How To Fix A Bloated Stomach In 3 Steps
What is Bloating And Its Symptom?
Bloating is a condition that occurs in your stomach or abdomen in medical terms. Usually, the common reason for bloating is when the gastrointestinal tract is usually filled with gas or air. What is the gastrointestinal tract?
This is the path through which the food and the liquid travel when they are swallowed, which involves travelling through a small pipe, stomach, and their travel through both the intestines towards the anus. The whole tract involves several organs: the mouth, throat, oesophagus, small and large intestines, and rectum. Thus including the whole digestive system.
The feeling of bloating almost feels like you have consumed a large meal, and there is no more space left to put in anything else. The whole feeling can get extremely uncomfortable and painful, eventually puffing up your stomach with air making it appear to look tighter and more prominent than the usual size. The common symptoms of bloating include gas, discomfort, and stomach pain. However, if the severity of the bloating increases, the symptoms and discomfort can become rather serious:
A significant amount of weight loss
Constant Diarrhea
Heartburn
Infection based fever
Vaginal bleeding in post-menopausal instances.
Blood in stool
What Are the Possible Causes of a Bloated Stomach?
10-25 percent of healthy adults report occasional discomfort in the abdomen, whereas 75% percent of the people report having moderate to severe amounts of pain in their abdomen. Among the 75% of people, 90% are usually diagnosed with irritable bowel Syndrome IBS. Being the number one contributor to bloating and the discomfort caused by it.
As mentioned earlier, bloating can be caused by several reasons. The condition is more frequent in people who are lactose intolerant or smokers. It could also be the result of the diet we consume on a daily basis. As some food items produce more gas during absorption than others. Nevertheless, bloating can also be a result of some severe underlying health conditions such as cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease. We have curated a list for you to keep track of the causes of bloating, which includes:
Overeating
Reflux is caused by eating at odd hours.
Weight gain
Menstruation
Smoking air, chewing gum, or consuming food too fast.
Crohn`s disease.
Anxiety and depression.
Blockage in the bladder or bowel.
Irritable bowel syndrome.
The diseases can become recurring problems, However, to negate the odds of it happening in the first place and to save yourself from embarrassment, discomfort, and pain altogether. There are multiple ways and methods you can make part of your day-to-day life to avoid bloating.
Step 1: Drink Plenty of Water & Juice
It should come as no surprise that maintaining healthy Fluid intake is necessary for individuals, especially if they are looking to be healthy, stay afresh, happy and energetic throughout the day. Doctors recommend drinking up to thirteen cups of water a day to reap the benefits of water to its utmost potential. Even though 13 cups is a ballpark figure, people working out or working in outdoor environments might need more to meet the requirement. Nevertheless, it helps with bloating problems by flushing out the waste and ensuring a stable flow of nutrients to each muscle. In addition, consuming fluids such as juices and smoothies can help reduce the problem as well as it basically does the same job as they are primarily water-based. It can also boost exercise routine, which helps in negating the effects of bloating.
Step 2: Eat Lean Protein at Every Meal
High protein diets are essential for bodybuilding; however, they can be one of the biggest gas producers, eventually resulting in bloating. While We know protein is essential to a balanced diet, Consuming it in excess amounts can result in uncomfortable gas. This buildup of gas can become the root cause of severe health issues if not treated right.
However, just like everything, nobody is stopping you from consuming protein as it provides energy and helps in muscle building. Instead, opting for the correct type of protein is a matter of concern here. Using food items in your every meal that provides lean protein can significantly reduce your chances of developing gas, consequently resulting in less bloating in the stomach. Here is a list of items that provide lean protein
Fish
Lentils, beans, and peas.
White meat poultry
Lean beef.
Powdered Peanut butter.
Low-fat milk
Shrimps.
Egg whites
Plain greek yogurt.
Step 3: Increasing Fiber Intake
Fiber is one of the essential nutrients that help smooth body waste from the abdomen to the anus. Experts recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber every day. The Optimum fiber intake with necessary fluids can move the waste efficiently and effectively through the digestive tract, which stops the gas buildup in the intestines. As per the research, it works wonders with weight management. Here are some fiber-rich food items to make part of your daily diet.
Beans, Lentils, and peas
Fruits and Berries (bananas, avocados, apples)
Nuts (Dried fruits)
Whole grains.
Nevertheless, you can never be too sure about the consumption in grams. If this is too hard for you, there is an easy way out. Using Colonbrooms fiber-based supplement, which comes in fruity strawberry flavor and can save you a lot of hustle and monitoring while being just as effective as the earlier mentioned sources of fiber.
Fiber is also a known appetite suppressant which can stop you from eating between meals, eventually preventing you from overeating.
Nonetheless, these majors can significantly reduce your probability of encountering the problem of bloating and reducing gas and discomfort. Although it is not a substitute for a doctor`s consultation, if you are experiencing severe bloating repeatedly, we would advise getting yourself checked by a doctor.