How to avoid belly bloat

Possible causes include irritable bowel syndrome (when nerves linked to your bowel are too active), acid reflux (which irritates your esophagus, the tube between your throat and stomach), and hemorrhoids. Talk to your doctor if you think you have gas often.

Swallowing air and bloating

Try not to swallow too much air. Do not talk and eat at the same time, sit down to eat (sitting upright and not slumped over), reduce the amount of fizzy drinks you consume, stop chewing gum and chew with your mouth closed so that you’re not taking in excess air.

Try it first: Cardio

Whether a nice long walk, a brisk jog, a bike ride, or even a jaunt on the elliptical, cardio will help deflate your bloat. Physical activity such as this will help expel gas that causes pain and help move digestion along.

Flavor it with lemon, lime, or cucumber if you find water boring, Gans says. In fact, lemon water may be the best bloating remedy of all since lemon is a natural diuretic.

Conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome can all cause bloating. Acid reflux, and the medications to treat it, can cause bloating and a feeling of increased gas in the abdomen, leading to belching.

DO: Eat Plenty of Fiber

Fiber helps keep you regular. Horton says, “Don’t ramp up your fiber intake too fast, because you’ll end up with more bloating. Reach for whole grains, raspberries, and avocados for a fiber boost that won’t make you feel like a balloon.”

Instead, drink water flavored with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Or just reduce the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day. Try some peppermint tea for a soothing beverage that may help reduce bloat.

“Although it might sound counterintuitive to drink more water when retaining water, drinking water can actually help reduce bloat. Drinking plenty of water helps to naturally flush our systems of excess water and sodium that we might retain,” says Haber.

Drink a bottle of water about an hour before each meal to hold off thirst while you’re eating. At and around mealtimes, drink just enough to help your food go down. Drink in small sips, not large gulps, which can dilute your stomach acids, along with adding more air into your digestive system.

Coca-Cola might rot your teeth and load your body with sugar and calories, but it’s actually an effective and safe first line of treatment for some stomach blockages, researchers say.

Coffee can cause temporary bloating.

Black coffee is acidic and can irritate the stomach, causing immediate swelling, according to Women’s Health.

Bloating occurs due to water retention, which, like many other PMS symptoms, is caused by hormonal changes. Weight gain may be associated with other PMS symptoms, such as: water retention, which can slightly increase your weight (“water weight”)

Greasy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken, cheeseburgers, onion rings and french fries can make you feel bloated as they linger in your stomach. Indigestion results from eating high-fat foods (or just eating in excess overall), Vanderwall says. Excess salt or sodium.