Feeling Bloated? 5 Simple Tips to Reduce Bloating Quickly And Naturally

Being bloated can get extremely frustrating, especially when your clothes don’t fit the way they’re intended to! The last thing you want to be on your mind is your digestive symptoms. But in those moments, it may feel like it’s the only thing on your mind. It’s helpful to know why you’re bloated in the first place – it’s a lack of movement, inside and outside your body! The digestive tract is full of gasses and it’s a completely natural process. It’s when the stomach is too full due to overeating, these gasses are trapped and this leads to flatulence, cramping, excessive burping and bloating.Also Read – Watermelon Benefits: 7 Reasons to Add Tarbuz to Your Summer Diet

But if you are bloating regardless of what you eat, it’s not likely to be a food issue! You need to get to the root cause of why you’re always bloated. Focus on the root cause, not the symptom. Also Read – Weight Loss Diet Video: From Chickpeas to Dahi, Foods That Will Help You Lose Weight – Watch

Here are some tools and tips by Nutritionist and Chef Ishti Saluja for beating the bloat and finding relief from your digestive symptoms: Also Read – Weight Loss Tips: Is Rice Calorie-Dense or Low-Calorie? 5 Things You Should Know

1. Yoga while sitting on a chair: (pawanmuktasana): While sitting on a chair, keep your back straight. Bring one knee towards your chest and hold it there for a few seconds. Repeat with the other knee. Do this about 5 times. This speeds up peristalsis and releases the excess air in your digestive tract. You can do this lying down on the floor too, but for those who are working all day, this might be more helpful.
2. Go for a walk: Either in the house or even better – outside! A short walk about 30 minutes after a meal can help ease bloating.
3. Ginger: Chew a piece of ginger when you’re bloated. This helps release certain digestive enzymes that help break down food faster, easing bloating, cramping and heartburn.
4. Abdominal pressure massage: While standing, place your hands flat against your abdomen (fingers in the front, thumb towards the back). Breathe in to dilate the abdomen while at the same time pressing the hands against it as if trying to prevent it from dilating. Move your hands up and down quickly as you press down. It’s more effective when you apply pressure and then release suddenly Do this for about 3 minutes.
5. Keep some saunf (fennel) handy: Antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory in nature, saunf aids in proper fermentation of bacteria in the gut, hence relieving symptoms like bloating. You can chew it, or have it as a tea, or toast some fennel seeds and sprinkle it on your food.

In order to reduce bloating, pay attention to how you eat your meals. Slow down, chew well and make sure you’re not distracted while you eat. Control your stress levels. Eating while you’re stressed increases cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The body then redirects blood flow from the gut to other parts to focus on reducing stress, slowing down the entire digestion process, and leading to discomfort.