getting Up

After sleeping for the entire night our body is starving for almost 10 hours. So, as soon as we freshen up we should eat something healthy, this will result in the release of unwanted gases from the abdominal tract. This will also clear your stomach, reduce the problem of constipation and help to get rid of stomach bloating.

3. Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly and staying active speeds up your digestion and fat burning. Regular exercising is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Morning time is best for exercising and a good start of the day. It helps you stay active throughout the day. Exercising is the best answer to the question how to get rid of bloating.

4. Never Skip Breakfast

A healthy breakfast after a nice workout is like giving a treat to your body. As the name suggests breakfast means breaking the fast of 8 to 10 hours. Have a healthy and tasty breakfast which is protein rich and has a low glycemic index. Refrain from having tea or anything sweet with your breakfast. Avoid juices and fruits with breakfast. Eat it as a separate meal.

5. Drink 4 to 5 Litres of Water Daily

Drinking water at regular intervals has many benefits one of which is eliminating bloating and other gastrointestinal disorders. Water fills your stomach which causes excess air to pass through the anal or oral passage and help to get rid of bloating.

6. Reduce Stress and Avoid Unnecessary Problems

Stress is one of the main reasons for improper digestion resulting in bloating. Avoiding unnecessary problems, doing meditation and yoga, watching inspirational videos, reading good books will keep you away from unnecessary stress and improve your lifestyle, sleep etc.

7. Take Proper Rest

Resting is an important part of our life, but we often fail to realize this. Over-exercising or stressing your body will do no good to it. Your body will soon lose its balance and respond by various disorders, one of them is bloating. Take rest at proper intervals and for proper time so that you don’t feel lazy or tired.

8. Don’t Sleep Immediately After Eating

Sleeping immediately after eating will interfere with your digestion, food in your digestive tract will take more than the required time to digest. This will cause unease and can also lead to bloating. You can just move around for some time or just sit for half an hour and do something and then sleep. Correcting this lifestyle habit helps to get rid of bloating.

9. Eat at Regular Intervals

Eating at regular intervals will ensure that your blood sugar level is not dropped drastically, this will provide energy to all your organs including stomach to perform its function properly. Eating at regular intervals will prevent overeating and thus bloating.

10. Quit Smoking and Alcohol

Smoking and alcohol are extremely dehydrating. They are like slow poison to our body. Dehydration leads to many problems like constipation and bloating too. It is better to quit these habits for a better life. Quit smoking and you will get your answer of how to get rid of bloating.

11. Refrain from Overeating and Eating Too Fast

Overeating can cause difficulty in digestion and it may lead to bloating. Longer the time food stays in your digestive tract greater are the chances of bloating. When you eat too fast you gulp more air along with food which can lead to bloating. So try to avoid these two things to avoid bloating. Stop overeating and you will find an answer to your question how to reduce bloating?

Here is an informative video from Natural Ways

 

Effects of Bloating

1. The immediate effect of bloating is increased abdominal area. It looks swollen like a pregnant woman.
2. It kills your hunger and affects digestion.
3. If not treated in time, it can lead to constipation and other serious gastrointestinal disorders.
4. Aids to unhealthy weight gain.

Difference Between Belly Fat and Bloat

1. Belly fat does not cause your stomach to expand wildly throughout the day but bloating does.
2. You can physically grasp belly fat in your hand but not bloat.

Best Foods that Reduce Bloating

Diet plays a very important role in curing and preventing diseases. Here I have listed some foods which will prevent as well as cure bloating. You can take it as bloating remedies. When it comes to bloating, probiotics or good bacteria are the best foods for it because this good bacteria are gut-friendly and kills bad bacteria and improves digestion. Yogurt is one of them and one of the best bloating remedies.

Water-rich foods such as watermelon, cucumber etc are also helpful in curing bloating as it reduces dehydration. Herbs and spices such as turmeric, fennel, ginger help in removing excess unwanted fluid from our system and thus help in curing bloating. Flax seeds are rich in fiber and help in reducing bloating. Below are some best foods to get rid of bloating.

1. Yogurt

Yogurt or curd is very beneficial for your tummy. The bacteria present in yogurt helps in digestion which in turn reduces the gas formation. You can include yogurt in your diet as is or in the form of buttermilk or other dairy products.

2. Ginger

Ginger is an excellent digestive agent. It helps in stimulating digestive juices resulting in improved digestion. As bloating is majorly caused due to indigestion, ginger effect can reduce bloating considerably.

3. Fennel Seeds

Fennel tea is very popular these days. The fennel seeds are very helpful in digestion and reducing stomach cramps. It is clinically proven that the gastric gas generation is substantially reduced after consuming fennel seeds.

4. Bananas

Banana is rich in fiber, potassium and many other vital nutrients. Constipation is one of the major reasons for bloating. Banana are good for reducing constipation and relieve from the irregular bowel movements.

5. Lemon

Lemons are natural laxative and diuretic in nature. If you drink lemon honey water in the morning for 7 days you will experience smooth bowel movements and improved skin health.

6. Garlic

Garlic helps in reducing bloating for people as well as it can cause bloating if you are allergic to it. So make sure you are not allergic to garlic before including it in your food.

7. Melons

Melons are high in water content and are helpful in reducing constipation and bloating. It’s diuretic property helps to flush toxins out of your body. The potassium levels help you reduce the sodium levels and improve stomach and overall health.

8. Turmeric

Curcumin present in turmeric is helpful in the normal functioning of gallbladder. It regulates the secretion of bile in our body which is the major compound in digestion process. Proper functioning of gallbladder improves the stomach health and reduces bloating.

 

9. Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, thiols, protease inhibitors and enzymes. All these nutritional compounds helps in regulating the normal health of stomach and reduce bloating.

10. Carrots

Carrots can be helpful in reducing bloating but if you are allergic it can cause bloating for you. The fiber content in carrots help to reduce constipation and other stomach related problems.

11. Pumpkin

12. Almonds

13. Green Beans

14. Mint

15. Papaya

16. Tomatoes

17. Cucumber

18. Apples

19. Watermelon

20. Beet

21. Flax Seeds

You can read here about the foods that burn belly fat fast.

Foods That Cause Bloating or Gas

Food with high fiber and protein if not taken in a proper manner can cause bloating as they are heavy to digest. Although if they are cooked well then it will not cause bloating. In the case of fiber-rich foods, it is best to eat it with some good fats to assimilate and absorb its nutrients better.

Dairy and dairy products can cause bloating to lactose intolerant people so be alert if you are one. Legumes and peas cause bloating if not cooked well because of its high protein content. Too salty and sugary foods also lead to bloating. Below are foods that cause gas, check these out and eat with caution.

1. Broccoli
2. Cabbage
3. Milk
4. High Sodium Foods
5. Soybeans
6. Peas
7. Lentils
8. Uncooked or improperly cooked protein-rich food.
9. Sugar
10. Carbonated drinks.

Exercises to Get Rid of Bloating

Exercises help you get the gas out of stomach and reduce the bloating. Below are few exercises which you can practice regularly to reduce bloating.

1. Pavanmuktasana
2. Shishuasana
3. Spinal Twist
4. Marjariasana
5. Vajrasana
6. Suryanamaskar

So these are the ways you can get rid of bloating, foods that cause gas and the food that reduce bloating. Let me know if you find today’s article useful, your views and suggestions.