Many women experience the feeling of a heavy, swollen stomach, which can even ruin their lives when it's too frequent. So how can you combat bloating and get rid of the "pregnant belly" effect after eating? We'll tell you everything, follow the guide!
What is bloating?
Abdominal bloating or aerogastria is the excessive presence of gas in the stomach that causes an increase in abdominal volume, giving the impression of a swollen stomach. This bloating results in gas, abdominal pain, and often appears with a feeling of heaviness in the stomach . When these unpleasant symptoms become too frequent, fighting bloating becomes essential!
What causes bloating?
Bloating is the result of indigestion that leads to excess gas in the intestines. Be careful, digestion can be difficult even after a healthy meal, since everyone has different sensitivities. It's therefore important to understand which foods or food combinations your intestines have difficulty digesting, to limit or eliminate them and thus effectively combat bloating .
5 Natural Tips Against Bloating
Bloating isn't inevitable. Some people think that this feeling after eating is normal, or due to their metabolism, and that there's little they can do about it. They're wrong! It's entirely possible to get rid of bloating by adopting, for example, new habits that are easy to implement in your daily life.
1 - Chew well to fight bloating
Digestion begins in the mouth with the secretion of saliva. Saliva contains an enzyme, salivary amylase, which breaks food molecules into smaller pieces. By chewing properly, the stomach has to work less, and digestion will be easier. In addition, chewing triggers the release of histamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that increases the feeling of satiety. Remember: your meal should last at least 20 minutes.
2 - Eat fruit outside of meals to avoid bloating
Fruit digestion is faster than food. When you eat fruit for dessert, it gets blocked by food, causing fermentation in the intestines and therefore bloating. Eat fruit as a snack during the day, or at least 2 hours after your meal.
3 - Make the right food combinations to fight bloating
Foods do not have the same composition, and combining certain foods together can make digestion more difficult for some people. Food dissociation can be a solution to ease the digestive system. Very simply, it involves not mixing proteins and starches on your plate. Eat fiber (vegetables and legumes) at all meals that you combine with either proteins or starches. It is important to note that digestion can vary from one person to another, and some people may feel better by avoiding mixing certain types of foods, while others have no particular problems with the combination of different nutrients in the same meal. So adapt this tip according to your feelings.
4 - Limit carbonated drinks to prevent bloating
Carbonated water and sodas clog the digestive tract, causing the walls of the intestine and stomach to stretch and therefore bloating.
5 - Avoid chewing gum to avoid bloating
When we chew gum, we ingest air into the digestive tract, which can lead to frequent bloating.
