Feeling Bloated? 5 Ways To Improve Your Gut Health

Waking up feeling bloated can blow an entire day, from the frenzied search for something comfy to wear – jeans, pencils skirts and leggings are all out of the question - to the continued feelings of discomfort that can be tricky to erase.

Rather than curling up in a pair of your favorite sweatpants, however, there are some things you can do in order to erase bloat and promote a healthier digestive system.

1. Choose the right foods

According to the experts at Fitness magazine, bloating is often caused by foods that are difficult to digest, such as gluten for someone with celiac disease or dairy for someone with lactose intolerance.

“One of the main causes of bloating isn't how much you eat; it’s eating certain foods that are difficult for your stomach and intestines to digest,” said Sarasota, Fla.-based registered dietician Dr. Christine Gerbstadt. “These substances then pass into your colon, where bacteria feed on them, producing the gas bubbles that make your stomach swell up.” (Ref. 1)

Foods that can help relieve bloating, according to Redbook magazine, include bananas, cantaloupe, leafy greens, olive oil, high-fiber bread, artichokes, avocados, brown rice, oatmeal, lentils and kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage that’s a delicious staple in Asian cooking. Because kimchi – and other fermented foods such as sauerkraut – are packed with probiotics, they can help heal the gut and alleviate bloating.

Yogurt with probiotics can also help alleviate bloating by restoring the natural gut bacteria that protects against it. (Ref. 2)

Foods that can trigger bloating, on the other hand, in addition to dairy and gluten, include sugar and refined salt. (Ref. 3)

The body thrives on foods that are mostly alkaline, but dairy, gluten, salt and sugar are mostly acidic, triggering water retention that causes bloating and prevents the release of toxins, which can leave you feeling sluggish.

To ease symptoms, choose soy, almond or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, eat ancient grains such as quinoa and millet in place of gluten, season foods with spices and fresh herbs instead of salt and banish foods with sugar from your diet, using the all-natural sweetener stevia, instead.

2. Cut back on diet sodas

While sugar is a big bloating trigger, artificial sweeteners such as those found in diet sodas – and low-calorie counterparts including candy and gum – are just as problematic. Many of them contain the sweetener sorbitol, which is notorious for causing bloating because it can’t be digested.

According to one study, when those who experienced chronic abdominal bloating erase sorbitol from their diets, almost half saw their systems disappear. (Ref. 1)

Since carbonation has also been linked to bloating, skipping soda altogether and choosing water mixed with lemon to punch up the flavor profile and add a splash of vitamin C can be a much healthier option.

3. Exercise

Taking a walk after you eat can make a big difference when it comes to bloating.

According to 2006 study that appeared in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, those who exercised regularly experienced less gas and bloating than those who were more sedentary.

The test compared the results of both an exercise group and a control group, and found that moderate intensity exercise such as walking, biking and swimming three times per week can help reduce the symptoms of those who experience chronic bloating. (Ref. 3)

4. Combine the right foods

Bloating often is the result of a long digestive process caused by mixing the wrong foods during meals, according to some experts.

Because foods digest at different rates, pairing foods that digest quickly with foods that take longer to digest can cause the digestive process to take longer than it should, potentially triggering bloating, gas and constipation.

Examples of unhealthy combinations including animal protein combined with starches such as grains and bread. While the animal protein takes four to five hours to digest, the grain takes three to four hours. While you would naturally think that the total digestive time would be about five hours, in reality, the time it takes to digest the two food groups is seven or eight hours, since both foods require different enzymes to break them down. (Ref. 2)

A smarter move is to separate proteins and starches, and pair both with vegetables, instead.

5. Add a supplement

Our Kiwi-Klenz is designed to help support and maintain healthy digestion.

Made exclusively from kiwifruit, Kiwi-Klenz contains prebiotics to help support healthy gut flora and digestive enzymes. (Ref. 4)

References:

1. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/expert-advice/quick-answers/beat-belly-bloat/
2. http://www.redbookmag.com/health-wellness/advice/foods-that-reduce-bloating#slide-1
3. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1816/6-Tips-to-Banish-Bloating-Get-a-Flatter-Belly-Fast.html
4. http://www.xtend-life.com/supplements/specialty-products/kiwi-klenz