Big Event Tonight but Sporting a Bloated Belly? Deflate with These 22 Tips

Just because you don’t notice a problem it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there or that there will be no consequences if we do nothing about it.

Bloating, or water retention doesn’t have straightforward symptoms, and that’s why we sometimes fail to realize that we are suffering from dehydration.

As we focus on our daily tasks, we allow this condition to worsen until we can no longer ignore the symptoms and by that time, we already suffer from heart palpitations, irritability, headaches, and dizziness.

What Causes Bloating?
Understanding that the causes can sometimes be severe is only the first step of giving bloating or water retention the attention it deserves. In the worst-case scenario, we might be suffering from kidney disease, hormonal imbalances or cardiovascular diseases.

In most cases, the causes are not that severe, and the root of this particular evil is dehydration, which fortunately has a straightforward and convenient solution.

What matters is to take action as soon as we realize that we suffer from bloating and follow through with the plan until we are confident that these symptoms have vanished completely.

• Swallowed Air: When swallowed air is not expelled, it passes through the digestive tract and is released as a ‘fart.’ If you excessively swallow air, you may suffer hiccups. Chewing gum and smoking can cause some people to inhale more air than expected. Also, avoid talking while chewing your food.
• Constipation: Some people (including younger kids) suffer bloating as a result of constipation.
• Medication: Bloating and gas is a side effect of some prescription and over-the-counter medications, including dietary supplements [1]. For example, calcium supplements have been known to cause gas in some people.
• Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions can cause bloating, including an obstructed bowel and Crohn’s disease.
• Hormone Levels: Changes in hormone levels can cause bloating, which commonly affects women, especially when it comes to their menstrual cycle. Right before they experience a ‘period,’ the body often retains fluid.

Symptoms of bloating include excessive gas production, expanded stomach, a stomach that feels ‘hard,’ passing gas with an unpleasant smell, general discomfort, abdominal pain, and changes in gut size.

Bloating Home Remedies
To alleviate discomfort and soothe the abdominal region, consider some of the following home remedies for bloating:

① Water
It may sound strange, but you may need to drink more water to solve the problem of fluid retention. Drinking at least eight glasses of water per day can help prevent and treat a case of bloating.

When you drink more water, you’ll urinate more and pass more salt from your body. Put 2 quarts of water in the fridge every morning and try to finish the pitcher by the end of the day.

② Fennel Seeds
Chew on a few fennel seeds or sip a hot fennel and mint tea. Prepare fennel tea by crushing one teaspoon of fennel seed and adding it to one cup of water in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, and cover and steep it for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and strain. A traditional dose of fennel tea is about two to three cups daily.

③ Peppermint Tea
Sip a cup of peppermint tea to ease symptoms of bloating, as peppermint helps relax the muscles and allows painful digestive gas to pass [2].

④ Clove Oil
It is thought that clove can relax the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract. A cup of clove tea can provide relief from gas and bloating.

⑤ Adjust your Salt-Potassium Balance

Keep sodium intake under 2,400 milligrams a day. Most of the sodium in your diet doesn’t come from the saltshaker, but from processed foods like soups, sauces and packaged snacks.

⑥ Dandelion Tea
Drink 2 to 4 cups of dandelion tea daily. Dandelion leaf is a natural diuretic, allowing your kidney to drain away more water. The herb is also a rich source of potassium. T make a tea, add 1 1/2 tbsp dried dandelion (available at health stores) to 1 quart of water and boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, strain and let it cool before drinking.

⑦ Turmeric
The spice turmeric is known to have an anti-inflammatory qualities, may have the power to inhibit water retention, according to research in China. Use it liberally in your cooking. Or you can drink it by adding 1 tbsp turmeric powder to a boiling water and let it steep for 2 minutes. Drink slowly.

⑧ Yoga
Some yoga positions have proven helpful for relieving gas. Try lying on your back, while folding your knees close to your stomach. Hold on tightly with your hands.

⑨ Tea
Certain kinds of tea can help relieve gas, such as chamomile tea. Other selections that are beneficial for someone fighting bloat include peppermint and ginger.

⑩ Light Exercise
To relieve bloating, get your system moving with a good workout session. Try popping in an aerobics DVD, doing a few jumping jacks, or hitting the treadmill to help ease a gassy, bloated feeling.

If you have swollen lower legs and feet, when you get home from work, lie down on a couch and lift your legs, so they’re higher than the level of your heart.

Excess fluid stored in your legs will work its way back into your bloodstream, travels to the kidneys and pass from your body in urine. Keep your feet up for an hour or two daily if possible.

⑪ Get More Potassium
Aim for 5,000 milligrams a day of potassium if you are retaining water. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that are high in potassium such as bananas, avocados, and citrus fruits. One large banana has more than 500 milligrams and avocado has more than 1,000 milligrams.

⑫ Be Careful with Dairy
If you are lactose intolerant, beware of hidden dairy, which can cause bloating.

⑬ Avoid Certain Vegetables
Veggies that belong in the cabbage and onion family should be avoided when you suffer from bloating. This includes garlic and broccoli.

⑭ Avoid Seeds
When eating fruits and vegetables, choose produce that is seedless. Peel the skins if you are bloated. For tomatoes, strain out the seeds.

⑮ Fennel Seeds
Ease symptoms of bloating and gas by adding one teaspoon of teaspoon of fennel seeds to a cup of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, and then drink. Some people chew fennel seeds after eating a meal to aid in digestion.

⑯ Basil Leaves
Chewing fresh basil leaves can alleviate heartburn symptoms, as well as sooth nausea associated with bloating.

⑰ Bay Leaves
Place a bay leaf in a cup of boiling water to treat bloating symptoms. Let the liquid sit for at least five minutes, and then drink the concoction in one sitting. Avoid lying down for at least one hour after drinking the remedy. Gas is alleviated when you stay in an upright position.

⑱ Ginger Tea
To treat the symptoms of bloating, sip a cup of ginger tea to soothe the digestive system.

⑲ Cinnamon
Drink boiled water with an added one teaspoon of ground cinnamon to ease bloating.

⑳ Be Aware of Sugarless Products
The natural sugar sorbitol that is found in diet sodas, sugarless gums and sugar-free candies is hard to digest – increasing your chances of suffering gas and bloating.

⑴ Chocolate Danger
When fighting bloat, do not reach for chocolate (which contains both gas-producing dairy and sugar) to comfort yourself – it could only worsen your symptoms.

⑵ Take a Walk
To eliminate excess gas from your system, go for a walk to help ease your symptoms of bloating.

How to Beat Menstrual Bloating
If you have problems with fluid retention before menstruation, take a daily dose of 200 milligrams of vitamin B6 during the five days before your period.

The vitamin is a diuretic, which means it helps to get rid of more urine (therefore lowering your body’s water supply). It also helps balance a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels.

Doctors advise not to take over 50 milligrams a day long-term since excessive B6 can cause nerve problems. To increase your intake throughout the month, eat more spinach, poultry, and bananas.