Thread: Ways To Beat Stomach Bloating

According to Patricia Raymond, M.D., a gastroenterologist in Chesapeake, VA, bloating is caused by fluid retention especially before your time of the month. It might also be cause my excessive gas from something you ate or because you're constipated.

Here are the ways to beat bloating from redbookmag.com:


1. Eat Potassium-Rich Foods - Potassium helps regulate the fluid balance in your body. Some potassium-rich foods include mangoes, cantaloupe, nuts, asparagus tomatoes, bananas and spinach. They all contain asparagine that acts as a diuretic to flush excess liquid out of your system.

2. Avoid chewing gum, smoking, talking while eating and drinking through a straw since these will cause you to swallow excess air and feel bloated.

3. Don't eat starches like bread and pasta for dinner since they will cause you to retain water and feel puffy when you wake up the next day.

4. Drink plain water instead of carbonated drinks. Bubbles in carbonated drinks will make your belly pooch out.

5. Limit use of sugar substitute - Some people can't digest artificial sweeteners easily thus causing gas and diarrhea. If you're one of these people, use real sugar instead.

6. If you tend to bloat before your period, be sure to get enough (1,200 mg a day) and magnesium (200 - 400 mg daily) since they will help relieve PMS symptoms such as bloating.

7. Massage your abdomen - Dr. Patricia Raymond advise you massage your abdomen to evaluate gas. "Press your fingers near your right hip; slide up toward the ribs, across and down near your colon in a circular motion."

8. Add parsley to your meals. Parley is a natural diuretic to help you get rid of bloating.

9. Eat Probiotic foods - These good bacteria are found in cultured milk products such as yogurt or in supplements to help keep you bloat-free.

10. Walk - You can fight constipation by walking for 15 - 20 minutes each day



Source: Redbookmag - Remedies for Bloating

Excellent post! I'm one of those people who always swell up before my period. This really helps me a lot.

Thanks for sharing mikaela.. I hate it when I feel bloated and I usually just wait it out until I feel better. These are great tips..

I think we should also reduce salt in our diet since water retention sometimes makes us feel bloated especially before our period. I hate constipation and diarrhea. They make me feel really bloated and uncomfortable.. It feels like I gained weight or something.

Massage my abdomen? Will that really help? if I do have gas, i usually put hot blanket in my stomach.. It works for me.