How to get rid of bloating fast – Bloating is an issue many people face on a regular basis.
A bloated stomach is not just a source of physical discomfort, it can also affect you mentally, lowering self-esteem and causing demotivation.
The cause of bloating is often chalked up as being due to excess water retention in the subcutaneous layers of the skin.
However, true bloating often has a gastrointestinal origin and is due to gaseous build-up.
Having some amount of gas in your gut is normal, but the problem of bloating occurs when the build-up is at an uncomfortable and visible excess.
This is further exacerbated when bloating becomes a chronic fixture in one’s life.
This is indicative of an unaddressed, underlying health or dietary issue.
Fixing this issue could provide a significant or complete remedy for your bloating.
In this article, we’re going to look how to get rid of bloating fast and by the several ways you can change your diet or lifestyle in order to eliminate chronic bloating.
5 Tips For Bloating
Limiting FODMAP Foods
FODMAPs. Short for fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols are a type of non-digestible carb found in certain foods.
As the name suggests, these foods are fermentable.
What that means is they are readily metabolized by bacteria found in the gut.
You are probably familiar with the fact that fermentation often produces lots of gaseous byproducts.
This is why foods high in FODMAPs quickly cause bloating, so limiting the intake of these is a suggested approach towards treating chronic bloating.
Foods high in FODMAPS include:
- Artichoke
- Mushrooms
- Pickled vegetables
- Savoy Cabbage
- Onions
- Shallots
- Taro
- Asparagus
- Legumes
- Beetroot
- Cruciferous Vegetables
These foods, while mostly healthy, have been shown to increase bloating due to their presence of FODMAPs in high quantities.
FODMAP sensitivity is inherent in everyone, but it only becomes a problem to those with an imbalance in gut flora, which signifies other health concerns.
Don’t eliminate all FODMAPs from your diet. Most of them have benefits that outweigh this disadvantage.
Treat SIBO
SIBO, short for Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a condition where the population of gut bacteria explodes causing a host of health complications including bloating.
Excess consumption of alcohol and refined sugars have been linked to SIBO.
It is also caused by low stomach acidity as well as poor gut motility due to low fiber or physical injury.
Treating SIBO means reducing the gut bacteria population back to healthy levels.
This is done by treating the underlying conditions which are usually the cause of SIBO such as celiac disease and IBS as well as limiting the intake of foods known to increase its risk.
Avoiding Food Allergies
Food allergies are common and one of their most frequently occurring symptoms is intestinal bloating.
Lactose intolerance is probably the most common food allergy and is the reason why so many people experience bloating after consuming milk and other dairy products.
That’s because the enzyme lactase, which digests milk sugar, lactose, declines in availability as we mature into adulthood. Since milk is evolutionarily only meant for infant mammals.
Other food allergies such as eggs and gluten intolerance can cause similar gut issues.
Allergy related bloating is bad, but in severe cases, it might be the least of your concerns. Anaphylactic shock can be fatal.
The moral of the story is to just avoid foods you’re allergic to, and if you’re not sure, visit a doctor to find out.
Peppermint oil supplement
How to get rid of bloating fast, using a peppermint oil supplement is another amazing way to limit bloating.
That’s because bloating is often caused by muscle spasms of the intestinal wall.
This can be due to fluid imbalance caused by dehydration or overactive calcium channels that govern involuntary muscle contraction.
The menthol in peppermint oil also helps reduce symptoms of IBS, a major contributor to chronic bloating.
It stimulates the production of bile and the activity of digestive enzymes.
Mindful Eating
Mindful eating might sound a bit vague, but it is one of the leading causes of bloating.
It basically means you watch how you eat and make sure you do it correctly, as well as watching what you eat of course, how to get rid of bloating fast.
Mindful eating often means taking more time to chew your food before swallowing, as well as eating slower in general.
This helps eliminate the potential of swallowing large amounts of air along with your food.
Slow, mindful eating also stops you from overeating, another cause of bloating.
When it comes to what you eat, be mindful of the obvious culprits. We’ve spoken about FODMAPs, food allergies and SIBO causing foods, but there are some foods that are gassy from the get-go.
Sodas and fermented foods are already gassy by the time you eat them, so large quantities of these will definitely cause bloating. Be wary of this and eat accordingly.
Conclusion
Bloating can be a pain in the guts, literally, it causes discomfort and can also be embarrassing.
It is, however, a symptom, not an illness itself, so your main concern should be tracing and treating the cause of bloating and not so much the bloating itself.
Otherwise, just improve your eating habits and food choices.
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