Hello friends! We had a special request to do our blog this week on remedies for bloating. So we thought we’d start off by asking–does food have you feeling bloated?  We have you covered!  Let’s see what tricks you can do to prevent and assist the body to relieve bloating and gas.

Bloating and Gas

There are a several reasons why you could be experiencing the feeling of bloating or gas in your system.  This could be due to food allergies, hormonal imbalance, thyroid imbalance, fluid retention, dehydration, poor gut health and more.  The feeling is uncomfortable and can be painful– everyone unfortunately experiences this.  The good news is that there are preventative measures that you can take to avoid feeling bloated.  There are also natural remedies that can help with bloating or gas!  Phew!  That’s good news!  First off, the type of food you eat greatly affects the risk of bloating.  There are also foods as well as herbs that can be highly beneficial to relieve bloating as well as gas.

Beneficial Food 

Here are a few foods that can help with bloating:

• Cucumber- This fruit, which is typically known as a vegetable, has electrolytes and vitamins that can help with preventing or easing bloating.  Slice some up and add them to your water to boost mineral content and drink it before you eat.  The skin of the cucumber is a good source of fiber, just make sure you go for organic if you plan to eat the whole cucumber.
• Celery- This herb, which is typically known as a vegetable, is a great digestive aid.  It is a diuretic which basically means it contains minerals that can help remove excess water/fluid from the body.  It can be really beneficial as a juice to help with bloating as well as other digestive related issues.  The Medical Medium was the first to make this juice a popular craze in the health and wellness market because of all it’s wonderful benefits.
• Papaya/Pineapple- Both of these fruits contain enzymes that help naturally break down proteins from food that can normally be hard to digest (more on this below).  Eat prior to any meal or on their own for a tasty healthy way of dealing with bloating.

Foods to Avoid

Not all foods that are considered “good” for you can be good, depending on what condition your body is in.  “Bad” foods should most definitely be avoided when you know your body is not in a proper state to digest them.  Balance the health of your body and if you DO decide to eat something (sparingly) that is considered bad, your body will be better equipped to digest it.  Another thing to consider is what foods you’re eating together in one meal.  Sometimes you don’t want to eat a carbohydrate with meat, especially if your feeling bloated.  Opt for a vegetable with your meat or try to limit or avoid meat all together until your bloating subsides.  Always eat fruit by itself or prior to a meal.  This can help avoid bloating in general.

Also, avoid sugary beverages with your meal.  This is a sure way of messing with your body’s natural digestive abilities as well as a great way to promote bloating.  If you absolutely need a dessert after you eat wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after your meal.  This will give your stomach time to properly digest your meal and will help avoid bloating as well as the chance of getting gas.  Here are some other foods to avoid:

• Cruciferous Vegetables- This is the family of vegetables that tend to have a lot of sulfur and fiber.  Both of these elements can increase your chance of bloating and gas or make the bloating and gas worse.  Hold off on them until bloating subsides or limit intake.  If you do decide to eat them–make sure they are lightly cooked before eating.  This group of vegetables include: broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower.
• Heavy Starch- Eating a lot of starch can cause bloating as well.  Try avoiding these foods until you feel the bloating or gas subsiding.  This includes potatoes, pasta, peas, and beans (legumes).

Beneficial Herbs for Bloating or Gas

Herbs can be greatly beneficial for bloating and gas!  Here are some of our favorites:

• Ginger-  This can be taken before a meal or after a meal to help ease or prevent bloating.  There are many options on how you take ginger– Drink some ginger tea, take in capsule form, or chew on fresh ginger.
• Fennel- This herb is fantastic for bloating and gas.  Drink as tea or try it in capsule form.  If you really love the licorice flavor take a spoon full of the fresh herb after a meal to help avoid possible gas or bloating.  This is a good herb to take after a heavy starch based meal.
• Chamomile-  The flavor and smell of chamomile is enough to sooth the whole body.  Drink a cup of this tea if you had a large meal and need to relax the belly and sooth bloating before rest.
• Peppermint- Another great herb to help sooth bloating and gas.  This can also be soothing as a tea or you can take it in a soft gel to help sooth the digestive system.

Supplements for Bloating and/or Gas

The good news is, there are many supplements to help ease or prevent bloating/gas.  A really easy way of preventing bloating is to take an enzyme with or after a meal.  Enzymes can help break down fats and proteins that would otherwise be hard to break down.  As we age the bodies ability to break down enzymes decreases, so this method is great for you well seasoned adults!  Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is another fantastic method to help relieve bloating.  Put a tablespoon of ACV in water and drink it before a meal or anytime you feel an uncomfortable feeling of bloating.  If you cannot handle the flavor try it in capsule form, Enzymedica has an ACV in capsule form available “with the mother” (the active component that makes it so potent).  Aloe Vera can be a great method to explore to help balance out digestive health.  Aloe Life has a Aloe Stomach Formula that has bloating relieving herbs in it as well!

Other things to consider when experiencing bloating is liver health.  When the liver gets overloaded then bloating can sometimes occur.  Look into liver supporting herbs and foods or liver cleanses.  This can be a great way to start the healing process of the digestive system.  Also, probiotics and/or fermented foods can help get the digestive track back in order and help prevent and assist the body to relieve bloating and gas.

Banish bloating and get rid of gas!  We hope this helps!

As always, do what you feel is best for YOUR body — if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor.  We are health ENTHUSIASTS not licensed practitioners.