Gas-X, Gas-X, Gas-X… Is that what comes to mind when you think of feeling bloated?! That’s a very common remedy, but definitely not one of the most natural remedies to relieve bloating! There are simple and natural things, however, that we can do to help us not to feel bloated after a big meal, or after eating certain foods.
Bloating is the feeling you get when your gut is overstretched. This can be either liquids, solids, or gases – though the most common cause is intestinal gas.
This is a very real problem. I can attest to that! Some years ago, we went to a Chinese buffet and ate a delicious meal. But somehow…the food combinations created a bloating reaction in my digestive tract. We walked out of the restaurant to our car, and as I was preparing to get into the car, I realized that I was so bloated I could only take very shallow breaths, The gas buildup had so taken over my entire abdominal area that it was putting strong pressure on my lungs. Talk about a scary feeling! I couldn’t even get into the car. I just stood outside and leaned against the car and waited for 5-10-15 minutes. Eventually, it subsided – and I lived to tell the story! – but seriously, it was not fun. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it before or since, thankfully. I have nothing against Chinese food, I love it…but I’ve never gone back to that restaurant again, even though it’s just a few miles from us!
So – how can we prevent or relieve bloating without needing to buy over-the-counter formulas? Let’s look at some ideas.
Prevention
Prevention is the best relief. You don’t want to get to the place where you feel like a balloon that needs to be popped! But how?
- Watch out for gas-producing foods. The problem is that gas-producing foods are often good for you. These foods include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and onions. Those are the good ones. Some artificial sweeteners are gas-producing, in particular the “sugar alcohol” group: mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol, etc. It’s not a big deal if you don’t eat those, there are alternatives! Soda – as in soft drinks – is gas-producing as well. You can avoid that! But you really shouldn’t avoid the vegetables. What can you do? Soak your beans, and drain and rinse them before cooking. Don’t eat broccoli and cabbage raw, microwave or steam them, which reduces the gas-producing potential. AND…chew well!
- Eat probiotics. Probiotics are helpful bacteria that assist in the development of something called a “healthy gut microbiome.” You can buy probiotic supplements, or alternatively, you can eat yogurt and sauerkraut, which contain natural probiotics. This could help to restore balance to your digestive system and reduce bloating and other intestinal discomfort.
- Drink herbal tea. Some herbal teas seem to relieve bloating by relaxing the muscles in the digestive system. Try peppermint tea – or fennel, ginger, or chamomile.
- Exercise. Don’t make it too strenuous, but exercise is awesome for relieving gas and bloating. Try walking or stretching. Half an hour a day of moderate exercise can work wonders!
- Cut stress. I know, easier said than done in the intense world we live in, but if you don’t want disrupted digestion, bloating, and other internal problems, find ways to relax. Pray! That helps me! Take walks, spend time in nature, take care of yourself mentally. It all helps.
- Think about how you are eating. This has been called mindful eating! Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. This prevents swallowing air, which can exacerbate gas and bloating.
- Stay hydrated but avoid drinking liquid with meals. Drink plenty of water or tea throughout the day. This reduces the sodium and toxin load in your body by flushing them out of the body. Toxins and excess sodium can potentially add to water retention and bloating. So it’s back to the 8 glasses (or more) per day! But it might be helpful not to drink liquid with meals, as too much liquid can impair the digestive function in your stomach and intestines.
- Eat fiber. Fiber promotes regular bowel movements and alleviates the bloating caused by constipation. Here you can try all those good things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. But if you dump a whole lot of fiber into your system all at once, it can make bloating more likely, so do it gradually, and drink plenty of water with the fiber to help move it smoothly through your digestive system.
- Don’t eat too many different kinds of foods at the same meal. This – plus the likely MSG in the food? – might have been the cause of the bloating incident at the restaurant I referred to above. If you mix fruit with fat, or protein, for example – will the combination create an unpleasant digestive reaction? It might. That full feeling you get after a big meal might not just be that you have eaten a lot of food, part of it could just be that the food you have eaten has created a lot of excess gas! Experiment for yourself, bodies are different.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, there are natural remedies to bloating. Most of them are on the prevention side, not relief, but prevention is the natural way. Prevent the problem, then you won’t have to wonder how to relieve it! So in any case, there are things you can do.
If you have any helpful thoughts or questions about this topic, please feel free to share them in the comments section below!
