Bloating sucks, but it happens to most of us; especially right now, when food hybrids and iced lattes have become as trendy as iPhones. More than just making us look at little puffy and feeling tight on the jeans, bloating makes us feel uncomfortable no thanks to the excess gas and food in our digestive system. It makes us feel self-conscious and downright, swollen and we can’t always just chalk it up to the allergies!
Let’s explore what bloating is, and how you can eat it by eating the right superfoods!
What causes bloating?
You see it when you stand in front of a mirror, and you feel it on a late Sunday afternoon when all you did was binge-watch the latest Disney+ show along with your favourite buddy: popcorn. But what exactly is bloating and what causes it?
Bloating is the buildup of excess gas in the abdomen. Though there are many factors that can cause bloating, not to mention the dastardly female menstrual cycle, bloating is generally caused by the food you eat. We’re talking about food that leads to indigestion, swallowed air, and water retention.
If you’re already feeling bloated, you may want to lay off that bag of potato chips sitting in front of you or any other processed food with high levels of sodium. Consuming salt leaves your body to hold on to extra fluid that causes you to bloat.
Another enemy is sugar, dairy, and carbs. Eating too much sugar, carbs and dairy can be harder for your body to break down. (Hello, bagels and ice cream!)
But not to worry, we’re here to reverse all of that! It’s a good thing there are superfoods that you can easily slip into your everyday meals to alleviate you from feeling puffed-out! Here’s a list of the best foods to eat when you’re feeling bloated.
Crunchy Veggies
Veggies are great in general, but veggies with diuretic properties such as celery and fennel are particularly great for bloating. These help reduce the excess water that stays in your body. Try adding celery to your salad or to the next recipe your cooking. You can even eat it on its own as a snack (dipped on sour cream of course) if you’re up for it!
Ginger
Spice your meals with the anti-inflammatory properties of ginger that support your de-bloating goals. Ginger is so easy to incorporate into your meals. Grate it into your marinade, add it to your lemon water, or drink it as tea to relieve you of that excess gas!
Probiotic Yogurt
Yoghurt is filled with healthy bacteria that can help your digestive systems perform better for optimal carb and sugar break down. You can add them to your oatmeal breakfast, whisk it with your scrambled eggs or blend it with your fruit smoothies!
Super Fruits
There are tons of them! Papaya, watermelon, pineapples, berries, kiwis—these fruits are all rich in fibre, antioxidants, and digestion-promoting enzymes! Munching on these incredibly tasty fruits can help treat indigestion and improve bowel function!
Almonds
Loaded with protein, these super nuts make for great afternoon munchies and better yet, they deflate your tummies! Almonds contain carbs that are much easier to digest compared to nuts like pistachios and cashews.
Dark Chocolate
Even our guilty pleasure made its way to the list! Dark chocolate that’s made up of 70% cacao and over is full of fibre that can help flatten your stomachs. But don’t get carried away! A square or two a day is the recommended amount of intake.
Beat Bloating
In all honesty, bloating isn’t that much uncommon. It’s pretty much a universal experience that even the fittest Victoria Secret supermodels sometimes experience. Discomforting as it may be, it serves as a reminder for us to make healthier changes in our diets, i.e. we need to watch what we eat and dine responsibly. Skipping meals and using laxatives to de-bloat are simply not healthy options. There’s no better substitute than taking time out to stray from carbonated drinks, sugary food, and too much salt, and replace them with superfoods to improve your digestion. A little workout won’t hurt either!
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