Bloating! What can I do?

Have you ever felt heavy after a meal? I bet you have felt abdominal distention at least once before.  When your tummy gets so big and you can barely buckle your jeans and what's worse is the excess gases you may have with or without the bothering odors when you neglect the healthy lifestyle so needed by our body!

The quantity of gases produced by certain foods varies from person to person. The only way to discover and identify specific foods causing you the bloating is to note down in a diary the type of foods you are eating, the quantity, and the level of bloating you feel after! Below I introduced a set of foods known to cause abdominal swelling to jump start your task. 

Don’t eat the foods listed below for many weeks or until you are relieved from the bloating. Maybe later you could re-introduce those foods one by one in small quantities, and check if it still causes bloating. Then, wait a few days before trying another food. It is important to note that sometimes what causes bloating in you doesn’t cause bloating in someone else and that’s why it is so important to be careful and write down what of the following foods or drinks are bothering you.

So here they are - Foods that might cause you discomfort: 

• Salt
• Excess carbohydrates (bread, potato, pastas, corn),  
• Raw vegetables like cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onion, parsley, bell peppers, cucumber, radishes)
• Beans, lentils,
• Chewing gum (even the sugar-free ones as they contain sugar alcohols)
• High acidic foods like citrus fruits, sugar alcohols like mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol
• Fried foods
• Gaseous drinks like soft drink and beer
• Spicy foods (mustard, chilli, nutmeg … )
• Pastries
• Milk, cheese, cream, sauces made from cream, ice cream
• Alcohol, tea, coffee
• Fatty meat
• Sweets
• Fruits like apple, banana, melon, watermelon,
• Big quantity of foods containing wheat

Now what are the foods that can help relieve you from bloating? 

• Yogurt with probiotics
• Milk without lactose
• Fish and chicken without the skin, eggs, low-fat meat (not very cooked and not raw)
• Peeled tomato without the seeds
• Cooked vegetables/ green leaves. If you want to eat them raw, cut them in small pieces with your hands (not with a knive to avoid losing vitamins and minerals)

And what are the extra things you can do to feel better?

• Take your time during eating. Chew well when you eat and don’t use a straw when drinking so you avoid swallowing air with food.
• Use little oil, garlic and salt when cooking.
• If you want to eat beans you have to boil them in water for 3 minutes, then take them of the heater and leave them them soaked for 2 hours. Afterwards, replace the water with water at room temperature for another 2 hours. Do the same thing again but this time leave them overnight. The next day drain the water and cook them with laurel leaf, ginger and garlic for 75 to 90 min.
• Eat small but frequent meals every 4 hours
• Have a light diner
• Have herbal teas like mint, fennel, and chamomile
• Try not to eat and drink at the same time
• Exercise
• Manage to de-stress by Praying, doing relaxation massages and taking life easily.

I hope you already feel better after this reading this! ;)