Bloating is a condition where your belly feels full and tight, often due to gas.
People might confuse bloating with other reasons for a more noticeable belly, such as abdominal wall laxity, or looseness. This is common, especially among older women and those who have had children.
It's important to know the difference so you can get the right treatment. A toned abdomen can make it easier to see a difference when the gut is full of food or stool.
2. BLOATING
Bloating is a condition where your belly feels full and tight, often due to gas.
People might confuse bloating with other reasons for a more noticeable belly, such as abdominal wall laxity, or
looseness. This is common, especially among older women and those who have had children.
It's important to know the difference so you can get the right treatment. A toned abdomen can make it easier to see a
difference when the gut is full of food or stool.
REASON FOR BLOATING
Might be because of the type of food one ate, or how fast the food was taken, or presence of too much salt, fat, or sugar,
that causes gas, weight gain, constipation, or water retention in stomach.
Certain medical conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or ulcerative colitis might
also make it more likely.
3. MAIN CAUSES AND PREVENTIVE TIPS
1. Gassy foods
Beans are a great source of fiber and protein. They also have a substance called raffinose that bacteria need to break
down. That can produce gas and lead to bloat. It’s not bad to be eaten, and how gassy one get varies from person to
person and by types of beans. Broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts also have raffinose, body will likely adjust any
criteria. Over-the-counter medications helps in digesting these foods more easily.
2. Find the FODMAPs
These are a group of carbs that are hard to digest for some people. They can cause bloating from gas and fluid
buildup. FODMAPs include lactose in dairy, fructose in fruit and honey, and many others. Always keep notes on body
handles different type of foods and share the info with the doctor to help figure out whether FODMAPs might be to
blame, so that it is easy to access the need to drop them from your diet or not.
4. 3. Slow eating
The faster one eats, the more air is swallowed. Stomach can easily swell when it traps the air, which sometimes passes on
to the intestines. More food is eaten when one eats quickly. That’s in part because it can take as much as 30 minutes for the
stomach to inform the brain that one is full. Hence one might overdo it before the brain gets the message and that can also
make one feel bloated.
4. Limit fizzy drinks
Limit fizzy drinks. The gas that one swallows while drinking a soda and other bubbly drinks such as beer, champagne,
seltzer can fill up the digestive system, some of it is burped out and some remains and moves through the digestive system
until it “passes” out the other end. That’s why it’s called “passing gas.”
5. 5. Usage of carbohydrates
Body taps into this fuel more quickly than protein or fat, which take longer to digest. After the body uses the carbs it
produce energy and uses some of it and stores the rest: first as glycogen, which makes the body retain water, and then in
fat cells. Both can make one feel bloated. It can help to avoid “simple” carbs, like white bread and pastries, in favor of
“complex” carbs, like whole grains and vegetables that take longer to digest.
6. Balanced eating
Stomach is only about the size of a fist. Food compacts somewhat through the digestive process, but if one
eats too much, it starts to stretch out the stomach, and that can make one feel bloated. Plus, too much food
makes it more likely that one may overdo the salt, carbs, fat, and calories, all of which can also make feel
bloated.
6. 7. Limit salt intake
Body needs it to work, but most of us get more than we need. It prompts our body to retain more water, which can make
one feel bloated. It also can cause kidney problems and high blood pressure. One may get more salt in the diet than from
processed and fast foods. So check food labels for salt (sodium) levels and remember: Just because we don’t taste it, it
doesn’t mean it’s not there.
8. Constipation
When one get “stopped up,” can feel bloated. Mostly, it happens when one need water, fiber, or exercise. But diet changes,
illness, or stress also can do it. It usually passes, but exercise, water, and over-the-counter meds can help. Consult a doctor
if losing weight and the reason is unknown, if constipation lasts more than a week or two, one may have dizziness, belly
pain, or blood in stool. These could be signs of something more serious.
7. 9. Analyze the weight gain
Gaining 10 or more pounds recently could be a reason for getting bloated. It could be because that weight
often goes on around the belly, which leaves less room for the stomach to stretch. One can analyze oneself or
with the help of a doctor and may be able to build a well-balanced diet and exercise program that helps in
losing weight and feel less bloated.
10. Cutting down Fat Calories
Body takes quite a while to digest fat. That means it can stick around in the stomach for a while and leave one
feeling bloated. Plus, it’s the most calorie-dense food that one can eat. Those calories can add up quickly and
cause to gain weight, which could also make feel bloated. It might help to limit fat calories with lean protein,
whole grains, and vegetables.
8. 11. Manage Medical Conditions
A doctor can help one to figure out if gut conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis,
celiac disease, infection, or others are the reason to cause bloating. Treatments may include changes in diet, sleep,
and exercise habits, along with medication. The more closely one follow the doctor’s suggestions, the more likely to
ease bloating. Always inform the doctor if bloating is severe or relapsed after treatment.
SOURCES:
1. WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/ss/slideshow-tips-to-reduce-
bloating?ecd=wnl_wmh_103023&ctr=wnl-wmh-
103023_lead_cta&mb=%2fZ7a0iaW1J%40VVEkDJLMozxFHOm8foWKxER11pCHwC10%3d
