1. Give fermented foods a go
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Some over-the-counter probiotic pills may cause bloating, gas, or other GI problems, but eating real foods rich in this beneficial gut flora can have long-term positive effects. One of the simplest ways to get your probiotics is through yogurt, but other options include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir.
2. Hydration, hydration, hydration
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According to experts, women should consume about 0.7 gallons of water daily, and men up to 0.9 gallons. When we are dehydrated, for instance, we tend to hold onto any water we can, but drinking more water enables us to drain out the liquid accumulated so far. As a result, you'll feel less bloated as you drink more. Additionally, it will remove extra salt, which absorbs water.
3. Way to go, herbal bitters!
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Bloating can be lessened by herbal bitters, which are preserved medicinal herbs and botanicals, such as dandelion, burdock, gentian root, and Angelica. Basically, bitters trigger receptors on the tongue that tell the tract to produce more digestive juices, which will assist in lessening intestinal irritation and gas production.
4. Avoid ice-cold beverages
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I shudder when I see people consuming ice-cold beverages with their meals. This can slow down digestion by diluting gastric acids like HCL and slowing down your digestion as a whole at a crucial time. You also weaken your body's digestive enzymes for proper protein, carbohydrate, and fat digestion. Instead, drink hot tea or lukewarm water.
5. Try these yoga poses
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There are a few yoga positions that can put the muscles in the belly in a position that helps the GI system release extra gas, which, in turn, lessens bloating. Squats, Child's Pose, and the Happy Baby Pose can all help people swiftly release the buildup of gas.
6. Stomach massage is indicated
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If you'd rather not make any dietary adjustments to reduce your bloating, try your hand at some stomach massage, a safe and quick technique that can help cure constipation. Begin on your lower right side and move clockwise up to your chest cavity, then across and down to your pelvis until you feel better.
7. Cut down on dairy
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Lactose is poorly digested in those with lactose intolerance and serves as a food supply for bacteria in the colon, causing increased gas and that awful bloating feeling. For those who are lactose intolerant, eliminating dairy products is the best long-term strategy for reducing bloating.
8. Also, cut distractions when eating
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We know; you rarely just eat a meal — you're also on your computer, watching TV, or scrolling through your phone. Distraction while eating is part of why you're bloated. Multitasking with digital stimulation leads to overeating or gulping down meals quickly, which leads to poor digestion, and then bloating.
9. Go for a walk
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Exercise can help the bowels move more frequently, which can aid in releasing extra gas and reducing bloating; getting the colon to move is crucial for everyone who is experiencing constipation. A quick way to reduce this pressure is to take a stroll around the block.
10. Use essential oils
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In cases of mild-to-moderate IBS, fennel and curcumin essential oils work miracles. Your symptoms, such as bloating and pain in your abdomen, will considerably improve with continued use. However, avoid consuming essential oils without first consulting your physician because there is no dosage guidance, and some formulations may be harmful or interfere with certain drugs.
11. Get some potassium going
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Potassium-rich foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, and avocados can help control fluid retention, which can also assist in managing and lessening morning bloating. Include sweet potatoes in your dinner plans, and try snacking on bananas between meals. You can also think of ways to include avocados in your daily meals.
12. Peppermint oil does wonders
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Peppermint oil is also extremely beneficial for indigestion and gas. Health experts typically promote this as a remedy for IBS symptoms; however, you can also treat bloating with it as it calms the muscles of the intestines. Avoid if you are prone to heartburn, though.
13. Take a warm bath or shower
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The bath's heat can soothe an upset stomach in minutes. While relaxing in a bath is the original solution, allowing warm or hot water to wash over you for a while during your shower will also do the trick. This method decreases stress levels, which, in turn, improves the GI tract's performance, reducing bloating.
14. Try to avoid fiber-rich foods
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Adding fiber to your diet can significantly improve your health, but there is a limit because too much can have the opposite effect. While increasing your daily fiber intake — aim for 0.8 to 1.2 ounces — is necessary for a healthy digestive system, doing so suddenly may actually make you feel bloated. Some fiber-rich foods to eat less often include lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas.
15. Add cayenne pepper to your beverages
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Spices help reduce bloating brought on by indigestion or other gastrointestinal problems. For instance, cayenne pepper stimulates digestion, reduces gas, and may also aid with pressure and cramping. Sprinkle some (more) powder into your favorite beverage since it's essentially a bloated belly's most powerful adversary when you're in need.
16. Or swap salt for spices
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Even better, replacing your salt with spices would help your belly tremendously in the long run. Don't worry, your food won't taste bland! But limiting your salt intake will help you avoid water bloat since sodium, present in processed foods and your regular table salt, can worsen water retention. Or throw away all your sodium salt and only use Himalayan salt. Moderately.
Very moderately.17. Turmeric to the rescue!
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Turmeric has the potential to be a cleansing spice like cayenne. The substance named curcumin that's present in turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes intestinal health. Include a teaspoon in your smoothie, tea, juice, or water for a bloat-free day.
18. Take apple cider vinegar shots (not tequila shots)
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Apple cider vinegar is the perfect multipurpose beauty product, but drinking it to help reduce bloating is also a good suggestion by health experts. This supertonic balances good bacteria in the gut, improving digestion, regulating the body's pH levels, and eliminating viruses and unwanted bacteria.
19. Sit right up after eating
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When it comes to preventing bloating and other digestive problems, posture can significantly affect how you feel. Your position may have been a factor if you've ever eaten a large meal and felt uncomfortable after lying down or slouching. Check to see whether you feel better by sitting up straight during and after your meals.
20. Ginger is a must-have
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Making ginger tea, drinking fresh ginger juice, or adding this spice to a smoothie are all excellent ways to reduce bloating; my favorite drink for bloating has fresh turmeric, ginger, and lemon. Another advantage to this concoction is the potential relief from menstrual cramps (which can also cause bloating).
21. Give natural diuretics a go
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Diuretics help our bodies remove extra sodium and water. Some natural diuretic foods to include in our diets to reduce bloating include fennel, celery, and asparagus. Even though fennel tastes great both raw and roasted (like in the salad above, yummy!), adding its seeds to hot water and drinking the resulting tea is an instant and very natural way to relieve bloating.
22. Brew dandelion tea
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Making yourself a cup of dandelion tea could be the cure for bloat brought on by water retention. This tea works as a diuretic to help you get rid of extra water weight associated with hormonal imbalances like PMS, which, in turn, will reduce bloating to nonexistence.
23. Use charcoal powder
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Is there anything better for us than things growing on trees? Perhaps the tree itself! Charcoal powder works really hard in your body to absorb the gas from your intestines (which leads to bloating) by capturing excess gas molecules. So, this is an excellent ingredient to use if you frequently feel gassy.
24. Stop skipping the skin on fruits
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Put the fruit peeler down. Insoluble fiber, often known as "that thing" that promotes digestion by keeping things moving through in your intestines, is found in the skin of fruits like pears and apples. Eating these fruits along with the skin can help reduce bloating over time.
25. Have a few small meals per day rather than a big one
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Waiting a long time between meals will make you feel famished when it's time to eat again, which could lead to overeating. Also, eating too much makes the stomach look and feel larger than it should (there you are, food baby!), but having multiple smaller meals throughout the day will help avoid that unpleasant distended tummy.
26. Go ahead, drink your coffee
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Coffee drinkers, you're safe! Black coffee helps maintain regularity in your bowel movements, and while the evidence for this relationship is largely anecdotal, many people experience the urge to use the restroom shortly after their first cup of coffee. Therefore, if it helps you, keep using it and drink a cup whenever you feel bloated for prompt relief. (Just watch out for sugar, baby!)
27. Munch on almonds
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Nuts include a lot of good fats that make you feel full, right? Well, yes, but depending on the type of nut, they may also be high in a specific type of carbohydrate, called FODMAPs for short, that your stomach can't fully digest, resulting in a bloated feeling. So, if you enjoy cashews and pistachios, substitute those for almonds, walnuts, or pecans because they are lower in FODMAPs, easier on the stomach, and will cause less bloating.
28. Skip happy hour (crying emoji here)
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Hear us out. Even though it seems strange that drinking might make you bloat, alcohol is basically a fermented beverage, and this fermentation might make you feel bloated. It can get even worse if you add carbonated drinks such as beer or a sparkling cocktail to the mix. So, try limiting your alcohol intake to reduce this unpleasant belly puff.
29. Make yourself a cup of chamomile or mint tea
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Teas made with mint and/or chamomile are both proven to calm your digestive system. Make it a point to drink one in the morning to prevent bloating from occurring in the first place, or try doing so when you are already feeling puffy to hasten the process.
30. Eat some pineapple, quick!
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We're not gonna talk about how pineapple totally got us for centuries — you know, the way you eat it (seen above) is totally different than how we were taught to — and well, the joke's on us (sigh!). But two enzymes found in the mighty fruit (bromelain and papain) help digestion and reduce bloating. You can simply slice up a pineapple to eat as a snack or add it to recipes to get some more flavor into your food.
31. Take regular sips of water
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We mentioned how important it is to regularly drink water, but taking frequent, smaller sips throughout the day might be better than trying to down a gallon at once! A lot of water in a short space of time can make some people feel more bloated so see if smaller sips work for you.
32. Get some asparagus in your diet
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Asparagus is a great food to fight off bloating - as well as being good for you - because it contains inulin, which is a fiber and probiotic which will help your gut bacteria stay healthy. It will make you feel good overall and make your digestive system feel smoother!
33. Make sure to eat more food that's packed with water
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As well as giving you an extra helping hand for hydration, food that's a high percentage of water will help to flush out sodium that makes you bloat. If you get more water in you through food, too, you'll feel more full without feeling uncomfortably bloated. Foods like cucumber and watermelon work well!
34. Cut out any artificial sweeteners
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If you've been getting a lot of artificial sweeteners because you're trying to cut out sugar, kudos for trying, but it might not be helping either! This is because some people can struggle to digest artificial sweeteners properly, so it can make you feel gassy as a result.
35. Say goodbye to seltzer
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Seltzer is a good alternative to really sugary sodas and caffeinated drinks, but that doesn't mean it's any good for your bloating issues! It's still a carbonated drink at the end of the day, so this can cause a bubble build up in your belly which can leave you feeling gassy and uncomfortable.
36. Add some quinoa to your meal plan
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Quinoa is a grain which is rich in both potassium and magnesium, both of which are good for your health and for avoiding bloating. It's also a great comfort food to replace other less healthy options, and because it's a grain, it's easy to make and very filling - so you won't risk bloat from stuffing your face, either!
37. Introduce salmon to your diet
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Salmon is an important meal choice if you're looking to be both healthy and make sure you're eating fatty fish. Salmon is packed full of omega-3 fatty acids which work hard to reduce inflammation in your stomach, which can also help you to feel healthier in your gut.
38. Get at least 15-20 minutes exercise a day
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While exercise is vital for your health in many different ways, did you know it also makes a different to your digestion and whether you feel constipated or not? If you make sure you're moving around during the day (bursts of 15 minute exercises are good) it can help everything to keep moving in your stomach and digestive system.
39. Eat your evening meal earlier
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Going to bed very soon after eating isn't recommended for a few reasons, which is why it's a good idea to eat earlier in the evening, a few hours at least before you're planning on sleeping. This well help everything to have time to digest and you won't wake up in the morning feeling full and bloated.
40. Shop for some papaya
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Papaya is an exotic fruit that you may not even think about when you're preparing your grocery list, but it's a good option if you want to help your digestion. That's because papaya is full of a digestive enzyme that can help to break down protein and help the digestion process.
41. Check for sneaky sodium
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It's one thing to try and avoid obvious sources of sodium, but sometimes it's not obvious which of your regular foods actually have a surprising amount of sodium. Certain breakfast cereals and breads can be high in sodium when you might be thinking you're having a healthy breakfast.
42. Stay away from sugar-free candy
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We don't blame you for wanting to get your candy fix, and it can feel like a safe (and healthier) option to switch to sugar-free candy. But sugar-free candy - as well as any other sugar-free things - are more likely to contain artificial sweeteners, which are bad for bloating and digestion.
43. Increase your calcium intake
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This one is important if you're struggling with period bloating specifically (we know that's a whole different bloat game!). If you get really bloated before you're due on, it can be a sign that you're not getting enough calcium. You can up your intake about a week before you're due on.
44. You might want to eat more avocado
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Whether you love or hate the idea of avocado because it's all over your Instagram feed, it doesn't change the fact that it's a great source of monounsaturated fat which basically means you'll feel nice and full - without actually being full and bloated on the outside.
45. Try stomach stretches in bed
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This is easier to do if you're doing first thing in the morning or last thing at night when you're in bed, because it's more likely you'll do it when you're still tucked up! A great start and end to the day to try and combat feelings of bloatedness. Lie on your back and squeeze your knees up against your stomach, then let your legs free and rock them from side to side.
46. Be careful with your lunch meat
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There are certain lunch meats that will make you feel more bloated than others, and that's because they're packed with sodium. The fresher the meat - like turkey slices or grilled chicken - the better you'll be, compared to meat like hot dog stands on the go while you're on your lunch break!
47. Cut down on broccoli
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This may be surprising advice seeing as broccoli is very good for you, but it's more about the amount you're eating all at once - because broccoli can actually make bloating a lot worse. This is because raw broccoli can increase gas. So if you reduce your portions, you can enjoy the nutrient benefits without all the gas!
48. Switch from white rice to brown
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Rice in general can make you feel very bloated when you eat a lot of it, but if you've never had brown rice, it actually takes a lot longer to digest than white - which means you won't feel as bloated, and you'll feel full for longer. Win win! Brown rice is also healthier overall than white.
49. Eat more oatmeal
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Oatmeal is a healthy and filling breakfast option (or any time of day you want to eat it!) and it's a good option if you're suffering with bloating. It's rich in fiber, which is great news for your digestive system, and it's easy to make on-the-go.
50. Stock up on leafy greens
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We know, we know... nobody wants the sad salad bar, or to be constantly told to eat more green stuff, but it's the sad fact that it's so healthy and so good for you! Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and kale are all full of good stuff that will help you not to feel bloated, and give you a healthy dose of fiber.