Squirrel looks like puffer fish
10th November 2012
Health and Wellness

Feeling bloated? Here’s why! Plus, what you can do…

Lately I’ve been feeling a bit bloated, and it is not just uncomfortable, but annoying. I would like to feel less puffy, and my tummy would like to feel more comfortable… Are you feeling the same way?

Squirrel looks like puffer fish

The thing is, I am not alone!  People in our society are becoming bloated more often than not (it isn’t just around the holiday season when we all tend to overeat).  Why?  From my research on the web, the food we are consuming and how we eat our food play a big part in how bloated we feel.

The only benefit I can see for all of that extra air in your tummy is that it may help you stay afloat in a pool or ocean. Yet, don’t quote me on it!

If you have been bloated lately, you may be doing one of five things:

  1. Eating too much fatty food
  2. Eating too large a meal
  3. Eating too quickly
  4. Swallowing too much air when you are eating
  5. Eating foods that encourage bloating like beans or cabbage or foods that are just hard to digest.

And just to be sure you can figure out exactly what you are eating that may be causing this, here is a list of foods that are prone to causing bloating.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=MaxyCp0vfqc[/youtube]

Another thing to do to reduce bloating in your stomach is to lessen your salt intake and any heavily processed foods that take forever to break down in your stomach. Fried foods and spicy foods can irritate your tummy, so you may want to cut back on them as well. If you drink a lot of pop or soda, the carbonation may just be the bloating culprit.  Or, if you are a gum chewer, all the air you are swallowing could be to blame. Some sweeteners on the market may be very hard to digest as well; opt for honey over sugar substitutes.  Not enough water, fibre, and exercise in a day can increase your risk of constipation as well as leaving you bloated.

Now lets add to the fun and be sure we know what food will help us kick the bloat! Here is a list of foods that will not make you bloated.  I was surprised at the list, and maybe you will be, too.

 

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