How To Stop Bloating After Eating
The most important step to stop bloating after meals is to figure out why is it happening in the first place. Only then can you take active measures to make the necessary lifestyle modification to get rid of it. The simple ways in which you can stop experiencing bloating are given below:
- Recognize and avoid the food triggers
- Limit the intake of processed food and aerated drinks
- Take time to savor your meals. It is also recommended to eat multiple, smaller meals than one, large meal.
- Add some exercise to your daily routine Even a casual, short walk after meals helps in alleviating the discomfort of bloating after meals.
- Maintain adequate hydration.
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Causes Of Stomach Bloating
It can be challenging to determine the cause of stomach bloating. Some known causes of stomach bloating include:
- Excess gas in the intestine
- Small intestinal bacteria overgrowth
- Irregular amounts of microorganisms in the bowel
- Sensitivity or intolerance to food
- Sensitivity of perception to digestive tract
- Spinal curvature of the lumbar spine resulting in lessened abdominal capacity for gas
- Gastroparesis, a motility disorder that delays the stomachs ability to empty itself
- Anxiety, depression, and other gut-brain connections
Eat Several Small Meals
To keep your metabolism revving throughout the day, focus on small, protein- and fiber-packed snacks or small meals every 3 to 4 hours. You will not only burn more calories eating a series of smaller meals, but also avoid the afternoon crash and end of the workday slump.
Eat This! Tip: Use your smartphone or computer to remind you of these intervals. Some go-to healthy snack ideas include:
- Apple with peanut butter
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Take Time To Meditate
The older, wiser, less-bendy sister of yoga, meditation is an amazing activity that people can reap major rewards from. A 2014 study in Eating Behaviorsfound that individuals who meditate are less likely to overeat or give in to emotional eatingand this is key if you want to stay on track with your anti-bloat plan over the next day. To get started, unroll a yoga mat or sit on a carpet in a sunny room and take five uninterrupted minutes thinking about something that you’re grateful for.
Broccoli And Other Cruciferous Vegetables
The cruciferous vegetable family includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and several others.
These are very healthy, containing many essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and potassium.
However, they also contain FODMAPs, so they may cause bloating in some people .
Cooking cruciferous vegetables may make them easier to digest.
What to eat instead: There are many possible alternatives, including spinach, cucumbers, lettuce, sweet potatoes and zucchini.
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How To Prevent Bloating
Typically, the first line of treatment for preventing gas and bloating is changing your diet. Research has shown that a low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols diet can reduce the symptoms of gas and IBS. A low FODMAP diet avoids fermentable, gas-producing food ingredients, such as:
- Oligosaccharides, which are found in wheat, onions, garlic, legumes and beans
- Disaccharides, such as lactose in milk, yogurt and ice cream
- Monosaccharides, including fructose , apples and pears
- Polyols or sugar alcohols found in foods such as apricots, nectarines, plums and cauliflower, as well as many chewing gums and candies
The small intestine doesnt always fully absorb these carbohydrates, instead passing them to the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria and produce gas, Lee says. Not everyone gets gas and bloating from every FODMAP foods. You might start by cutting out FODMAP foods and then slowly bringing them back into your diet one at a time to pinpoint problem foods.
In the long run, the key to preventing bloating is understanding its cause. If mild constipation is the problem, a fiber-rich diet, water and exercise may help, but these steps wont always work for chronic constipation. Chronic constipation and other conditions, such as IBS or gastroparesis, require medical treatment, so its important to talk to your doctor about your bloating symptoms.
Feeling Bloated?
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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Why Is My Stomach Bloated
The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you get a bloated stomach after eating, it can be a digestive issue. It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up. Your menstrual cycle is another common cause of temporary bloating. Sometimes a bloated stomach can indicate a more serious medical condition.
Increasing Your Fiber Intake Too Quickly
You know that upping your fiber intake can aid your rapid weight loss efforts, but if you aren’t used to eating the uber-filling nutrient a large dose of the stuff can be hard for your body to digest, explains Rumsey. The result? A midsection that’s suddenly as round as a basketball. “Wean yourself onto high-fiber foods like bran cereals, beans, and lentils, starting with small portions,” suggests Rumsey. Another trick: Down a large glass of water with every high-fiber meal. Fluids help to move fiber through the digestive tract, preventing bloat.
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Can Bloating Be Prevented Or Avoided
There are many ways to prevent and avoid bloating:
- Avoid the foods that are known to cause gas. These include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, beans, and lentils.
- Avoid chewing gum.
- Avoid using straws for drinking.
- Reduce or avoid drinking carbonated drinks .
- Reduce or avoid eating and drinking foods that include fructose or sorbitol. These artificial sweeteners are often found in sugar-free foods.
- Eat slowly.
- Eat more foods high in fiber to prevent constipation. If foods alone dont help, consider taking a fiber supplement.
- Avoid dairy products if you notice they cause gas and bloating.
- Quit smoking.
How To Get Rid Of A Bloated Stomach
One of the most effective bloated stomach remedies is improving your diet, since the foods you eat play a huge part in regulating how much air and poop is trapped inside your digestive tract.
To keep things flowing smoothly, you want to make sure to eat a high-fiber diet, aiming for about 2530 grams every day or even more.
This isnt too difficult when you eat plenty of whole foods, including veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and ancient grains. It can certainly help you to track your symptoms after eating certain foods known to cause bloating, but remember that a bloated stomach is caused by your entire lifestyle, not just the food on your plate.
Some of the best foods for helping to battle stomach bloating include:
Now that you know what you should eat, lets look at some of the foods that might make your bloating even worse. More often than not, some of these foods might be the culprit:
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Bad Eating Habits = Bloating
Its no surprise that bad eating habits can contribute to bloating. Overeating or eating too quickly can cause that stuffed feeling because your digestive system slows down, trying to process a large or fast intake of food. When you talk while eating, drink through a straw or chew gum, you swallow air that can go into your digestive system, causing bloating.
Processed foods, such as hotdogs and chips, also can create bloating. Many processed foods are high in sodium, which makes your body retain water and can cause your stomach to feel bloated. Sugary foods and snacks break down in your body and can make you gassy.
Even what you drink can upset your stomach. Carbonated beverages like beer and soda contain bubbles with carbon dioxide, a gas that releases into your stomach.
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Similar to bloating is water retention. This lovely feeling is usually caused by consuming too much salt . High levels of sodium cause your body to hold on to extra unwanted fluid. Not only can bloating and water retention be uncomfortable and less than attractive, it can be downright painful. Here is a guideline to beat the bloat.
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How Do I Stop My Lower Stomach From Bloating
Here are 11 proven ways to reduce or eliminate bloating. Dont Eat Too Much at a Time. Rule Out Food Allergies and Intolerances to Common Foods. Avoid Swallowing Air and Gases. Dont Eat Foods That Give You Gas. Try a Low-FODMAP Diet. Be Careful With Sugar Alcohols. Take Digestive Enzyme Supplements. Dont Be Constipated.
How To Prevent Bloating After Eating
Weve all experienced an uncomfortably full tummy.
There are lots of things that can contribute to this bloating. Happily, theres also a lot you can do about it.
You may find the feeling of bloating passes after youve had time to digest a big meal. Or your bloating may be persistent and severeleading to stomach pain, gas and nausea.
As well as following a meal, bloating can gradually get worse towards the end of the day. Up to 50% of people who complain of bloating find that it causes their tummy to stick out .
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What Causes Bloating In The Stomach
Gas
Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is gone awry. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Gasses in your intestines are mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates .
If theres too much fermentation going on, its because too many carbohydrates werent naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process, before reaching those gut bacteria. That could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much too fast for proper digestion, or you might have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. Some possible causes include:
Digestive Contents
These can include solids, liquids, and gas. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system when there is a backup or restriction in your digestive tract or when the muscles that move digestive contents along are somehow impaired. Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter. Causes of build-up can include:
Hormones
Other Causes
Feeling Bloated After Eating Only A Small Meal: What To Do
1. See a Doctor for Clear Diagnosis
If you consistently find you are feeling bloated after eating a small meal, your first step should always be to consult your doctor. He or she will listen to your symptoms, and may then refer you for further tests which might include physical examinations and blood testing. Depending on your personal history and symptoms, they may also refer you for some or all of the following:
- UGI, which is an upper gastrointestinal series of X-rays
- Endoscopy, which will allow your physician to view your digestive tract via a small camera
- Abdominal ultrasound, which is a form of non-invasive medical imaging
- Stool test to check for the presence of blood and rule out an intestinal bleeding
- Gastric emptying scintigraphy, which will allow your physician or radiologist to see how fast food passes your stomach
- Smart pill, an ingestible capsule which traces gastrointestinal motility
- A gastric emptying breath test to measure the speed at which your stomach empties
2. Treat Underlying Causes
3. Try Some Home Remedies
Feeling bloated after eating only a small meal can be very uncomfortable. After consulting your doctor, you can try these home remedies to relieve your symptoms.
- Fennel Seeds: You can chew on fennel seeds or add them to hot water . This is a highly effective way to relax muscle spasms in the digestive tract.
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Which Foods Cause Stomach Bloating After Eating
All types of foods can be triggers for bloating, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. For some people, having a food intolerance can also increase the risk of bloating. The most common triggers include apples, dairy products, beans, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage, lettuce, onion, peaches, and pears. Artificial sweeteners, like those found in diet sodas, can also be a cause of bloating. Many people cannot digest these sweeteners, resulting in an unusual amount of gas.
Switching to a whole grain diet has been known to cause bloating, as the amount of fiber intake is significantly increased after switching to whole grains and fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. If you plan to switch to a whole grain diet, make sure to do so slowly and drink plenty of water.
Salt is another well-known culprit of bloating. When people talk about losing water weight, what they are referring to is the bodys natural tendency to decrease water retention when salt intake is reduced. Avoiding foods with high salt content can prevent water retention and the bloated feeling associated with it.
Dairy intolerance is the most common cause of bloating. Nearly 10 percent of adults suffer from some form of dairy intolerance. While calcium is a required nutrient for the bodys health and well-being, it can be sourced from other foods besides those containing lactose. There are also many lactose-free alternative dairy options.
Why Does My Stomach Get So Bloated
Bloating. It’s that uncomfortable, overly full, sometimes even painful feeling in your stomach that makes you want to take a nap until the sensation passes. Bloating even can make your stomach look swollen or feel hard to the touch. Although women often feel bloated for a few days or weeks before their period, anyone can have occasional bloating.
What makes your stomach feel like a balloon has expanded inside? Bloating usually happens when gas temporarily builds up in your stomach or intestines. When youre bloated, you may notice that you burp or pass gas frequently, and find that releasing that air brings you some relief. Bloating also occurs when your digestive system slows down and you don’t have regular bowel movements.
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How Common Is Stomach Bloating
Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.
Avoid Swallowing Air And Gases
There are two sources of gas in the digestive system.
One is gas produced by the bacteria in the gut. The other is air or gas that is swallowed when you eat or drink. The biggest offender here is carbonated beverages like soda or fizzy drinks.
They contain bubbles with carbon dioxide, a gas that can be released from the liquid after it reaches your stomach.
Chewing gum, drinking through a straw and eating while talking or while in a hurry can also lead to increased amounts of swallowed air.
Summary
Swallowed air can contribute to bloating. A major cause is drinking carbonated beverages, which contain gases that are dissolved in the liquid.
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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 (
7 ).
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.
Swallowing Too Much Air
Most people think of taking in air when they inhale, but it can also be done a number of other ways. Common daily habitssuch as drinking from a straw, chewing gum and eating too quicklyare ways to add air into your digestive tract instead of your respiratory system.
When you swallow too much air you can start to feel bloated, Hoffman said. If its becoming a problem, start cutting out gum and straws and see if that helps eases your symptoms.
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Having A Food Intolerance
Typically, if someone is feels bloated, it is because of their food or water intake, but even if you havent eaten too much, you may have eaten the wrong thing. Certain food intolerances or sensitives to spicy or acidic foods can cause the gastrointestinal tract to have a more difficult time than usual.
An undiagnosed intolerance to foods can cause a lot of bloating, Hoffman said. The body is trying to break down the foods for the body to use, and a lot of gas can be the result of that work.
If you experience a lot of bloating, try keeping a food journal to track what you eat, when you notice bloating and the amount of discomfort you experience.