Bloating doesn’t only feel awful, but it can also be very embarrassing. Whether you have a meeting, an interview, or even a photoshoot, it’s never fun to stare at yourself in the mirror, trying to figure out how to hide it with clothes or zipping up your favorite pair of jeans that give you confidence. 

These simple tricks and tips will help you reduce bloating and avoid waking up in the morning to a bloated stomach.

Use probiotics for bloating

I’m sure you’ve heard of the hype regarding probiotics, the live microorganisms that increase the number of healthy bacteria in your gut, and the benefits that it has. 

Introduce probiotics to your diet but avoid supplements as some of them can cause bloat and gas. Some of the popular food that has probiotics is cultured food such as yogurt and kefir, and fermented food such as kimchi and kombucha. It’s important to note that you should watch for the amount of added sugar in probiotics, as it can be bad for GI health.

Drink a lot of water

We’ve been told this regarding everything related to health, and it’s for a good reason. The benefits of drinking water are endless, and it’s especially helpful when it comes to gut health and bloating. Studies have shown that drinking a lot of water helps by reducing gas and constipation through softening your stools. Now, get yourself a massive jug and fill it up with water!

Watch what you’re eating.

Plenty of food can cause issues for your body, including bloat. Watch how much salty meals you’re eating as the sodium can cause bloat through your kidney retaining water. Increase the amount of potassium in your diet by adding banana, oranges, or strawberries to help the kidney to get rid of salt. 

The kinds of nuts you eat can also have an impact on your gut health. Eat almonds, walnuts, or pecans instead of pistachio and cashews, and yes, that includes your non-dairy cashews milk. Swapping or mixing the healthy brown rice with white rice is also better and gentler for your stomach to digest and reduce bloat.

Stop sipping on carbonated drinks.

Sorry to break in the bad news, but carbonated drinks do not help with bloat. There’s a popular myth that carbonated drinks have benefits and can decrease bloating, but that is not true. Studies have shown that drinking sparkling water and carbonated drinks regardless of its zero sugar and zero calories will still cause bloat by trapping air in your GI tract.

Don’t forget to exercise.

Let your colon and your heart push your body to get rid of the bloat. Exercising, even a simple short walk, will help your colon to get rid of stools in your body, which will release the trapped gas. Your heart will also increase the blood flow in your body, and your gut will do its best to work faster on getting rid of the salty meal or the French fries you had for dinner.