Learn how to get rid of bloating fast and get off that airy, full feeling in your belly. Here are some tips to help you do that.
RELATED: Metabolic Balance For Maximum Health
In this article:
How to Get Rid of Bloating Fast and the Causes of a Bloated Belly
How to Beat Bloating with These Tips
You know that “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” feeling?
Perhaps you’ve been eating sensibly, but somehow you feel puffy and uncomfortable. This temporary abdominal distension is commonly known as belly bloat, and it is different than the extra weight that many wrestle with.
Indeed, this pesky problem has everything to do with digestion. Here are a few tips to help you banish the bloat:
1. Pick Your Fruits Wisely
Some fruits like watermelon have a high ratio of fructose to glucose that can cause gas and bloating in some people who have difficulty with digesting fructose.
2. Calm Down
When you are stressed out, your blood flows away from your gastrointestinal tract, and this, in turn, slows down digestion and causes bloating.
3. Don’t Skip Your Workout
Physical activity stimulates the muscles of your digestive tract. This helps to process the food and offload the air bubbles that make you feel bloated.
4. Slow Down
Eating too quickly and not chewing your food can cause air swallowing, which leads to bloating.
5. Rule Out Allergies
Those folks with wheat allergies or lactose intolerance often complain of bloating. Touch base with a healthcare provider to find out if certain foods are at the root of your bloating problem.
6. Consider a Low-FODMAP Diet
Eating a low-FODMAP diet can help get rid of bloating fast. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-, monosaccharides, and polyols.
When eating FODMAP foods, your body may not be able to tolerate the consumption of certain types of carbohydrates. The small intestine cannot break them down properly.
FODMAP can also increase fluid retention. Together with fermentation (due to the conversion of sugar), your intestines produce the right environment for the bacteria to produce gas.
These short-chain carbohydrates can be naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, as well as additives. These can include:
- Certain high-fiber and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower
- Sugar alcohols
- Dairy products
- Carbonated drinks
- Artificial sweeteners
What are sugar alcohols? These are naturally occurring or processed compounds that contain less sugar or glucose than artificial sweeteners.
FODMAP is often a sign of digestive issues, especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is a cluster of symptoms that include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, and cramping.
You can eat low-FODMAP foods during a flare-up. The foods that fight bloating include:
- Peppermint tea
- Green tea
- Coconut water
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cayenne pepper
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Fish and seafood
- Bananas
- Lettuce
- Green beans
Note: While a low-FODMAP diet is effective in treating IBS, it is not ideal as a long-term solution because of a potential nutritional deficiency. Before you eat the diet, consult a dietitian and your doctor.
RELATED: 3 Ways To Speed Up Your Metabolism
7. Add Probiotics and Prebiotics to Your Diet
Another way to get rid of bloating fast is to consume probiotics and prebiotics.
The digestive tract is home to millions of good and bad bacteria all living harmoniously. Factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and stress can change the environment.
In the process, some bacteria thrive better than others. This can lead to a condition known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
You can help restore the balance with probiotics and prebiotics:
- Probiotics are those that add more beneficial bacteria in the gut.
- Prebiotics are the ones that feed the good bacteria.
Some of the popular sources of probiotics are fermented products like kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
You can also take some supplements to increase the bacteria colony, but choose them well. Not all strains can reduce bloat.
8. Reduce Belly Fat
A bloated stomach is different from belly fat, but both can appear together.
Belly fat, also known as visceral or central obesity, is a type of fat accumulation that develops around the digestive organs. These can include the liver, pancreas, and GI tract.
Studies show a link between excessive consumption of sugar and belly fat. Research also revealed obesity could delay gastric emptying.
It takes a far longer time for the body to eliminate food waste in the large intestine. This delay can increase the fermentation and, thus, gas production.
When you can remove the bulging bellies, you may also learn how to get rid of bloating fast.
Besides maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, supplements like Juvenon Nordic Burn can help.
5 More Facts About Belly Bloating
The following information can also help you plan strategies on how to get rid of bloating fast:
1. A Belly Bloat May Be a Sign of Something Serious
In many cases, bloating goes away in a matter of hours. For some people, it may be chronic or severe, such as feeling super bloated.
It may be a sign of a serious problem affecting the digestive health, especially the stomach and/or the GI tract.
See your healthcare provider if bloating appears with severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, a quick feeling of fullness, unexplained weight loss, and bloody stool.
2. Food Intolerance Is Different from a Food Allergy
A bulging belly can happen due to a food allergy or food intolerance, but these things are not the same.
Food allergy develops much quicker than intolerance. You may already suffer from symptoms, including bloating and hives within hours.
With food intolerance, meanwhile, it can take between a few days and two weeks for the symptoms to appear. If you suspect these are affecting your digestive process, consider maintaining a food log or journal.
This diary can help you identify your triggers for food allergy or intolerance. It can also be a basis for an elimination diet.
In an elimination diet, you remove trigger foods from your meals. Then, you add them back slowly, paying attention to how your body reacts.
3. Sodium Can Also Trigger a Bulged Belly
What causes belly bloat? The answer is a lot, and one is sodium.
Sodium is necessary for a balance of electrolytes or substances that maintain proper electrical function in the body. It also regulates blood pressure.
The problem is excessive sodium can contribute to bulging bellies or central obesity. It can also affect digestion by increasing fluid retention.
Learn how to get rid of bloating fast or a bulging stomach by reducing your sodium intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming up to 2,300 mg of sodium daily.
If you’re at risk of hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease, you need to reduce this to no more than 1,500 mg a day.
4. Acid Reflux Can Also Contribute to Bulging Stomachs
Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) occurs when stomach acids move upward toward the esophagus due to a problematic muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (ELS).
In many situations, however, stomach bloating and acid reflux can occur together. The actual mechanism is complex.
It may indicate, though, that a problem in any digestive organ can also affect the others within the system. If you reduce bloating, you may also manage acid reflux better.
5. Get Rid of Bloating Fast with Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is charcoal with more oxygen; this increases its surface area. This porosity allows it to absorb more toxins and gases.
In other words, it acts as a natural diuretic, aiding digestion, and reducing bloating belly. It may even be more effective when combined with simethicone, an anti-foaming agent that breaks down gas bubbles.
Even the feeling of bloating is already distressing and embarrassing. Fortunately, there are multiple ways on how to get rid of bloating fast.
Some of these may require a doctor’s guidance and approval. Still, it’s comforting to know that help for your bulging belly is available.
Up Next:
- A Healthy Digestive System: Are Bacteria The Key?
- “Balanced” Diet: Fine-Tuning For A Longer Lifespan
- 10 Hydration Hacks: How To Drink More Water During Summer
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 26, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.