To reduce bloating and improve digestion, know that a puffy belly isn’t just about appearances—it can cause tummy aches, gas (like burps or farts), and odd gut grumbles.
Around one in three people face bloating, from a slight swell to a big balloon. For some, it pops up and vanishes quickly, but others always battle it. The key to beating it is finding what sets it off—still stumped? No problem! There are simple hacks to stop bloating before it starts.
Common causes of bloating
Bloating happens when your tummy’s pipes—called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—get filled up with air or gas. Here’s why it might bloat up:
Fluid retention: Triggered by hormone shifts and your monthly period.
Food sensitivities or intolerance: When your tummy has a hard time breaking down what you eat.
Digestive disorders: Gut troubles like acid reflux (GERD), Crohn’s, or twitchy bowels (IBS).
Lifestyle habits: Everyday things like chomping gum, sipping through straws, or rushing meals.
How can you Bloating and Improve Digestion?
Check out these eight easy tweaks to your daily life and eats to keep bloating away:
1. Get moving
Getting active is a great way to keep bloating at bay. For one, it chills you out—stress can mess with your tummy big time. Plus, moving keeps bloating from even starting.
Taking a stroll or doing a little wiggle after you eat helps push out stuck gas before it turns into a big bloat. Studies say just 10 minutes of walking—or about 1,000 steps—after a meal beats medicine at cutting down gas and bloating.
2. Eat mindfully
Switching up how you eat can make your tummy happier. Take your time munching and skip the chit-chat while chewing—it cuts down on the air you gulp with your bites.
If you feel bloated from eating too much, try smaller meals more often. Your belly might handle little portions better than big ones all at once.
3. Stop swallowing excess air
It’s normal to swallow a bit of air when you eat or sip something. But too much air can get stuck in your tummy and puff it up.
You can dodge that extra air by ditching three simple habits:
Chewing gum—it’s often packed with sugars your gut doesn’t like.
Fizzy drinks—those bubbles are gas waiting to bloat you.
Straws—they suck in air that ends up in your belly.
4. Avoid gassy foods
Some foods are tough for your tummy to break down, leaving you with gas, a stuck feeling, or a puffed-up belly. Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are big culprits.
Lots of these gassy eats—like whole grains and certain veggies—have natural sugars your gut struggles with, like:
- Fructose—hides in processed stuff and veggies like onions and asparagus.
- Raffinose—Pops up in beans and whole-grain goodies.
- Sorbitol—in sugar-free treats and fruits like apples, peaches, pears, and prunes.
Peek at food labels on packaged stuff to dodge these sneaky sugars!
5. Closely manage your fiber intake
Experts say grown-ups should aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat. Fiber’s a champ at keeping your tummy moving smoothly, which can stop gas and bloating from crashing the party.
But here’s the catch—your body doesn’t break fiberdown, and that can make some gas. Pile on too much too fast, and boom, you’re bloated.
To enjoy fiber without the bloat, try these tricks:
Mix it with carbs—studies show that pairing fiber with carbs (like bread or rice) beats mixing it with protein (like meat) to dodge bloating by 40%.
Go easy on gassy fiber—stuff like beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits make more gas than the less gassy kind, like wheat bran or veggies.
Add it slowly—bump up your fiber bit by bit so your tummy can get used to it.
Drink up—water teams up with fiber to keep things flowing in your gut.
6. Stop smoking
Studies say lighting up can mess with your tummy, bringing on bloating, constipation, and belly aches. Plus, it ups your odds of stuff like acid reflux (GERD), Crohn’s, pancreatitis, and even gut cancers that puff you up.
Heads up, though—quitting might make your belly feel funny at first. Research shows that ditching nicotine can shake up how your tummy works, slowing things down and leaving you bloated or plugged up. Chat with your family doc to ease through those bumps till your gut gets back on track.
7. Eat whole foods
What you eat can shake up your gut crew—the tiny bugs living in your tummy that help you digest stuff, stay healthy, and keep hormones in check.
When these little helpers get out of whack (something called “dysbiosis”), you might end up with gas, bloating, belly aches, or weird bathroom trips.
Whole foods—like fruits, veggies, and grains straight from nature with barely any tinkering—keep your gut crew happy and balanced.
They’re packed with goodies like fiber, prebiotics, vitamins, and minerals that your tummy loves, without the junky sugars or fake stuff in processed foods that can rile things up and mess with your digestion.
8. Stay hydrated
Your tummy needs water to work right. It breaks down your food, wakes up digestion helpers, and carries good stuff to your body’s cells. Water also keeps your gut’s tiny bug team balanced and helps kick out nasty germs fast.
If you skimp on water, your digestion can drag, and you might feel plugged up, bloated, gassy, or get tummy cramps.
What to Eat to Relieve Bloating Fast
Many foods can help reduce bloating by keeping your digestion regular, preventing water retention, and improving gut health.
Bloating is a common issue that usually happens due to constipation or too much gas in the stomach.
What you eat and drink plays a big role in how bloated you feel and can impact other digestive problems as well.
Here are 10 foods and drinks that may help with bloating.
1. Avocados
Avocados are like little green powerhouses! They’re loaded with good stuff like folate and vitamins C and K to keep you feeling great.
They’ve got potassium too, which helps your body balance water and salt so you don’t puff up with bloating. Plus, they’re packed with fiber that takes its time moving through your tummy, keeping things regular and stopping constipation or that bloated feeling.
2. Yogurt
Yogurt’s full of probiotics—those friendly little bugs that keep your tummy happy and healthy.
Studies say these good guys can cut down bloating and that puffed-up feeling from IBS, a gut problem lots of folks have. They might also help your poop come out easier and more regular, which can kick bloating to the curb!
3. Berries
Berries—think strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries—are tiny bursts of goodness! They’re loaded with antioxidants, special plant stuff, vitamins, and minerals that do your body good.
A 2023 study says the plant magic in berries can ease IBS troubles like bloating by calming your gut and keeping it happy. Plus, their fiber helps shrink gas and flush out extra water, waving bye-bye to that bloated feeling!
4. Celery
Celery’s a crunchy veggie that’s mostly water—about 95% – so it’s super hydrating!
It’s got mannitol, a kind of sugar that softens your poop by tugging water into your gut, keeping things moving and easing bloating or constipation. Plus, the root acts like a natural water-chaser, helping your body pee out extra water and salt to shrink that puffy feeling.
5. Ginger
Ginger is a spicy herb that’s awesome at calming tummy troubles.
Studies say it can speed up how fast your stomach clears out food, stopping bloating and that stuffed feeling in its tracks!
6. Oats
Starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal can chase bloating away!
A half cup gives you 4 grams of fiber—the kind that cuts down gut gas and keeps your bathroom trips smooth and regular. Stick to plain, steel-cut oats instead of the sugary stuff for the best tummy help.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is that golden spice you toss into curries, soups, or sides to make ‘em pop!
It’s got curcumin, a magic bit that fights swelling in your body. Studies say it can cheer up your gut and ease IBS woes like gas, bloating, and constipation.
8. Pineapple
Pineapples are a juicy tropical treat packed with vitamin C, manganese, and B vitamins in every bite.
It’s got bromelain too—a special helper folks have used forever to fix tummy troubles and kick bloating, heartburn, and indigestion to the curb!
9. Green Tea
Green tea’s loaded with antioxidants—like a superhero called EGCG—that zap nasty stuff in your body and cool down swelling.
Studies say its powers can ease bloating from grumpy gut issues like IBD. Plus, a bit of caffeine perks up your tummy’s moves and acts like a gentle push to keep things regular!
10. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea’s a cozy herbal sip folks love for fixing tummy troubles.
The oil from peppermint has been shown to calm swelling and help with IBS symptoms like belly aches, constipation, and bloating. It might even stop tummy and gut twitches that puff you up!
But heads up—experts still need to figure out if the tea works as well as the oil.
When to Be Concerned
Most times, a little gas or tummy grumble isn’t a big deal—you can fix it with stuff from the store or by tweaking how you eat. But if it’s happening more often, hurting worse, or popping up in new spots, it’s time to see a doc. Especially if you’re losing weight, having diarrhea, throwing up, or feeling heartburn along with it.
