Food & Drink | Foods That Make You Bloat

Foods That Make You Bloat

We’ve all had that feeling at one point or another when it feels like someone has gone and shoved a bicycle pump down your throat and just started pumping away. You are left with having to explain that no, you are not in your second trimester; you are just harboring a food baby for the next few hours. There is a difference between being gloriously full from a delicious meal that you have just eaten and being bloated.

Being bloated just makes you feel uncomfortable, because it causes a physical discomfort and a mental one as well. You desperately want to get rid of the gas, but cannot do it in an office with six other people. I have generously compiled a list of foods and ailments that can cause bloating, however not all of these foods are necessarily bad for you and you need to learn how to incorporate them into your diet. Remember that there is a difference between water retention and bloating. Bloating occurs in the stomach area while water retention is first noticed in the ankles and legs.

1) Are you constipated – constipation or irregular bowel movement is a cause of unnecessary bloating. Get enough fiber in your diet, drink your eight glasses of water a day and get some exercise. You will be feeling much better in no time at all.

2) Rule out wheat and lactose allergies – do not self-diagnose, go and see your doctor and find out if you are lactose intolerant or have a wheat allergy. Too many people try to self-diagnose and end up eliminating an important food group from their diet. These food allergies can cause bloating and discomfort.

3) Bulky raw foods – sometimes, especially when your body is not used to fiber raw fruit and vegetables can cause bloating. Start off by incorporating fiber into your diet by par boiling your vegetables. They retain their nutritional value but your stomach has an easier time of dealing with them. Fiber is not digested by the body, it provide roughage which acts as a cleanser. However, do not avoid fiber just learn to incorporate it into your lifestyle and reap the benefits.

4) Gassy foods – examples of gassy foods are beans, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. They are super healthy foods and should be incorporated into every diet. To deal with the gaseous emissions incorporate them in small amounts into your meals slowly. Once your body adjusts to them, the bloat will be less severe. Please do not eliminate these amazing foods from your diet because you will be worse off without them.

5) High acid drinks – yes all the good ones are on this list; alcohol, hot cocoa, tea, coffee and acidic fruit juices. They should be consumed in minimal amounts or avoided entirely in order to reduce your bloat.

6) Fried food – the high fat content in fried food means that it takes much longer for your stomach to digest, hence the bloat. Avoid fried food, especially of the deep fried variety and feel the bloat subside.

7) Spicy food – one of my all-time favourites also causes the bloat. Apparently it can stimulate your stomach acids making them bubble and brew gasses in your tummy.

9) Chewing gum – you might not have realized this but when you are chewing gum, you are also swallowing air, hence that bloated feeling.

10) Sugar alcohols – these are sugar substitutes used in food labeled sugar free. Like fiber this substance cannot be digested and can cause your stomach to bloat. Unlike fiber your body does not need these substances.

11) Don’t eat too fast – digestion begins in the mouth and if you can remember far back to biology class, it is called mechanical digestion, so assist your stomach and chew your food. Each meal should take 20-30 minutes to consume. If you do this the chances are that you won’t swallow as much air and your food will be ground down to a nice consistency for your stomach to work with.

12) Anti-bloating foods – if all else fails try peppermint tea, ginger, parsley or yoghurt as all have ‘de-bloating’ properties.

Now you are equipped with the knowledge to beat the bloat and have a fab summer.