Bloating can be a problem for people immediately after eating, as it can leave people feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious. This can be a particular problem after lunch, which is generally a time when you need to focus on the rest of your day, not be self-conscious about your body. There are some factors that can lead to bloating, so it order to stop it, it is necessary to change certain habits and routines.
Modify Your Diet
The first step to stopping bloating after lunch is to alter what you eat, as diet has a huge impact on the amount of bloating one might experience. A person with a high-fiber diet is less likely to experience bloating, so aim for whole grain instead of processed carbohydrates and other fiber-rich foods, such as oats, bran, and fruit.
In addition, there foods that trigger bloating, which should be eaten in small quantities and then over time eat more and more of them so your body has time to adjust to them. A few examples are beans, broccoli, onions, milk, and cabbage. In some cases you might need to completely cut the product out of your diet, but it is important to make sure you are still getting the vitamins and nutrients you need. However, each person's body reacts to different foods differently, so the most important thing is to work out what is causing your bloating and cut back on those foods. Read about the top 5 hidden anti-bloating foods.
Change How You Eat
As well as diet, the manner in which you eat will also affect gas buildup in the body, which causes bloating. Try eating smaller portions, eat only when you are hungry, and stop when you are full. Big portions will overload the digestive system, causing food to sit in the stomach and the digestive tract longer, releasing gas. In addition, eat more slowly - not only will this prevent you from overeating, but it also prevents you from swallowing air, which causes burping and bloating.
Drink Lots of Water
What you drink with your meals and throughout the day has the potential to cause or stop bloating. Fizzy drinks are the worst culprits, and are best avoided completely, as they contribute to gas buildup due to their carbonation. Water is the best thing to drink, and make sure you drink enough of it. Dehydration will cause the body to retain water, rather than letting it pass through the body, and this can lead to a temporarily bigger stomach.
Bloating is not a life-threatening condition, but it's nonetheless something people want to treat and avoid. By following the steps above, you should be able to stop bloating completely, or at the very least, drastically reduce it. Try to listen to the rhythms of your own body and alter eating and drinking habits accordingly in order to stop bloating.
Sources
- American College of Gastroenterology. (2014). Digestive Health Tips. Retrieved October 21, 2014, fromhttp://patients.gi.org/topics/digestive-health-tips/
- National Health Service UK. (2014). Beat the bloat. Retrieved October 21, 2014, from http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/digestive-health/Pages/beat-the-bloat.aspx
- National Institutes of Health. (2014). Gas - flatulence. Retrieved October 21, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003124.htm
- Northrup, C. (2006). The Wisdom of Menopause. New York: Bantam Dell.