Flush Out Sodium Bloat
Its no secret consuming too much sodium can make you gain water weight. Studies have found a high sodium diet can lead to excessive bloating . And with many people over-consuming processed foods that are high in sodium its no wonder why so many of us are getting bloated bellies.
Avoiding processed foods is key to lowering your sodium intake. Next time youre about to microwave a processed food check the nutritional label for the sodium content. Its most likely sky-high in sodium. Eating more healthy foods like vegetables, lean meats, and good fats is key to balancing your sodium levels.
Consuming more potassium will help to balance out your sodium levels . If your body is low on potassium then your body will not want to flush out your water weight. Your body will have a hard time pumping out sodium from your cells if there isnt enough potassium there to flush it out.
Your stone age ancestors consumed 16 times as much potassium as sodium. Today in the modern world the average person is consuming double the sodium they are compared to potassium. This is why its a good idea to take a daily electrolyte thats high in potassium. I also like to drink potassium-rich coconut water when I want to drop water weight fast.
Proven Ways To Reduce Or Eliminate Bloating
Bloating is when your belly feels swollen after eating .
It is usually caused by excess gas production or disturbances in the movement of the muscles of the digestive system .
Bloating can often cause pain, discomfort and a stuffed feeling. It can also make your stomach look bigger .
Bloating is not the same as water retention, but the two terms are often used interchangeably. Put simply, bloating involves excessive amounts of solids, liquids or gas in your digestive system.
However, in some people, bloating is caused mostly by increased sensitivity. It just feels as if there is increased pressure in the abdomen, even though there isnt (
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Although bloating is sometimes caused by serious medical conditions, it is most often caused by the diet and some foods or ingredients you are intolerant to.
Here are 11 proven ways to reduce or eliminate bloating.
Cut Your Sodium Intake
If you consume too much salt, your kidneys cant keep up and flush it all out, Gans says. The sodium begins to accumulate in your body. Result: a full, bloated feeling in your belly.
Drinking a lot of water can help move sodium out of your body, Gans says, but you should limit the amount youre taking in regardless. Along with its contribution to bloat, excess sodium has been linked to higher blood pressureand older adults tend to be more sensitive to its effects, according to the American Heart Association .
The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and an ideal limit of 1,500 milligrams per day. That means not only removing your saltshaker from the table, but also watching your intake from sneaky sodium sources, like processed and fast foods, Gans says.
Flavor foods with herbs and spices or instead. And if you must hit the drive-thru, consider these 14 dietitian-approved fast food meals.
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Sip Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar also helps promote a healthy gut and digestive system by increasing stomach acid and aiding your bodys ability to absorb key nutrients. Because of its high acidity, apple cider vinegar can cause indigestion and damage the teeth and throat it is best when diluted and used in small amounts.
How To Get Rid Of Heartburn Fast Without Medicine
Maybe you avoid chemical medicine for some reasons. Were here to help you find natural ways on how to get rid of heartburn fast.
4. Ginger
Another alternative you can find in your kitchen is ginger. Giger has been used as a folk remedy for since long time ago. It is believed to help to relieve nausea and heartburn too. You just simply add diced or grated ginger root to your stir-fry recipes, soups, or other foods. You can also make a cup of ginger tea.
But remember, its best to use pure ginger rather than carbonated beverages like ginger ale. Most brands of ginger ale are made with artificial flavoring.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is believed to neutralize stomach acid. The study proved that drinking diluted apple cider vinegar may help alleviate heartburn. If you want to try this remedy, dilute the apple cider vinegar with water, then drink it after having meals.
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Eat Slowly So You Don’t Gulp Air
When you finally get home after a long day, you’re totally famishedwe get it. But that doesn’t mean you should scarf down your dinner in a hurry. Eating too quickly causes you to swallow excess air, which can lead to uncomfortable gas and bloating. Slowing down the chewing with your mouth closed, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect. Fight off the urge to engorge your entire meal by snacking on something like a small piece of fruit or an ounce of nuts before dinner is ready.
Dont Eat Too Much At A Time
Being stuffed can feel like being bloated, but the problem is that you simply ate too much.
If youre eating big meals and tend to feel uncomfortable afterward, then try smaller portions. Add another daily meal if necessary.
A subset of people who experience bloating dont really have an enlarged stomach or increased pressure in the abdomen. The issue is mostly sensory .
A person with a tendency to be bloated will experience discomfort from a smaller amount of food than a person who rarely feels bloated.
For this reason, simply eating smaller meals can be incredibly useful.
Chewing your food better can have a two-fold effect. It reduces the amount of air you swallow with the food , and it also makes you eat slower, which is linked to reduced food intake and smaller portions .
Summary
People who experience bloating often have increased sensitivity to food in the stomach. Therefore, eating smaller meals can be very useful.
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Spend Some Time In The Sun
Surprised? Spending time outdoors can actually boost your digestive process. Sun rays help the body produce vitamin D which further balances the production of over200 antimicrobial body chemicals that fight stomach irregularities and helps treat acid reflux. So, make sure to get your dose of sunlight and vitamin D.
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How Is Heartburn Diagnosed
Often all that a health-care professional requires is a thorough history and physical to make the preliminary diagnosis of heartburn. To evaluate if there is any damage and how severe your heartburn is, the doctor my suggest some of the following tests:
- Endoscopy: A flexible scope is passed down the esophagus to examine the esophagus as well as the stomach. Biopsies can be taken if indicated. This lets the doctor see if there is any obvious damage, and also eliminate other reasons for the patients symptoms .
- Upper GI series : After drinking a liquid that coats the inside of the digestive tract, X-rays are taken. These X-rays will show the outline of the digestive system.
- Ambulatory pH testing: This test measures the acidity in the esophagus via a small tube that goes through the nose into the stomach.
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What Types Of Food Cause Stomach Bloating
If you’re experiencing regular bloating, you should see a doctor and discuss your symptoms with them. Together, you can come up with a treatment plan. As previously discussed, because there are many causes for abdominal bloating, it can be challenging to determine what causes an individuals stomach to bloat.
The first line of treatment for bloating that a doctor may prescribe is the low FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for:
- Fermentable Oligosaccharides. These are found in wheat, onions, garlic, legumes, and beans.
- Disaccharides. A class of sugars that are found in lactose products like milk, yogurt, and ice cream.
- Monosaccharides. This is a type of sugar that includes fructose. It’s often found in fruits like apples and pears.
- Polyols. Also called sugar alcohols, they’re found in apricots, nectarines, plums, and cauliflower. They can also be added to chewing gums and candy.
A low FODMAP diet cuts down the number of carbohydrates listed above that you consume. It has been found the small intestine can have a difficult time absorbing them, so it then passes the unabsorbed carbohydrates to the colon. In the colon, they become fermented and then make gas and cause bloating.
Some people may not have a sensitivity to FODMAP foods. The best way to find out if this diet will work for you is to start cutting FODMAP foods out of your diet slowly and then slowly start bringing them back.
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Ways To Get Rid Of Bloating
1. Go on a Walk
Physical activity can help the bowels flow more regularly, allowing for the emission of additional gas and feces. It is critical to get the bowels moving if a person is constipated. Gas pressure might be relieved by taking a brisk walk around the block.
2. Drink Lukewarm Water
When we are dehydrated, we try to cling to any water we can get our hands-onas a result, drinking more water aids in the flushing of accumulated water. Youll feel less bloated if you drink more. It will also remove any extra salt that is remaining in the water.
During meals, one of the most typical mistakes people make is to consume ice-cold drinks. It slows down the digestive process by diluting gastric fluids like HCL and chilling your digestion at a crucial period. You also dilute the digestive enzymes your body requires for proper protein, carbohydrate, and fat digestion.
Instead, drink lukewarm water or hot tea slowly and deliberately, rather than chugging.
3. Do Yoga
Certain yoga positions can help to facilitate the release of gas from the GI tract. This can help you feel less bloated. Squats, Childs Pose, and Happy Baby Pose can all assist patients in the fast-reducing gas buildup. You can check out more yoga poses here for constipation and bloating relief.
4. Peppermint
5. Abdominal Massage
6. Essential Oils
7. Warm Bath
8. Digestive Enzymes
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Use Cucumber To Magically Wipe Away Your Bloat
In the beauty world, cucumbers are often used to help reduce puffiness around your eyes. They do the same thing for your belly when consumed, thanks to a synergistic combination of nutrients, including caffeic acid , vitamin C, silica, and water.
Some nutrients are found in the skin, while others are in the flesh. To get the full benefits, its important to consume both parts. Consider slowly snacking on fresh cucumber slices. Cucumbers can also be juiced or added to smoothies.
Add Some Lemon In Your Diet To Reduce Bloating
Lemon juice is a great digestive aid. It stimulates the release of bile from your liver, which helps keep food moving seamlessly through your digestive tract. Lemon juice also improves nutrient absorption, and may even help flush excess water. I recommend squeezing some fresh lemon in warm water. You can also add it to tea.
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What Does Inflammation Have To Do With Bloating
Inflammation has a LOT to do with bloating. So much, in fact, that Ive dedicated a video to the topic, which you can watch here.
Ive also written several posts about inflammation because it really can wreak havoc on your health.
- Take a look at 18 Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods to see some of the foods best for helping to reduce inflammation and bloat.
- On the other end of the coin, youll find 10 Foods that Cause Inflammation. Find out what to avoid and why.
- If you need help with all of this, start off on the right foot with my 5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan.
I hope you find some of this information helping! If you are struggling with the discomforts of bloating, relook at the 10 simple tips Ive outlined above and try them out. Even bit by bit is fine.
The more steps you take, the better youll feel. Guaranteed!
This post contains affiliate links to products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption
There are so many reasons why this is a bad thing. But for the purposes of this article, it is about overeating. A study published in the journal Current Obesity Reports found that limiting alcohol intake is an obvious means to reduce total energy intake for those who wish to lose weight. It makes sense. Alcohol is associated with feasts and celebration but it also makes you want to eat more. Another study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that the effects of wine on appetite are immediate, and stimulate food intake early in the meal. If you are going to drink, know that it may be a trigger for overeating and try to stay mindful as you eat. Also avoid drinking too much without food which can make you extra hungry or cause you to binge eat.
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Natural And Other Remedies For Gas
Two products on the market can help with food-related gas and bloating. Both products are packaged forms of the enzymes needed to break down the problematic carbohydrates. Lactase, found in products such as Dairy Ease and Lactaid, can be taken with dairy foods to help break down lactose and lessen gas. Beano helps digest the indigestible carbohydrate in beans and other gas-producing vegetables.
Natural remedies for gas include:
- Peppermint tea
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When youre growing a human being, you dont have time for that yucky acid reflux. But your usual go-to methods for treating it may not be safe for your unborn baby.
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What Causes Bloating In The Stomach
Now there are quite a few reasons why you could be getting a bloated stomach. But at the end of the day, it usually comes from holding water and intolerances to the foods youre eating. The root causes of your bloated belly are your gut health and the reactions you have to certain foods.
Poor gut health can lead to Irritable Bowel Syndrome . Having IBS can lead to uncomfortable bloating that makes you look and feel horrible . Your body produces excessive gas making your stomach pop out to look bigger than it is. Getting your gut health fixed will be of the utmost importance to fixing your bloated belly.
Stress can also cause gas and bloating . Most people have abdominal pains when they feel stressed. Your digestive system is controlled by your nervous system . This is why stress can make your stomach upset. If youre stressed out then your body releases hormones like cortisol that promotes holding onto water weight . And if you have IBS then stress can make your bloating even worse. Everybody hates a stress belly!
Food intolerances can also lead to a bloated stomach . If youre allergic to a certain food then your body will have trouble digesting it. This could also trigger inflammation that will cause you to bloat and gain weight . Just because you dont have an overwhelming allergic reaction to eating certain foods doesnt mean your body isnt somewhat intolerant to it.
Taking a probiotic can do wonders for improving your gut health and rebalancing your microbiome.
Get Some Form Of Exercise At Least For Half An Hour In A Day
Exercise is the answer to almost all our ailments. Its no different when it comes to acidity, and we tell you exactly how. Lack of exercise leads to excessive deposition of fats, especially in the abdominal area. Excess abdominal fat pushes stomach acids up into the oesophagus which can further lead to frequent heartburns. Do those crunches and runs regularly to prevent acidity and shed those extra pounds.
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Only Drink Water Or Tea
When people are bloated, they tend to skimp on water because they think it will make their bloating worse. Since water retention is the body’s way of holding onto fluid so it doesn’t dehydrate, the opposite is true. Drinking lots of water signals the body that it no longer needs to hold onto every last drop to stay hydrated. “Fluids, specifically water, are absolutely key for optimal digestion,” says Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.