When you feel stomach is stretching after food, you are bloating. It is a common digestive condition, generally caused due to bad eating habits.
We have all faced discomfort after a feast, big weekend party or general overeating. The gases in the intestine increases pressure and stomach feels stretched. This discomfort sometimes can also be seen as bloated belly.
Though most of the times bloating is caused by excessive food inside the stomach, sometimes it is caused by nothing but sensitivity.
Bloating causes pain and discomfort due to the feeling of stuffiness. Sometimes bloating can be caused by serious underlying conditions , but most of the bloating cases are due to bad eating habits.
"Change eating habits and stop bloating" appears to be the answer. In most cases that is all that you require to do and feel completely normal but in some extra precautions may be required in some cases.
Try following simple home remedies.
1. Eat Small Portions and Eat Frequently
Instead of 3 meals, eat 5 or 6 meals of small portions. A heavy meal is the real cause of bloating and smaller meal can make you hungry soon. So if you eat small portions than you will have to eat more frequently.
If you eat slowly and chew your food several times before gulping it down the food pipe then you will eat less. usually stomach gives a signal to stop when it sensors feel full. The sensors usually are triggered by time or quantity.
If you eat fast then you will end up stuffing your stomach before you get the signal, but slow eating will trigger the time based signal to stop and you will feel normal. No more bloating.
2. Avoid Drinking with Eating
Eating and drinking together has become a modern lifestyle. In fact, eating and drinking are two separate processes and they should be done separately. if you do not drink any liquid 30 minutes before and after food, then most of your digestion related problems including bloating, gas, and constipation can be resolved.
Food and drinks are digested differently by the stomach, therefore help stomach to do its job better by not drinking while eating and not eating while drinking. Give at least 50 minute interval between these two activities to remain digestion healthy.
3. Give Up Fizzy Drinks and Stop Swallowing Air
All fizzy drinks have added carbon dioxide, so when you drink such liquids you are swallowing additional gases which will bloat your stomach.
Another way in which unsolicited gases enter your body are talking while eating in a hurry. In this process you will be breathing through the mouth. Major quantities of the gases will straight away end up in the stomach instead of going to the lungs.
4. Ignore Foods That Gives Gases
Some foods specifically, legumes, beans and lentils in addition to some high fiber whole grain foods produce gases in some people.
Even some fatty foods eaten empty stomach can cause gases.
You need to keep a diary to find out which food items are your main enemies for bloating. Avoid those food items and replace them with other food of similar nutritional value.
Completely avoiding these nutritional foods can lead to other health problems, so be sensible.
5. Do not EatChewing Gums
Some chewing gums contain sugar free sweeteners. These are generally considered good for people with diabetes but they may cause gases and bloating.
Avoid all kinds of chewing gums and stop consuming sugar free sweeteners, particularly if you are prone to bloating.
6. Stay Away from Constipation
Constipation is a "solid" cause of bloating. there are no gases in the stomach but you feel bloated.
If you eat more soluble fiber than you solve your constipation, but you end up getting gases and bloating as fiber is gas producing food. Therefore, if you are one of those who suffer from gas and bloating and also from constipation then you try to get rid of your constipation by increasing your physical activities and other methods of getting rid of constipation.
7. Eat Yogurt
Yogurt contains healthy bacteria counteracts the bacteria that produces gases in the stomach. Soadd yogurt in your meal plans.
Yogurt and other probiotic supplements will certainly help in getting rid of bloating and discomfort.