POPSUGAR UK

17 Ways to Prevent Bloating and Feel Slimmer

23/06/2018 - 11:45 AM

Whether you wake up with a balloon in your pajamas, your bloat builds into your expanding waistband after lunch, or you feel so gassy you have trouble sleeping at night, relief is on the way! These tips will help prevent bloating [1] and avoid uncomfortable symptoms.

Eat a Salad Once a Day

Eat a huge salad for one meal a day [3], whether it's for lunch or dinner (or hey — even breakfast [4]!). It'll help you get your fill of fibre-rich veggies to stay regular.

Do This With Your Beans

If beans give you gas, certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition [5], choose lentils and black beans since chickpeas and kidney beans are harder to digest. Soak and cook your own beans [6] instead of buying canned — they're easier to digest. Also eating beans with an easily digestible grain like rice can help to decrease gas.

Limit Your Sugar Intake

Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition [7], explains that, "in your GI tract, there are trillions of bacteria that usually help with health, but these bacteria consume the sugars in your foods and can increase gas production and bloat [8]." Try cutting out foods made with white sugar and even honey and maple syrup to see how you feel.

Drink Tons of Water

While you don't have to go overboard and drink a gallon of water a day [9], drinking water throughout your day is one of the simplest ways to keep your digestive system happy and prevent gas. Aim for at least 60 to 80 ounces a day.

An Apple a Day

Eating a fibre-rich apple every single day [10] can be a simple way to prevent constipation and make your daily bloating disappear.

Avoid Dairy

Lactose intolerance can range from mild to severe, but either way, gas is usually a symptom [11]. Try limiting the amount of milk, cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream you eat, and see if that helps. There are so many dairy-free alternatives you can eat instead, so you won't feel like you're missing out!

Try Intermittent Fasting

Give your digestive system the break it needs to function normally by doing intermittent fasting [12]. All you do is shorten the window of time you eat each day. Try eating from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., and see how you feel.

Avoid Spicy Foods

Spicy foods can cause digestive upset, leading to gas and diarrhea. Skip the chili, hot
wings, and spicy burritos and curries.

Debloating Yoga

The trick to calming a distended belly and getting things moving may be a little yoga. Here are over 20 of the best poses [13] you can do to aid in digestion and decrease bloat.

Avoid Fried Foods

Fried foods and high-fat, cream-based foods can also cause belly bloat, so keep those off your plate.

Reduce Your Salt Intake

Not only is too much sodium bad for your heart, but it will also cause you to retain water — and not just in your belly — so stop yourself the next time you reach for the salt shaker. Extra sprinkles aren't the only way we consume too much sodium. Limit high-sodium foods such as hot dogs, cottage cheese, bacon, soy sauce, and chips.

Exercise Regularly

Moving every single day is another way to keep your digestive system moving along. Do more-strenuous workouts four or five days a week, and the other days stay active by walking, doing a little yoga, or leisurely biking.

Don't Overeat

It may not be the type of food you're eating but the quantity. Eating to the point of feeling painfully full can cause tummy pains and gas. Every time you eat, eat until you're satisfied [14], but not stuffed.

Sip on Some Tea

Drinking tea is as effective for preventing bloating as drinking water. It can also be used as a natural remedy for bloat. Try sipping on some ginger or peppermint tea [15] to help calm your digestion system.

Relax

Stress can cause digestive upset, so find ways every day to bring a little peace and calmness to your day. Meditate, take walks in nature, read, play music, sweat in your favourite fitness class, take a hot shower, or call a friend to share a few laughs. Try it every single day, for five to 10 minutes, for a week and see if you notice a sense of calmness that resonates to your belly [16].

Eat Slower

Eating too quickly can lead to improper chewing, making it difficult for the body to digest [17]. Take your time when you eat, chewing food slowly. Take breaks halfway through your meal, drink some water, and assess if you're hungry for the rest.

Avoid Carbonation

Drinking soda and sparkling water makes you swallow more air, and where do you think that air goes? Yup. Ditch the soda (the sugar can cause bloating, too) and the seltzer, and go for plain water instead.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/Tips-Prevent-Bloating-44949055