Am I the only one who wakes up with a flat stomach, consumes certain foods, and then suddenly I have a big bloated belly? Stomach bloating occurs when gas and or air gets trapped in your abdomen, and it can be a real pain in the ass when trying to button that pair of skinny jeans. Many of the foods we eat cause us to have a bloated stomach, but the bright side is that there are many things you can do at home to reduce stomach bloating.
Stomach bloating can be due to many different things such as intolerances to certain foods (think dairy), swallowing air, and for us ladies our menstrual cycles. That feeling of fullness and air can make the menstrual cycle exceptionally terrible and more painful than it has to be. I talk about natural remedies for our periods in this post. But here we will focus on ways to reduce stomach bloating that may be due to several other causes.
Tip 1 Consume Foods That Reduce Stomach Bloating
When my stomach is feeling really bloated, my go-to is ginger tea with lemon. Drinking this mixture helps me to relieve any feelings of gas, and I also notice that shortly after drinking it, my stomach starts to appear less bloated.
I simply boil water, grate a tsp of fresh ginger, and drop in a lemon wedge. This drink is also my go-to during my time of the month. My cramps are much worse when I am bloated than they are when I am not.
If you are not a fan of the ginger/lemon combo, there are other teas that work well to reduce bloating. I also drink peppermint tea
Tip 2 – Avoid Carbonated Drinks to Reduce Stomach Bloating
Sodas’ flavored waters like LaCroix, although they taste really good, they can be the cause of gas getting trapped in your belly and causing a bloated stomach.
For the longest time, I was under the impression that drinking a carbonated beverage while feeling gassy would help. I began to notice that the feeling of fullness did not necessarily go away.
If you have experienced this, try to cut back on the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day. Also, try to replace the fizzy drinks with water with a lemon in it instead.
Tip 3 – Eat Slowly To Reduce Stomach Bloating
When you eat your food fast, it causes you to swallow excess air. Swallowing excess air leads to the stomach bloating that we all hate.
Keep in mind that our mouths are the starting points of digestion. This means that if you chew your food more, you can help to reduce stomach bloating before it starts.
When you eat your meals, try to take your time and enjoy your food. If you are like me, who is always hungry and inhales your food (guilty), then you will want to pay extra attention to this tip.
I talk more about the benefits of slowing down when you eat in this post as well.
Tip 4 – Don’t Overdo it on certain foods
This tip is especially important for those of us who are vegetarian and vegan. Earlier this year when I first started eating a vegetarian diet, I ate a lot of beans. During that time, I also noticed that I had an excessive amount of stomach bloating. But I love beans. What I learned is that my body needed time to adjust to my diet change, but also, I was probably consuming way too many beans.
Some of the other staples that can cause gas and stomach bloating are broccoli and brussels sprouts. The vegans and vegetarians are probably annoyed right now, but I am not saying to stop eating these foods.
You can help to reduce stomach bloating and gas by not overdoing on these foods initially. You can also drink lemon water with your meal, or if all else fails, take an anti-gas product.
Tip 5 – Limit Your Dairy Intake
I was unfortunate enough this year to learn that I am completely lactose intolerant. After months of eating cheese or having a bowl of cereal and getting violently ill, I had to end my love affair with dairy.
Lactose is one of the hardest foods for our bodies to digest. It is estimated that about 75% of people worldwide are affected by a lactose enzyme deficiency. It seems that the older we get, the harder it is for our bodies to digest this enzyme.
If you consume dairy, and you notice that you experience gas, stomach bloating, and cramps shortly after, you too might be affected by this deficiency.
What can you do?
Try to do a dairy-free challenge for a few weeks to see how your body reacts. If you notice that you feel less gassy and bloated during this time, it may be time to get rid of or at least majorly cut back on dairy.
Luckily for those of us who cannot tolerate dairy, there are tons of dairy-free cheeses, and dairy free ice cream like Ben & Jerry’s that taste good and make you not miss the lactose. If you want to try a delicious dairy-free ice cream, try the Ben & Jerry’s seven-layer coconut dip, thank me later.
Tip 6 – Cut back on chewing gum
We all like to have fresh breath. Especially when we are in close proximity with others, or smooching our mates. But! Chewing gum causes us to swallow air, and swallowing air causes the belly to bloat.
If you are someone who loves to chew gum, try to opt for mints or hard candy instead. There are plenty of mint brands like Lifesavers or Altoids that will freshen your breath without causing excess stomach bloating.
Tip 7 – Avoid Getting Constipated
This one might seem like a no-brainer but being constipated can be a major cause of stomach bloating. You can consume foods like leafy vegetables, and oatmeal to help reduce stomach bloating and constipation.
In tip 5, I talked about dairy and lactose intolerance. Sometimes consuming foods that do not agree with our bodies can cause constipation as well.
Try to avoid foods that don’t love your body and stick to foods that will help to keep your body regular. As humans, we should move our bowels one to two times each day.
I also love to make green smoothies using avocado, spinach, pineapple juice, and mango. This smoothie blend is delicious, and it keeps the body doing what it needs to do.
Tip 8 – Drink more water
Drinking water is a great way to keep your body hydrated, keep your digestive system moving, and prevent constipation.
Water serves so many purposes for our bodies and helping to reduce stomach bloating is another reason why you should refill that water bottle and drink from it throughout the day.
Whether I am working from home or the office, I try to fill my water bottle at least six times in an 8-hour period and drink the whole thing.
Tip 9 – Get More Potassium
Potassium helps to regulate the balance of fluid in our bodies. It can help to reduce water retention if you consume too much sodium, and potassium helps to reduce stomach bloating.
If you are like me, and you do not love bananas, you can opt for other potassium-rich foods like cantaloupe or mangos.
Eating potassium-rich foods are also another way to help relieve muscle soreness after an intense workout, which leads me to tip # 10.
Tip 10 – Get Moving
This post would not fit with the theme of my site if I didn’t post something related to fitness, ha. One of the quickest ways to reduce gas and stomach bloating is to get the body moving.
You can do this by taking a 20-minute walk, or by going for a run on the treadmill. Getting your body moving is an effective way to get the gas to move through your system.
Also, working up a sweat can help your body to release some of the retained fluid.
Tip 11 – Mind Your Gut Health
If you are someone who is prone to yeast or bacterial infections, these things can also cause bloating and issues with digestion. Additionally, taking multiple rounds of antibiotics, and binge eating bad foods can result in an imbalanced gut flora.
If you are following a healthy diet and avoiding the things that typically cause bloating, it may be time to have a doctor test you for Candida. The key is to eliminate the issue and then introduce probiotics like this one into your diet. If your gut is not healthy, you will continue to experience symptoms of bloating until the issue is resolved.
Wrapping Up – Reducing Stomach Bloating
There are many things that we do and eat each day that contribute to our stomachs feeling bloated. Use this guide to help you get rid of that bloated belly.
- Try to add more probiotics to your diet
- Add more ginger to your diet through drinking ginger tea or by adding it to stir fry meals
- Cut back on your sodium intake
- Eat fruits like watermelon
- Caffeine is your friend (in moderation) – it helps to reduce constipation because it keeps things moving
- Massage your belly
- Add more avocado to your diet
- Stretch more using this quick morning yoga routine as your guide
Want to remember these anti-bloating tips? Pin it to your favorite healthy living board and share it with your friends who might find this information useful.
