10 Tips to Beat Bloating
We all know the discomfort of feeling bloated. Like someone literally put a balloon in our stomach and blew air into it. You’d think after years of studying nutrition and health, I’d have my own gut health figured out. But, truth be told, this is something I’m still trying to figure out for myself!
If you know me, you know I’m the first one at the dinner table to unbutton my pants. I always have an extra hair tie on hand (hint: it’s not for my hair… it’s for my jeans). And if I’ve managed to keep my jeans buttoned through an entire meal, by the end I have a snazzy replica of my pants button imprinted onto my stomach. Hot, right?
If any of this sounds familiar, try some of these simple tips to beat belly bloat:
Take a few deep breaths before eating. Digestion is optimized when our parasympathetic nervous system is activated. I like to call it our “rest and digest” nervous system. When we’re stressed and doing a million other things, our sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous system takes over. Not what we want. So take a few deep breaths and make sure you eat in a relaxed state (preferably free of distractions). This allows your stomach acid and digestive enzymes to do the work they need to do to make sure your food is fully digested!
Take your time eating and chew your food thoroughly before taking the next bite. When unchewed food makes its way to your stomach and your intestines, it throws off the digestion process and puts extra strain on your digestive system.
Try taking apple cider vinegar (1-2T per 4-6 oz. water) before meals. Choose unfiltered ACV with the mother - Bragg’s is a good brand. Warm lemon water in the morning may also help get things, ahem, moving.
If the ACV doesn't seem to be doing the trick, experiment with digestive bitters. I really like (am kind of obsessed with) the ones from Urban Moonshine.
Some people’s bodies need a little extra help beyond ACV, lemon water, and bitters. If you’ve tried these methods for a couple of weeks and aren’t seeing any improvements, you may want to supplement with digestive enzymes, or even hydrochloric acid (HCl).
TIP: Some people take antacids thinking they have too much stomach acid, but it’s often the opposite problem! Try this simple at-home test to see if you may have to little or too much stomach acid. If you have too little, supplementing with HCl may be an option.
Sip on herbal tea after meals. Peppermint, fennel, ginger, licorice, and chamomile are all great options and can be purchased or made on their own or as part of a digestive blend.
Eat mostly cooked food for a while until your digestion improves. Raw foods can be hard to digest and can cause gas and bloating for some people.
Eat fruit between meals instead of with meals. The sugar in fruit is meant to be easily digested but when it’s consumed with other foods it can sit in the digestive tract where it can start to ferment. To prevent this from happening, try eating fruit on its own as a snack between meals instead of with meals.
Avoid drinking water (or any beverage) with food. Water and other liquids dilute your digestive “juices” which can impair digestion. Try to create a waterless window around meals (20 minutes before and 20 minutes after eating). It’s ok to take small sips of water during meals, just don’t guzzle a whole glass.
Chew on fennel seeds. Fennel is a carminative herb, meaning it helps prevent and expel gas. It doesn’t sound sexy, but chewing fennel seeds after meals has been known to aid digestion and prevent bloating.
If you’ve tried all of the tips above but you’re still struggling, it may be time to try an elimination diet. An elimination/ provocation diet can help reset your digestion and identify foods that may be causing your symptoms. If you’ve decided you’re ready to try an elimination diet, here is a simple one to get started (notice I said simple, not easy). I also love Prescribe Nutrition’s twenty-day program, Prescribe 20.
As always, if you’re looking for a more personal and customized plan, schedule a free consultation so we can get you started in the right direction!