How to prevent bloating

Team L&M

Stomach bloating is a common problem, and most of us have experienced it sometime or the other. But most of the time, a person doesn’t know why the stomach has bloated. There are many reasons for this, following are some of them:

Overeating is the main reason behind bloated stomach.
Gulping down food without chewing properly – this results in ingesting a lot of air.
Not eating enough pro-biotic food like curd.
Eating too much sugar or salt.
Drinking carbonated drinks, soda etc. can cause or aggravate bloating.

Some people can get stomach bloating after they consume foods containing FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols) like wheat, barley, rye, onion, garlic, legumes, fructose, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, milk, watermelon, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. This is because these foods are very poorly absorbed by their body systems.

Not drinking enough water.
Poor or irregular bowel movement, especially constipation.
Underlying conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis.
Overuse of antibiotics
Wearing tight clothes
Little or no exercise or physical activity

Now that you know the reasons, you can understand what should you do to prevent bloating. Here are some proven ways that help to reduce or eliminate bloating:

Practice portion-control and avoid overeating.
Chew food slowly and properly to minimize ingestion of air. Avoid chewing gum, drinking with a straw and talking while eating.

Drink plenty of water. Include healthy fluids, including water, coconut water, nimboo pani, chaas, namkeen lassi. Avoid fruit juices, carbonated drinks, sodas etc.
Take a strong pharmacy grade pro-biotic to support healthy gut bacteria.
Avoid eating raw vegetables. Avoid milk and fruits late in the night.
Avoid artificial proteins.
Be physically active.
Consume water infused with spices like zeera, saunf, parsley etc.
Wear comfortable clothing.