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Is the holiday season causing you to overindulge? It happens, and you could feel like your stomach is expanding at the end of your Christmas supper. Don't panic if practising portion control wasn't part of your approach and your tummy has now tripled in size. Your stomach hasn't inflated all that much. It's more than likely simply gas, caused by an excess of air or gas in the gastrointestinal tract. Carbohydrates are broken down and their fibre is fermented when we eat, releasing gas that swells and can cause bloating. As unpleasant as it is, it is often not causing concern. Bloating is usually not a sign of anything significant, especially if it only occurs after heavy meals. If you have regular bloating, it is usually a good idea to consult with a doctor or a dietician to discover the root reason and rule out any underlying medical concerns. Even routine bloating can be aggravating. The good news is that you don't have to sit around in discomfort and wait it out. Follow these seven fast techniques to get rid of bloating and go back to enjoying the holidays.
1. Don’t arrive at a party hungry
Eating regularly throughout the day can assist you to avoid overeating at the party. Waiting too long between meals until you're starving can sometimes lead to eating too quickly and too much, which can cause bloating. Instead of storing all of your calories for a big meal, she recommends eating small meals and snacks throughout the day to help digestion. Watch out for foods that can cause bloating, such as consuming a lot of cruciferous vegetables in one sitting, eating more fibre than you normally would without gaining weight, or eating meals high in fat, sodium, and added sugar.
2. Jump on green leafy veggies
Vegetables having a high water content, such as spinach, kale, bok choy, asparagus, and chard, are also low in calories and abundant in vitamins, minerals, and fibre. While eating veggies on a regular basis is a fantastic method to increase fibre in the diet. The greatest strategy to encourage good bowel movements and avoid bloat is to gradually increase fibre consumption. If you rapidly increase your vegetable intake without adjusting to an increased fibre intake, you may experience more bloating. Also, if you do not increase your water intake as you increase your fibre intake, you may get bloating and constipation.
3. Stay hydrated
When you feel like your stomach is about to explode, the last thing you want to do is drink water. However, being hydrated is critical for reducing bloating. It keeps your digestive tract moving smoothly, which is necessary for regular bowel movements — and constipation and bloating frequently go hand in hand.
4. Reduce alcohol
You may be tempted to have another drink after supper, but this will not assist your large stomach. Alcohol can cause digestion to delay and water retention to increase. Alcohol causes you to urinate more frequently at first, and it might eventually dehydrate your body. Dehydration causes the body to hold on to water, resulting in that puffy-belly feeling. So, for the time being, forego the post-meal cocktail (or just have one). Finally, if you want to keep tummy bloat to a minimum, stick to water.
5. Sip on some tea
To relieve stomach bloating, drink peppermint, ginger, or fennel tea. These teas have various characteristics that may help to calm the digestive tract and alleviate bloating and gas. Peppermint can assist with bloating because it relaxes the muscles involved in the passage of unpleasant gas. However, if you have a gastric reflux illness or a hiatal hernia, you should avoid drinking peppermint tea since it may induce stomach acids to retreat up the oesophagus.
