Beat the Bloat - 40 Things to Try

Beat the Bloat – 40 things to try

It is normal to get bloating, especially after meals or milky drinks. This should generally settle. 

It becomes problematic when it never seems to go away or starts to limit your normal daily activities.

Bloating can be caused by trapped wind or fluid retention.

Bloating can cause many symptoms such as stomach pain, discomfort, nausea, abdominal distension (visible or invisible), a feeling of fullness, or needing to use the toilet.

Bloating can not only feel uncomfortable but can also be embarrassing.

Here are a few things that you might want to try to reduce the bloating.

I would suggest trying one thing at a time and seeing what works for you.

1. Chew your food and do it slowly

Chew it until it is liquidised in your mouth. 

We should chew food 20 – 32 times per mouthful, at least.  Different foods require different amounts of chewing.  Meat, for example, requires more chewing than veggies!

As you chew you will feel your food turning from a solid to a liquid form, as the mouth saliva and oral microbiome get to work.  Then you can drink it!

Chewing slowly ensures that the saliva and oral microbiome in the mouth have enough time to break down the food.

This supports the gut microbiome by giving it less work to do later. This, in turn, will reduce the gas produced by the gut during the digestive process, resulting in less gas production. 

Try putting your cutlery down between bites, this will often remind you to slow down!

“Eat your water and drink your food.”  Mahatma Gandhi

2. Reduce snacking and eat every 3-5 hours

Cut out snacks, unless you have a medical reason which requires you to have them, such as variable blood sugars or being underweight.

The stomach and small bowel contain a system called the 'migrating motor complex' (MMC).

This is a reoccurring motility pattern that moves food, debris, and bacteria from the stomach through the gut - pausing to allow digestion to take place. It only takes place when we are not eating.

The cycle occurs about every 90 minutes.

If we ingest further food then the MMC is interrupted and then takes time to get going again. This delays digestion and causes slower transit from the stomach through the gut.

The grumbling noises we often hear from our stomach are likely to be the MMC cleaning up our digestive tract between meals.  It is often referred to as ‘the housekeeper of the gut’!

To allow the MMC to work maximally, you should eat every 3-5 hours. You can have as much water based fluid in between, but avoid adding milk and cream as they are treated as food by the gut and therefore will holt the MMC temporarily.

If you are not sure when to start eating on this ‘3-5 hour gap’ then listen to your gut – it will indicate when it is hungry. This will then give you your baseline measurement.

3. Eat smaller meals

These are normally easier to digest.

4. Avoid talking when you are chewing

Did your parents ever tell you to close your mouth when you are chewing?? Well, it turns out this was great advice.  Doing this reduces the amount of air that you swallow - especially if you are talking.

Avoid chewing gum and sweets as they cause you to swallow more than normal and therefore increase the chance of you swallowing air. 

5. Get your dentures checked

Poorly fitting dentures will cause you to swallow excess air when you eat and drink

6. Avoid drinking through a straw

This can result in you ingesting air as you suck up your drink!

7. Consider giving up smoking of any description (with support)

When you inhale the smoke you also inhale and swallow air.

8. Sit down when you are eating

This will result in the blood flowing to the digestive area rather than to the muscles involved in keeping you standing.

It also helps the digestive enzymes to work properly.

9. Stop what you are doing and focus on eating

This applies to all those people who eat whilst working on their screens; in meetings; watching TV, or; on their phones when eating; doing the housework; walking to the car; walking up the road; and at the same time as typing an email! 

So move away from your desk if you can. Focus on your food – on chewing, tasting, and allowing your food to be digested.

When distracted our amylase (an enzyme found in saliva that helps us break down some of our food) does not work effectively. In addition, we don’t taste our food or recognise when we have eaten enough – we just keep on shoveling more in.

“Never walk and eat.  Sit to show respect for the time and sacrifice it took to plant, harvest and prepare.” (p.19) ‘The Woman in the White Kimono’ by Ana Johns

10. Sit upright, avoid slouching

This facilitates the flow of movement in your gut.  Sitting upright at a table is ideal.  If you are in your car or sofa then use pillows/cushions to ensure you are not slouched. 

11. Loosen tight clothing around your waist or abdominal area to reduce constriction

12. Stop eating before you are full

Eating as much as you can until you are fit to burst requires a longer period to break down the components of your meal.

13. Wait for at least 1 hour after waking before you start eating

This includes avoiding any drinks where milk products are added – as the body treats milk as a food.

Doing this allows your gut to wake up before you require it to do the work of digestion.

14. Eat your smallest meal at the end of the day

This reduces the risk of you going to bed with a full stomach that is trying to digest when you want to go to sleep.

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Adelle Davis

15. Reduce your intake of carbonated, fizzy drinks (including beer and fizzy alcohol)

They release carbon dioxide (a gas).  Generally, you may find that you are burping more rather than it working its way out lower down in your digestive system.

16. Limit your intake of salt and fat

High levels of salt in the diet can lead to water retention and therefore bloating.  In place of salt, you could try seaweed or herb seasonings such as fennel, dill, thyme, and mint.

Fatty products take longer to digest leading to more gas production.

Avoid processed foods that contain high levels of salt and poor quality fats.

17. Eat foods rich in potassium

These might include bananas or avocados.

These foods will help manage the sodium levels in your body and therefore help control water retention.

18. Carry out deep breathing exercises pre-eating

When you feel anxious or stressed (Managing Chronic Stress ) there is an increase of adrenaline and cortisone hormones in the body.  This puts the body into a state of ‘fight or flight’. 

In this state, the body will not prioritise digestion over other functions such as sending blood to your peripheral organs in preparation for flight!

Also, stress may lead to hyperventilation (breathing too fast).  This can result in gulping in more air and lead to bloating.

Try taking some deep abdominal breaths, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, prior to eating. Maybe, each time you sit down to eat, create a pause to relax your gut – take 3 slow breaths – then eat.

Try focusing on a long out breath.  This will stimulate your vagus nerve and give a sense of relaxation and lowered stress.  

You could try 10 deep breaths on waking, going to sleep, and before meals to see if this helps.                                                                

19. Meditate before eating

Try 5 minutes of meditation before eating to calm your nervous system. 

20. Stomach massage

Watch Kirsten Greene's video to learn more.

Massage your abdomen from right to left to follow the anatomy of the intestine.

This will help with food transit to reduce constipation, gut fermentation and get rid of wind.

 21. Action constipation

If you are not sure if you have constipation, then check out the Bristol Stool Chart. 

Remember that just because you open your bowls daily, this does NOT mean you don’t have constipation.  You need to look at the quality of your stool.

On balance, most of our stools should look like Type 4 (Silky- smooth soft sausage, which is easy to pass). 

At the extremes of the scale are Type 1 – Constipation and Type 7 – Diarrhoea.  These types of stools should not be regular guests, but may visit us from time to time!

Note how often you open your bowels.  It is normal to open them between 3 – 21 times per week!  (Zoe) As you can see the ‘normal’ range is quite wide.

Constipation can be improved by drinking sufficient fluids; reducing stress , and eating a diet containing fibre. 

22. Have drinks at or above room temperature

Warm/hot/room temperature fluids are much more gut friendly.  Ice cold drinks can shock the gut and therefore slow it down – especially first thing in the morning.

23. Eat cooked warm foods rather than raw cold foods

This is because less digestion is required for cooked foods.  As for warm drinks, warm foods are much more gut friendly and soothing to the gut.

24. Drink sufficient fluids throughout your day, ideally 2 litres (unless you are on a fluid restriction)

Drink little and often throughout your day.  The UK Guidelines recommend 2 litres daily. Water is the best fluid that you can drink, and is free. Drinking is beneficial in many ways, including the reduction of constipation. 

Some individuals may be on a fluid restriction – normally set by a health care professional.  This should be followed.

Where individuals have sodium problems, too much fluid can lead to bloating and often swelling in the ankles.

There are also other conditions, such as in individuals with heart failure where fluid intake is restricted.  In these instances seek advice from a health professional.

25. Avoid drinking when eating

Instead drink 15-60 minutes before eating and 1 hour after.  This enables your oral and gut microbiome to work more optimally without diluting them.

If you feel you really must have a drink with your food, then experiment with taking sips only.

There will be times when you want a hot drink at the end of your meal or a cool glass of something.  Experiment and see how your gut reacts.

Try gut friendly teas such as peppermint, chamomile and ginger tea.  They are all thought to sooth the gut.

26. Burp

When it is appropriate to do so!

Did you know that some people cannot burp!  They have a condition called Retrograde Cricopharyngous Dysfunction.  This can impact on the release of gases from the upper part of the gut.  

If this is you, then make an appointment with your GP as there is a solution to the problem.

27. Fart  

I would advise doing so when it is appropriate, or you may not be very popular.

Be assured that everyone farts – it is normal. Most of us fart about 20 times per day (Everyday Health.com).  If you cannot fart there may be a medical reason, therefore seek advice from a medical professional.

Think of the Cat Stevens song “I can’t keep it in, I’ve gotta let it out.” However, he was not referring to farting!

Farting releases gases from the small intestine/bowel, where digestion takes place.

This gas is mostly made up of nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide.  When released these do not smell.

The gases that do smell include hydrogen sulfide and other gases that contain sulphur compounds.  These are the ones that alert others that someone has just farted.

Did you know that if you stop yourself from farting, then the gas will be absorbed from the gut into the blood and eventually reaches the lungs where you breathe it out! (Gasbarrini et al).

28. Stop eating at least 2, but ideally 3 hours, before going to bed

This will give the food time to be digested.  There is nothing worse than going to bed with a heavy, full feeling in your gut.

You could also find that you don’t sleep properly as your food is still being digested – especially after a heavy meal.

The gut slows down when you sleep, as it is expecting to get some rest too. So if you eat late you could still wake up with undigested food sitting in your gut.

Satchin Panda, a researcher at The Salk Institute, did research on Time Restricted Feeding and the Circadian Rhythm.  The natural circadian rhythm of the gut is to slow down and repair itself overnight. If the gut is still busy digesting your last meal then it cannot carry out these important repairs. (Chatterjee).

29. Try Time Restricted Feeding

This means that you only eat within a certain time window. 

Based on the work of Satchin Panda, a 10 hour window has been shown to be manageable for most people and still show good health results.  This would mean eating from, for example, 8 am and finishing your last morsel at 6 pm. 

Time Restricted Feeding gives your body time to digest and repair during its fast phase. Water based drinks are not counted as breaking the fast as long as they are milk free. 

 30. Avoid or reduce the portion size of foods that cause you to bloat when you are flying

When you are in an aircraft, the normal gases from your digestion will increase due to the drop in air pressure in the cabin. The gases therefore take up more space in your stomach and intestines resulting in bloating.

You may wish to avoid or reduce the portion size of foods that cause you to bloat. 

You can do this by stopping or limiting their intake 3-5 days before your flight and during your flight. Once you reach your destination then you can reintroduce them. 

The idea is not to eliminate them from your diet forever!  These foods are very nutritious and your gut microbes will thank you for them.

Foods that often result in bloating or gas production include things like beans, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and high-FODMAP foods. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.

You could instead try low-FODMAP foods, such as salmon; bell peppers; lean meat; avocado; eggs; sweet potatoes; spinach; kiwi, and; others

Additionally, you could try soaking beans and lentils and cooking cruciferous veg (Brussel sprouts; cauliflower; broccoli) and garlic and onion. 

You may find it useful to put together your own list of foods that you will or won’t eat prior to or on your flying days! 

Also, try moving frequently.  Get up and walk around; do some exercises/stretches whilst seated.

31. Move frequently throughout your day

Use movement as a preventative method to reduce bloating in the first place.  If you already have the bloating then it is still helpful.

Exercise gently after eating – maybe a short low intensity walk – even for 10 minutes.  This is thought to help with digestion, lower blood sugar, reduce heart disease, help with weight loss, and regulate blood pressure.

If you experience any discomfort try waiting 10-15 minutes before doing your walk (Healthline).

Move regularly during the day. Even for just 5 minute blocks.  Maybe try 5 minutes of movement for every 55 minutes of sitting.  You could try stretching, slow yoga, Pilates, tai chi, swimming in warm water, and any other forms of movements that interest you.

Pelvic tilting in lying (with hip and knees bent and feet resting on the floor) is another good exercise for the release of wind.

Avoid vigorous exercise straight after eating, as your body will be busy trying to digest your meal.   It will not want to stop to have to focus on increasing the blood flow to the muscles required for your exercise.

32. Apply heat such as a hot water bottle

This increases the blood flow to the area

33. Have a cold shower of at least 30 seconds minimum

This brings blood flow back to the ‘core’ rather than at the periphery (arms; legs) . See my blog on 7 day cold water challenge.

34. Check to see if any of your current medications have a side effect of constipation

Check through the side effects online or using the information supplied with your medication. Some medications can reduce the transit time of food entering your gut – resulting in constipation.

Be aware that antibiotics can upset the gut microbiome, resulting in bloating. You may wish to discuss this with your GP who may suggest a probiotic to support your gut health.

If you have any concerns speak with your local pharmacist or health care provider.

35. Take probiotics

These can promote gut health.

Natural probiotics are contained in foods such as sourdough bread, natural Greek Yoghurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso and kimchi.

36.  Do a home test for gut motility/transit time for digestion of food

This measures how quickly food passes through your gut and out the other end following ingestion. 

There are simple tests that you can do at home to carry this out.  Maybe try one of the following:                                                           

a. Eat one of the following alone and about 1 hour away from other food:

• Corn kernels – 1 cup of cooked corn kernels
• Sesame seeds – 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, mixed into a glass of water and swallowed whole
• Red beetroot – one cup of cooked beetroot

b. Do not eat the marker food for a week before or after the test.

c. Record the date and time eaten

d. Record the date and time you passed the food during toileting

e. Calculate the time between eating and ejecting and see if it falls within the 12-48 hour range (‘normal ‘range)

f. There are many variables that can affect your transit time, so you may want to repeat it 3 times at different times of the day to get a better average.

Whilst you’re checking your poo, it may be worth seeing what number you score on the Bristol Stool Chart.

What the results mean:

12 to 48 hours is considered normal.

Greater than 72 hours then you may be constipated.  There is increased risk of fermentation resulting in gas and bloating.

Less than 10 hours then you may have diarrhoea or bowel irritability.  You will not be absorbing the nutrition that you require as your food is passing through your gut too quickly.

Source: Bella Lindemann

37. Eliminate processed convenience  and junk foods

This includes ready meals; pre-packaged foods; white bread; white rice; white pasta; and anything with a long list of ingredients that read like a foreign language to you!

Try replacing these with ‘real’ food and high fibre alternatives such as wholemeal bread, wholemeal rice, and wholemeal pasta.  Your gut flora and overall gut health will thank you for it. In addition, it will improve gut transit helping to reduce constipation.

38. Reduce your sugar intake

If you decide to switch to low sugar varieties, avoid artificial sweeteners and maybe opt for adding honey. 

When buying foods check the label and see where on the list of ingredients the sugar is.  The further down the list it is the better.  Ideally 4^th or more on the list if you are going to buy items containing sugar.

39. Keep a food diary to identify the triggers

You may notice that certain foods trigger your bloating.  Use a diary to record what you ate, how much, and what happened. 

Common food triggers are often related to:

• Gluten
• Fructose intolerance.  Fructose is a natural sugar contained in fruit
• Sugar
• Diary due to lactose intolerance.  Lactose is a sugar that is naturally found in milk.
• High FODMAP foods
• Indigestible carbohydrates found in sugar-free foods such as sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol and xylitol (sometimes causing diarrhoea as well as gas and bloating)

See what happens if you eat a smaller portion. Is the bloating reduced?

See what happens if you stop eating the item for 3-4 months and then slowly introduce it again into your diet.  The support of a dietician would often be beneficial during this time.

40. Try food combining

This is based on Ayurveda principles.  However, it has been criticised as: it is not fully backed up by scientific research; it may take the joy out of eating due to numerous rules, and; may prove difficult to implement in everyday life. 

I have included it for the purposes of completeness.  If you want to give it a go to see if it helps you then I have outlined the principles below. 

The principle is that foods that require similar digestion are eaten at the same time.  This is thought to reduce bloating and gas production.

Simply put:

            There are 4 food groups:

• Group 1 foods are: proteins (meat, poultry, cheese, fish, eggs, milk, and nuts).  They are digested using acid juices.
• Group 2 foods are: carbohydrates (bread, pasta, cereals, flour, biscuits) or starchy vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet corn).  They are digested using alkaline juices.
• Group 3 foods are: Salads, non-starchy vegetables, roots, seeds, herbs, spices, nut, and seed oils. These can be digested well with either Group 1 or Group 2 foods.
• Group 4 foods: Fruit.  This requires a different process of enzymes to the other food groups and therefore fruit should be eaten alone.

The food combining recommendations:

• Don’t eat group 1 or 2 together at the same meal
• Leave 2 hours between a carbohydrate meal before eating protein.  Leave 3 hours after a protein meal before eating a carbohydrate meal (as protein takes longer to digest)
• Group 3 can be eaten with Group 1 or 2 at the same meal
• Group 4 should be eaten on its own away from the other food groups – at least 30 minutes apart.  It is best to eat fruits on an empty stomach, on their own in the morning.

(McKeith)

Seek advice from your GP if you:

• Constantly feel bloated with no resolution
• Your bloating is impacting on your quality of life – you may be finding it difficult to move around due to the bloating
• You have tweaked your diet but still feel bloated
• You have a swelling or lump in your tummy area
• You are bloated and feeling sick, have diarrhoea, constipation, weight loss or blood in you faeces

The NHS advises:

Source: NHS Website

Other causes of bloating:

• Small Intestine Overgrowth (SIBO) – where your gut bacteria have migrated to the wrong part of your gut
• Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth (IMO) - IMO is an overgrowth of methane producing organisms in the gut 
• Large Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (LIBO)
• Celiac’s disease (allergy to gluten)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Functional dyspepsia
• Abnormal vicero-somatic reflux
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Poor working of the diaphragm results in abdominal distension
• Abdominophrenic Dyssynergia – when the diaphragm and the abdominal wall don’t coordinate properly
• Tumour
• Increased intestinal permeability – also referred to as ‘leaky gut’
• Monthly menstrual cycle
• Hormonal imbalance
• Menopause
• Other

Speak with your health care provider.

• Some bloating after eating is normal and nothing to worry about.
• You can try a few of the things mentioned above to reduce your bloating.  Incorporate those things that help you into your lifestyle.
• If you experience the symptoms described above by the NHS or your bloating never seems to resolve, contact your medical practitioner.
• If you feel you have a food intolerance, keep a food diary and speak with your GP or a Registered Dietician.

Disclaimer:

I am not a Dietician. The advice given above is based on my own experiences and things I have read or tried.

If your symptoms persist you should speak with your health care provider who can support or signpost you.  Alternatively contact a Registered Dietician who is a member of the HCPC (Health Care Professions Council).

Sources:

"Chatterjee, R, Dr 'Podcast No 175, 2022 'Gut Health: Everything You Need to Know', Accessed on line 27.11.2024

Everyday Health, ‘Gas and Gas Pain’ Available online - Accessed: 11.10.2024

Gasbarrini, A et al (2009) ‘Methodology and indications of H2-breath testing in gastrointestinal diseases: the Rome Consensus Conference’, 2009, Mar 30:29 Suppl 1:-49, Ailment Pharmacol Therapy, Available online.  Accessed: October 2024

Healthline, 2024 'Is Walking After Eating Good for You' Accessed on line 27.11.2924

Lindemann, Bella, 2016: '5 DIY Gut Health Tests You Can Do At Home (For Free)', Accessed on line 27.11.2024

McKeith, G ‘You are what you eat’, Pub: Penguin, Year of Publication: 2004

NHS website, 'Bloating' Access on line 27.11.2024

NHS England, Bristol Stool Chart for carer, Accessed online 27.11.2024

Panda, Satchin, 'How to Sleep Better, Boost Gut Health and Get More Energy' on Dr Chatterjee Podcast, No 306, Accessed on lone 27.11.2024

YouTube - Kirsten Greene 'Beat the Bloat Masterclass'  Accessed online 22.11.2024

YouTube - Kirsten Greene 'H0w to do a tummy massage'. Accessed online 22.11.2024

Zoe, ‘How often should you poop’, Accessed online 11.10.2024

General:

Miller, J’Nett, ‘5 Easy Steps to Better Gut Health’, YouTube, TEDx Talks, Accessed 08.11.2024

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