Beat the bloat: bloating causes and remedies
Beat the bloat: bloating causes and remedies
There are plenty of symptoms we accept as part of life and bloating is generally one of them. But a bloated stomach is not something you have to live with or go without your favourite foods to avoid.
Bloating remedies that are simple, convenient and help you get rid of bloating without a lifestyle overhaul do exist. Want to know more? Keep reading.
What is bloating?
If you’ve ever finished a meal and felt the desperate urge to unbutton your jeans, you’ve likely experienced bloating. Bloating is a term used to describe the uncomfortable and swollen feeling in the abdomen. It occurs when excess gas builds up in the digestive system, causing a distended stomach.
Bloating causes a lot of discomfort and can be triggered by a number of factors. For women, it’s common around the menstrual cycle as hormones fluctuate and cause imbalances in the many microbiomes throughout the body, particularly in the gut.
While bloating is completely normal, persistent or significantly painful bloating may be a sign of underlying health issues in the gut or intestinal tract so it shouldn’t be ignored.
Bloating causes
Many factors can contribute to bloating. One of the most common, and one we’ve all experienced, is bloating after eating. Overeating, consuming certain foods that are hard to digest (such as beans or broccoli), eating or drinking too quickly, and even stress or anxiety can all result in a bloated belly. When we eat or drink, our bodies naturally produce gas as part of the digestion process. However, if this gas doesn't pass through burping or flatulence efficiently, it can accumulate causing a gassy stomach and intestines.
The result is a sensation of fullness and tightness in the belly, often accompanied by gassiness or even pain. While bloating is usually harmless and temporary, it can be really uncomfortable and it’s not something you have to put up with.
How to reduce bloating
If you’re seeking bloating relief, you firstly need to pay attention to what you eat. Avoid foods high in sodium and try incorporating more fibre-rich options into your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These will help regulate your digestive system and prevent constipation, a common cause of bloating.
Hydration is also key; drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps flush out excess salt and toxins from your body. Another tip is to take it easy on carbonated drinks like soda or sparkling water, as they can lead to gas build-up in the stomach.
Lastly, incorporating gentle exercises like walking or yoga into your routine can aid in digestion and alleviate bloating by stimulating bowel movements.
Bloating remedies
There are plenty of bloated stomach remedies that are easy to incorporate into your day-to-day life. Adopting healthy eating habits such as chewing food thoroughly, avoiding carbonated drinks, keeping stress levels under control, and incorporating regular physical activity into our lives can help reduce bloating.
For support that treats the root causes of bloating, look to probiotics. Probiotics for bloating help to improve the gut microbiome adding plenty of beneficial bacteria that restore balance to the gut flora. A supplement like Vida Glow’s Gut Pro is the most convenient option helping to support digestion, reduce bloating, and restore the gut microbiota. It contains a combination of powerful probiotic strains, including Lactobacillus plantarum, lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactobacillus reuteri. These strains have been specifically chosen for their ability to promote a healthy gut microbiome. In addition, Gut Pro includes ginger, gentian root, and cranberry, which have been shown to support digestive health and reduce inflammation in the gut.
By prioritising gut health and taking simple steps toward reducing it like a healthy diet, slow eating, light exercise and a high-quality probiotic supplement like Gut Pro, you can save yourself from daily discomfort. Good gut health leads to improved digestion, better immune function and improvements to your general health and wellbeing.
