Bloating is usually a temporary condition and is most commonly caused by air becoming stuck around the abdomen. It is a message from the body indicating that something is not right. It is becoming extremely common and this makes sense since so many people have poor diets, high levels of stress, take medications, and are exposed to various toxins. All of this makes it difficult to completely digest food. When this happens, the undigested food moves into the large intestine. Gas-producing bacteria begin fermenting the food causing a release of gas. If you do not have a healthy digestive tract, the undigested food molecules can enter your blood stream and cause more bloating and inflammation. Here are some ways to help minimize bloating.
Stay Hydrated
If you are dehydrated, the body is forced to retain water. It is thought that approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This can cause constipation which means when you do finally drink water, you’re likely to store it around your midsection making you feel even more bloated. To avoid becoming constipated, get plenty of fiber. Drinking plenty of healthy fluids like water, herbal tea, and green tea, will keep you hydrated and help you avoid constipation.
Good Foods to Reduce Bloating
Surprisingly, celery is a good food to eat to help avoid bloating. This is because it contains potassium, which acts a mineral electrolyte, and helps maintain fluid levels throughout the body. If helps your body flush excess water when needed. But if you are potassium deficient, your body may retain water. Cooking celery helps break down the fiber, which makes it easier to digest. Juicing removes the fiber and is another good way to consume celery.
Cucumber is another good food to help reduce bloating and puffiness. We’ve all seen cucumber slices used on the eyes to reduce puffiness. Well it does the same thing in the body. Both the skin and the flesh are needed, so don’t peel your cucumber. Snacking on cucumber slices is an excellent way to eat fewer calories and reduce bloating.
Asparagus is another great source of potassium. Like celery, it is considered a natural diuretic helping you to release excess water water. It is also a great source of prebiotics which feeds the good bacteria in your stomach. And having lots of good bacteria in your stomach keeps you on the path to wellness. Try asparagus roasted or grilled for a delicious treat.
Digestive Enzymes
As discussed above, if you can not completely digest a food, and especially protein, you will experience bloating. Pineapple is a natural source of bromelain, an enzyme that helps support protein digestion. It also helps sooth the digestive tract. The core of the pineapple has the highest concentration of bromelain. But most never eat it because it is hard when the pineapple is not completely ripe. Be patient and make sure your pineapple is ripe, which will soften the core. You can then eat the core or use chunks of the core to make a smoothie or fresh juice.
Another great way to increase digestive enzymes naturally is with ginger. Compounds in ginger stimulate the production of digestive enzymes. Ginger also reduces inflammation and can help release trapped gas and relieve constipation. Ginger tea is a great way to harness the power of ginger. For an extra punch, combine peppermint and ginger. The stronger the better. Or add fresh peppermint or essential oil along with a of fresh ginger to your smoothie.
Avoid Conventional Dairy, Sugar, Corn Syrup, and Alcohol
Conventional dairy products have been heated to a very high temperature which kills the good bacteria and enzymes. This makes them very hard to digest. In addition, the main protein (casein) in milk is among one of the top allergenic foods. So for many, it causes inflammation. Add to that, the fact that approximately 75% of the human population is lactose intolerant. This means they lack the enzyme necessary to digest the lactose in milk. When that happens, the lactose moves into the colon undigested and is fermented by gas-producing bacteria, which in turn, causes bloating.
Consuming sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and high sugar fruits, can result in bloating too because the extra sugar becomes fermented by the bacteria in your digestive tract. The high sugar fruits include apples, pears, cherries, mango, watermelon, fresh figs and dried fruits. These fruits should be eaten sparingly because these sugar in them can contribute to candida overgrowth and promote inflammation.
Alcohol is bad for several reasons. Most alcoholic beverages contain large amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. This is especially true of cocktails mixed with juice, soda, and flavored syrups. Bubbly alcohol drinks (like spritzers, beer, and champagne) or alcohol with carbonated mixers (like seltzer, tonic, and soda) contain tiny air bubbles that release carbon dioxide, which is a gas. This is true for all carbonated drinks whether alcohol is involved or not. So if you want to avoid bloating, avoid carbonated drinks, including sparkling water.
Another way alcohol can cause harm is when high levels of alcohol are in your blood and negatively affect your body’s fluid balance. This can lead to dehydration and water retention. In addition, alcohol irritates the lining of your digestive tract, which can cause indigestion, intestinal permeability, and inflammation. These are all common triggers for bloating.
Avoid Foods Known to Cause Bloating
Beans are notorious for causing gas and bloating because we lack the enzyme needed to fully break down the complex sugars found in them. Some people can tolerate them better if they are soaked overnight or brought to a boil for 2 minutes and left off the stove for an hour. Some people go a step further when soaking beans by and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the water. Still others change the liquid once or twice during the soaking.
Some people are especially bothered by cruciferous vegetables. These include broccoli, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. In spite of the health benefits of these vegetables, if you are experiencing discomfort from bloating, you might want to avoid them or try eating small amounts of the cooked.
Finally, avoid highly salty foods because an excess of refined salt can cause dehydration and water retention. One easy way to do this is by avoiding heavily processed and packaged foods because they are almost always loaded with refined salt. Seasoning your food with a raw salt, like pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, is a different story. These unrefined sea salts contain a variety of mineral electrolytes that actually hydrate your body as well as offer many other health benefits.
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