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You might have experienced it at some point: the “hard” stomach, the full to bursting sensation and the mild abdominal pain lurking just beneath the surface.

Sound familiar? These three are all tell-tale signs of the common post-meal mishap: bloating. Bloating is often described as a feeling of fullness – and not in a pleasant sense.

More often than not, people end up feeling bloated after eating too much food in one sitting. But don’t attempt to force it all out in the toilet. Believe it or not, some foods can help deflate a bloated stomach in no time.

Best foods to reduce bloating

Food might be the last thing on your mind during instances of bloating. But even if you’ve eaten enough to end up bloated in the first place, chances are you still have room to accommodate these anti-bloating foods:

1. Cucumber – Fresh, hydrating cucumbers help flush out the intestines and ease the passage of food that might have gotten stuck, causing gas and bloating.
2. Celery – Yet another hydrating superfood, celery can also help make food easier to pass through the intestines.
3. Pineapple – This sweet and refreshing tropical fruit contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps to break down protein and support digestion.
4. Yogurt – The beneficial microbes in yogurt, called probiotics, help your gut to better digest food and absorb nutrients. The result? Less gas and no bloating.
5. Kefir – Vegans and vegetarians can opt for kefir instead of yogurt as their main source of probiotics. Lactase, an enzyme in kefir, also helps to process sugars that cause bloating.
6. Asparagus – Thanks to an amino acid called asparagine, asparagus works as a powerful diuretic. This means that asparagus can flush out excess water that could lead to abdominal discomfort and bloating.
7. Bananas – Eat a banana before a meal. On top of its beneficial effects against water retention, eating a pre-meal banana helps to preempt bloating.
8. Tomatoes – Lycopene, the plant pigment responsible for tomatoes’ bright red color, can also reduce bloating. Plus, tomatoes’ high amounts of potassium can help reduce water retention fast.
9. Green tea – Treat a bloated stomach with a hot, soothing cup of green tea after a large meal. This herbal tea acts as a diuretic to get rid of that bloated look and feeling.
10. Avocado – Omega-3 fatty acids in avocados can treat abdominal discomfort due to bloating. Its rich potassium content also means it can help flush out excess sodium and water.
11. Quinoa – Bloating that occurs after eating pasta or rice is a tell-tale sign of gluten intolerance. For those sensitive to gluten in oats and other grains, consider eating pseudocereals like quinoa instead.
12. Turmeric – Thanks to curcumin, this popular golden spice can relax an upset stomach. For those with more serious bowel conditions, taking turmeric can help ease inflammation along the intestines.
13. Mint – This fragrant herb can do more than just eliminate odor-causing bacteria in the mouth. Menthol, the cooling substance in mint, can calm the intestines and ease stomachache due to bloating.
14. Ginger – Gingerol, a potent compound in ginger, helps to release gas trapped in the gut. Chewing fresh ginger can also ease bloating-induced abdominal pain or stomachaches.
15. Watermelon – Mouthwatering watermelon slices make for an ideal anti-bloating dessert. Its high water content helps to ease water retention and flush out excess sodium, both of which can cause bloating.

Tips for beating bloating

Bloating can be a nuisance if it keeps cropping up after meals. For some people, bloating could just be a matter of eating too much or not eating enough of the foods mentioned on the list above.

But others could have it a bit more complicated than that. If you belong to this latter category, it might be better to take a good hard look at your diet and determine the steps for reducing bloating from there.

Here are some tips for preventing bloating in the long run:

Do an elimination diet

Elimination diets are helpful for spotting foods that could be causing bloating. This is helpful for people that often get bloated despite not eating a huge amount of food.

This kind of bloating is often due to food allergies and intolerances that trigger other unpleasant abdominal problems like gas and constipation.

To do an elimination diet, cut back on foods that could be triggering the bloat, then add them back to meals one at a time. Watch for unpleasant gastrointestinal reactions and eliminate the foods responsible for them.

Cut back on garlic

Garlic boasts a long list of health benefits to its name. But it can cause discomfort in people with bowel disorders that render their gut a tad more sensitive to garlic’s active compounds.

Garlic also contains fructans, a kind of sugar molecule that can cause bloating. It can also overexcite gut bacteria. In people with food allergies, eating garlic can upset their stomachs and cause gas.

Limit FODMAPs

“FODMAPs” stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These are sugars that are fermented by gut bacteria when they reach the large intestine. This then produces gas as a result.

Some foods that contain FODMAPs include artichokes, garlic, onions, apples and grains. It’s best to consult a nutritionist before cutting back on foods that contain FODMAPs, as most of them are still nutrient-rich foods.

Jumpstart digestion

On top of making these small adjustments, drinking a tall glass of water first thing in the morning is a good tactic to jumpstarting digestion. This helps to “wake up” the gut so that it’s up and running before breakfast.

Bloating is often the result of eating too much food. For a quick fix, take a bite out of the anti-bloating foods on this list. But in the long run, it’s better to stop rushing through meals. Your food isn’t going to run away, after all.

Sources:

EatThis.com

MindBodyGreen.com