5 Ways To Reduce Bloating & GI Issues
May 8, 2016 // Nutrition
There’s nothing worse than enjoying a nice meal only to deal with the aftermath of bloating, gas, and other GI-related issues.
Here are 5 ways to reduce (or eliminate) any unpleasant Gastrointestinal symptoms:
Lemon Juice
The acidity of lemons helps aid in the breakdown of the intolerable food. Certain vegetables and fibrous foods have such tough plant walls, it takes a lot of effort for the stomach to break apart these foods so they can be absorbed with the bloodstream. Ultimately, the stress on the stomach and GI tract can cause bloating and discomfort.
Remedy: Squeeze a fresh lemon on top of any foods that normally feel strenuous on your stomach. That’s it! (As an alternative, you can also drink 2 oz of Apple Cider Vinegar before a meal)
Fermented Foods
Bacteria is essential for optimal health, especially in the GI. Incorporating pre- and pro-biotic foods into your diet is a sure way to improve your digestion and immune systems.
Prebiotics
- Raw Garlic
- Raw Asparagus
- Cooked Onions
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Beans
- Bran
- Legumes
Probiotics
- Kefir
- Kombucha (my personal favorite)
- Yogurt
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Tempeh
- Anything “Pickled”
Remedy: Aim for at least one prebiotic and probiotic food into your daily routine. If this is unrealistic, consider picking up a probiotic supplement, such as EXOS Probiotics.
Chew More
Mastication. The process of chewing is essential to a healthy gastrointestinal function. Saliva carries enzymes, which already begin to break down food as soon as it enters your mouth. When you chew more, you not only allow the saliva to properly function, you also shrink the size of the food as it enters your stomach, which means less stress and work on your digestive system.
Remedy: Count to a minimum of 15 seconds before even beginning to set up the next bite.
Heat Your Food
Raw foods, or foods served cold, create an added stress on the GI system, since the body needs to heat up in order to begin the digestion and absorption processes. By heating up your food to a suitably warm temperature, you are essentially outsourcing one of the natural mechanisms of digestion.
Remedy: Use a grill, oven, or microwave to ensure your food is served warm.
Calm The F##! Down
My apologies for being blunt, however, this theme is of the utmost importance. Stress hormones, such as Cortisol and Adrenals Glands, have a direct influence over your digestive system. When you perceive a stress, and it remains there indefinitely, this chronic negativity causes the body to assume danger, and healths any future healthy weight loss. Your body has a reduced capacity for digestion, since it wants to keep you in the most ready-state for any physical challenges. A stressful environment is detrimental to your mental and physical health.
Remember, while you may not be able to control the problem, you can control your reaction.
Remedy: Take 5 minutes at your desk or while on your couch to activate your Diaphragmatic Breathing mechanism to surpress any stress hormones.