Are you a person who is prone to bloating? Do you find that when it comes to a Saturday night and you want to fit into your best jeans that they’re too tight and you feel like you are bursting out with a similar feeling to after a Christmas dinner? Despite what most people think, bloating is not caused by water retention, but is, in fact, caused by gasses in the intestinal tract. However, the cause of the build-up of this gas can be due to many things from allergies to poor diet, but the likelihood is that you are probably making lifestyle choices that are not conducive to a flat belly. Rather than sit around and complain about it, why not follow a few of these small alterations that could help you get that flat belly.
- Stop chewing gum
It sounds ridiculous but gum stimulates the body for eating, thinking that it is going to be absorbing food. Due to this, your mouth starts to salivate and the body starts preparing for digestion. This means that often you will end up automatically swallowing but instead of swallowing food, you swallow air. This causes bloating. If you want a minty fresh breath, you are better off chewing a mint leaf and swallowing it rather than spending a great deal of time chewing one piece of inedible material!
- Reduce gassy foods
There are certain foods that cause the build-up of gas in your stomach. Most people are aware of the childhood rhyme ‘beans, beans will make you fart’; well, this is in fact true as they release gas into the intestinal tract. However, beans are not the only foods of which you should steer clear. Try to limit the amount of cabbage, cauliflower, and onions in your diet too.
- Cut down on fizzy drinks
Fizzy drinks are fizzy because they have been injected with carbon dioxide. Unlike still drinks, these liquids now contain extra gas, which you are putting straight into your body. The body struggles to digest this gas, leading to it sitting in abdomen and giving you a swollen belly. Equally, fizzy drinks are usually high in sugar which is just plain bad for you. Try replacing these beverages with fresh fruit juices (not carton juice, real juice!), as the fruit and vegetable content will provide extra fiber which helps get the digestive system flowing more effectively, moving the gas through the intestinal tract.
- Check for allergies
Certain allergies and intolerances can cause bloating in the stomach as the body cannot deal with the substance being put into it. People who are gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant, and fructose-intolerant will all experience symptoms of bloating. Moreover, people who have egg allergies will also find they get a build-up of gas and bloating.
- Eat probiotics
Some gas in the stomach can be caused by bacteria. Helping to get rid of bad bacteria by introducing good bacteria will help to soothe the stomach and prevent bloating. Although introducing probiotics may cause bloating at first, in the long-term they will rebalance the gut flora in order to help with this problem. Try adding Greek yogurt to your diet or fermented foods such as miso soup or sour pickles.
If you a person prone to bloating, few lifestyle changes can reduce this and even eliminate it from your life altogether. A good way to reduce bloating in your life is to introduce a holy basil as it helps to move gasses through the system. Try taking a supplement such as ‘Relax (Holy Basil)’ every day to try to eliminate bloating altogether!