Hate that feeling in your gut as though your belly is bulging? Minimize bloat with these tips.
Unfortunately, the old saying is true: you are what you eat. So if you want to beat that bloated feeling, you’re going to have to change up your diet. Here Dr. Richard Honaker, chief medical officer of Your Doctors Online, shares a few science-backed tips to get rid of that uncomfortable, unsightly belly bulge for good.
Ways to Minimize Bloat
1. Lay off the gas-producing foods.
If you’re prone to bloat, beans aren’t a good idea, and dairy products aren’t either. Dr. Honaker suggests researching a low-flatulence diet and making swaps where you can. Sometimes, it’s all about a sensitivity to fiber in your diet. In that case, reduce your overall fiber intake, suggests Dr. Honaker, or change the fiber type you’re consuming — certain fiber types produce more gas than others. “If you are a big salad eater, try going to lentils,” says Honaker. Avoid cabbage and eating too many cruciferous vegetables, too.
2. Be mindful of your soda and alcohol intake.
Water really is your best bet for beverages. A night or day of drinking beer can hit your gut hard, and nonalcoholic carbonated beverages can also gas up your system. Best to save the cocktails, sodas, and other carbonated beverages for special occasions only
3. Quit chewing gum.
You’re going to have to find another way to freshen your breath or deal with your nerves, that is if you want to tame that bulge in your belly. “Gum chewing adds air that will contribute to bloating,” says Dr. Honaker. Moreover, sorbitol, a sugar substitute present in some sugar-free chewing gums, can also cause gas for some people. Kick the gum habit if you can, and you might feel less gaseous and bloated as a result.
4. Stay active.
Moving your body is key for keeping that bloated feeling at bay. Whatever gas may be in your system, “exercise will move the air along and out better” than just sitting around and doing nothing, says Dr. Honaker. Vigorous activity is great, but taking a brisk walk around your neighborhood works, too, he says.
5. Take Gas-X
Sometimes bloating happens, even when you’ve taken triggers out of your diet and limited your alcohol, soda, and carbonated beverages consumption. Go figure! And you can’t be perfect all the time — life is all about balance. In those cases, keep Gas-X Extra Strength Chewables or softgels on hand, which relieve pressure, bloating, and discomfort in minutes.
Make a few of these doctor-approved tweaks and keep Gas-X handy as a backup and that annoying bloated feeling will hopefully no longer be a burden.
