Although it can be a normal part of our bodily processes and doesn’t necessarily indicate an issue, bloating is never fun. It can be quite uncomfortable and often negatively impacts one’s confidence because it can change how your body looks. We do love the idea of embracing the regular shifts our bodies go through and refusing to feel down about a little bloat—check out Bree Lenehan if you want a boost of reassurance and body positivity! But no matter how much peace you make with it, bloating is likely never going to be entirely welcome … after all, it just doesn’t feel great. So today, we’re giving you our best bloating tips and tricks!
Why Does Bloating Happen?
Before we give you all of the hacks to avoid and soothe bloating, let’s talk about why it happens.
Bloating can happen for a variety of reasons, from eating certain foods to hormonal shifts and stress. This means that the cause of bloating could be somewhat unique to you. Maybe your body doesn’t tolerate a certain food very well? Or perhaps you’re going through a time of immense stress? For many women, bloating occurs before or after their period each month. As with most health-related things, you’ll need to think about the cause of bloating with respect for your individual circumstances!
That said, there are a few factors that are known to contribute to bloating which could be considered as we think about how to avoid or soothe it.
Eating too fast is one of these. It might not always occur, but sometimes eating quickly can cause bloating (and indigestion, if you’re prone to that) because you swallow more air in the process. That excess air creates additional gas, which is a core part of bloating. Taking smaller bites and chewing more thoroughly can both help to prevent the entrance of excess air.
Certain foods, as we mentioned, also contribute to bloating. While this can be different for everyone, the following list of foods are known to trigger bloating in many people. They are referred to as FODMAPs, which stands for fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. If you’ve ever heard someone say they are eating a low-FODMAP diet, this might be why!
- Apples
- Peaches
- Watermelon
- Barley
- Wheat
- Lentils
- Baked beans
- Black beans
- Xylitol
- Sorbitol
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Onion
- Brussels sprouts
- Mushrooms
- Cream and Dairy Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- And more!
Heathline has a great article with a more comprehensive list and some suggested swaps.
How Can You Avoid or Treat Bloating?
It’s time to dive into our best tips and tricks!
Supplement to Soothe
We can’t write this post without mentioning the power of supplements to soothe bloating. Our very own PlantYourDay protein powder can help to regulate your gut with prebiotics and probiotics. This can prevent bloating by keeping your microbiome in tip-top shape. But if you’re already in a bloating pinch, a glass of PlantYourDay could also help you to get back to a regulated state.
Exercise: The Right Way for Bloating
When you’re dealing with bloating, low-intensity exercise can really help to resolve the situation. You don’t want to do too much, as you’ll typically be coming right off of a meal that triggered the bloating in the first place. But something like going for a walk or even just stretching could be a great move.
Gently Massage Your Abdomen
Think about this tip this way: bloating is often the result of gas buildup, and massaging can help to pass it along. This is why parents of colicky babies are often advised to massage the little one’s tummy. It can help to relieve that pressure and move things along.
Take a Bath or Shower
The bath is probably your best bet, since it will surround your entire abdomen, but any warm water can help to relieve digestive discomforts, including bloating! This is because warm water stimulates peristalsis, which basically means movement in the intestine. So once again, moving that gas along!
Drink Warm Lemon Water, Tea, and Cool Water, Too!
That brings us to our next tip, which is a major one: fluid up! Warm lemon water or warm tea can help with bloating. Warm lemon water is known to drive digestion, but it can also produce gastric fluid that helps to prevent gas formation altogether. Some people even call warm lemon water nature’s laxative! It can be a great tool. Additionally, teas that blend together digestive-friendly herbs, like peppermint, ginger, and fennel, are hugely helpful.
All of that said, we included cool water on its own because you should also be sure to stay hydrated. When you are hydrating enough, everything in your body works more smoothly—digestion included.
Try a Few Breathing Exercises
As we mentioned earlier, some bloating can be caused by stress. If you notice that you’re experiencing significant bloating whenever your workday has gotten out of control or you’re dealing with an unpleasant task, some deep breathing to calm your nervous system might be the best bloating tip of all. The Breathwrk app is a fantastic resource for this!
Following these tips and tricks can help you to prevent and treat bloating! We hope they prove successful for you the next time you’re dealing with this less-than-pleasant fact of life.
We wish you a happy stomach!