5 Health Tips To Beat The Bloat!

Being painfully stuffed to the point where you feel you can’t move is one of the worst feelings ever. Some people describe bloating as the feeling of having a balloon in their stomach. And often, bloating goes away on its own or maybe after a short stroll. 

The complexity of the gut and its relationship with our overall health has been a topic of discussion in the medical community for a few years now. Many studies show the relationship between gut health and mental health, overall mood, skin conditions, etc.  

In this blog, we share five health tips that will help you beat the bloat. These are easy to implement tips that will help you dodge the problem and make it easy for you to carry on with your day without being interrupted by a stomach so full that you can’t move. 

 

1. Maintain A Clean, Healthy Gut 

The gut is the gastrointestinal tract that starts at the mouth and passes through the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine/colon, all the way up to the rectum. Microbes are tiny, microscopic living beings who live inside and around us. A healthy gut is one that is home to a variety of microbes.  

You can build a healthy gut by consuming a variety of foods. Sticking to a vegetarian diet helps too. A study showed that sticking to a vegetarian diet modulates gut microbiota and reduces inflammation. 

We at Nature & Thought realized how important good gut bacteria are and came up with Tranquil Tum, which helps soothe irritable bowels, reduces abdominal discomfort, and improves good gut bacteria. 

 

2. Avoid Foods That Aggravate Bloating 

Certain foods that contain non-digestible compounds like artificial sweeteners, soluble fibres, etc., can trigger bloating due to indigestion. When you consume these compounds, the undigested fibre and sugar stay in your large intestine, which leads to gas. 

Specific foods that you might want to stay away from: 

  • Vegetables like Cauliflower and Cabbage can lead to gas, which leads to bloating. 
  • Fruits like apples, pears, and peaches. 
  • Whole grains:  wheat and oats. 
  • Legumes: green beans, lentils, peas. 
  • Artificial sweeteners: Mannitol is found in artificial sweeteners and chewing gum. 
  • Carbonated drinks 

These are general guidelines, but every body works differently. There is a high possibility of you comfortably consuming some of the foods mentioned above without carrying a bloated stomach. Therefore, it is wise to maintain a personal diary that will help you understand what foods suit your body and what don’t. 

 

3. Limit Your Portion Size 

Eating a lot of food, especially when you are in a hurry, can majorly contribute to bloating. There are two major reasons for this: 

  • Eating or drinking too fast can lead to big chunks of undigested food and swallowed air. This air then doesn’t leave your stomach, which leads to bloating. 
  • Eating food in a hurry - especially foods rich in carbohydrates can lead to gas, leading to bloating. 

Large amounts of food, when eaten in a hurry, can leave a lot of undigested food in your body. This increases the production and retention of gas in your bowels, leading to bloating. Hence, it is wise to limit your portion size and leave a little extra room in your stomach. 

 

4. Exercise Regularly 

Regular exercise and physical activity are essential to increasing longevity, improving muscle and joint health. Physical exercise is almost a blessing for those who suffer from bloating. A short walk or a stroll after a meal can help you reduce the feeling of bloating and fullness. 

According to a study on 94 participants, a 10–15-minute walk after meals improved the feeling of bloating to a greater extent than medications. Walking after meals can reduce gas and help clear your bowels and stomach, thereby reducing bloating. 

 

5. Treat Or Minimize Constipation 

Research suggests that constipation may be one of the major contributors to bloating. It either slows down the clearance of gas from the digestive tract or increases the fermentation of carbohydrates. The solution to constipation is drinking enough fluids, exercising more, and improving bowel movements. 

 

Conclusion 

If you are someone who regularly feels bloated, you must check out Tranquil Tum by Nature & Thought which contains all-natural, patent pending Boswellia serrata that helps soothe irritable bowels, reduces abdominal discomfort and improves good gut bacteria. The product is backed by science. Here is what we found in our clinical studies on Tranquil Tum ingredients: 

We hope that was an insightful read. Bloating is a widespread problem with very easy to implement solutions. Good gut health promotes physical and mental wellbeing, and we believe that a healthy gut is the key to a happy and successful life.  

 

Bibliography: 

Study references: 

  1. Järbrink-Sehgal E, Andreasson A. The gut microbiota and mental health in adults. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2020 Jun;62:102-114. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.01.016. Epub 2020 Mar 9. PMID: 32163822.  
  2. Appleton J. The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018 Aug;17(4):28-32. PMID: 31043907; PMCID: PMC6469458.  
  3. Mäkinen K. K. (2016). Gastrointestinal Disturbances Associated with the Consumption of Sugar Alcohols with Special Consideration of Xylitol: Scientific Review and Instructions for Dentists and Other Health-Care Professionals. International journal of dentistry, 2016, 5967907. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5967907  
  4. Barrett JS. How to institute the low-FODMAP diet. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Mar;32 Suppl 1:8-10. doi: 10.1111/jgh.13686. PMID: 28244669.  
  5. Misselwitz, B., Butter, M., Verbeke, K., & Fox, M. R. (2019). Update on lactose malabsorption and intolerance: pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management. Gut, 68(11), 2080–2091. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318404  
  6. Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG. Gas, Bloating, and Belching: Approach to Evaluation and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Mar 1;99(5):301-309. PMID: 30811160.  
  7. Malagelada JR, Accarino A, Azpiroz F. Bloating and Abdominal Distension: Old Misconceptions and Current Knowledge. Am J Gastroenterol. 2017 Aug;112(8):1221-1231. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2017.129. Epub 2017 May 16. PMID: 28508867.  
  8. Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG. Gas, Bloating, and Belching: Approach to Evaluation and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Mar 1;99(5):301-309. PMID: 30811160.  
  9. Hosseini-Asl MK, Taherifard E, Mousavi MR. The effect of a short-term physical activity after meals on gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with functional abdominal bloating: a randomized clinical trial. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2021;14(1):59-66.  
  10. Seo AY, Kim N, Oh DH. Abdominal bloating: pathophysiology and treatment. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2013 Oct;19(4):433-53. doi: 10.5056/jnm.2013.19.4.433. Epub 2013 Oct 7. PMID: 24199004; PMCID: PMC3816178.  
  11. O'Neill CA, Monteleone G, McLaughlin JT, Paus R. The gut-skin axis in health and disease: A paradigm with therapeutic implications. Bioessays. 2016 Nov;38(11):1167-1176. doi: 10.1002/bies.201600008. Epub 2016 Aug 24. PMID: 27554239.

  12. El-Salhy M, Ystad SO, Mazzawi T, Gundersen D. Dietary fiber in irritable bowel syndrome (Review). Int J Mol Med. 2017 Sep;40(3):607-613. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3072. Epub 2017 Jul 19. PMID: 28731144; PMCID: PMC5548066.
  13. https://gut.bmj.com/content/52/11/1649.short
  14. Skalickova, S., Ridoskova, A., Slama, P., Skladanka, J., Skarpa, P., Smykalova, I., Horacek, J., Dostalova, R., & Horky, P. (2022). Effect of Lactic Fermentation and Cooking on Nutrient and Mineral Digestibility of Peas. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 838963. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.838963
  15. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/symptoms-causes#:~:text=Undigested%20carbohydrates%20will%20pass%20to,intestine%20don't%20fully%20digest.

 

Image references: Pixels, Freepik


Older Post Newer Post