Bloating is when you feel your stomach expanding often accompanied by bouts of wind. This can be a common occurrence for people who are sensitive to eating certain food products and have difficulty with digestion. Here are some of the main food products to avoid for those with weak digestive systems and who are prone to bloating.
The foods you shouldn’t eat
1) Full fat milk
Regularly consuming dairy products can bring on bloating and intestinal gases. What’s more digesting lactose is often more difficult for adults. After having passed through the intestines, lactose ferments in the colon resulting in bloating and gas.
To avoid this, try and limit the amount of dairy products you consume, especially, full fat milk, cream cheese and blue cheese. Instead choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and pasteurized cheeses.
2) Fizzy drinks
These drinks contain gases which can clog up the digestive tract and cause the stomach to swell and produce intestinal gas. To avoid bloating try not to drink fizzy drinks too often.
3) Sugary foods
Foods rich in sugar contain fructose. This sugar is known for increasing the production of intestinal gas and bringing about bloating.
Avoid foods rich in fructose like industrial sugary products or even naturally sugary products like jam, caramel, fruit juices or fruit pastes. However don’t cut out fruit from your diet as they are rich in vitamins and minerals!
4) Cured or raw food
Bloating can be caused by eating raw vegetables or cured meat or fish. Mixing raw or cured food with cooked food products is better to improve digestion.
5) Sweeteners
The stomach does not digest sweeteners like aspartame, polyol or sorbitol as easily. They ferment in the intestines and can bring on bouts of wind and bloating. It is better to avoid “light” products like yogurts or sweets with no added sugar as they will be more difficult to digest.
6) Chewing-gum
Chewing gum blocks air in the digestive tract and can cause the stomach to bloat. What’s more, chewing gum contains a lot of sweeteners, which makes it even more important to avoid!
7) Fatty foods
Food products rich in vegetable or animal fat are difficult to digest if they are eaten in large quantities or too regularly. This can also bring on a bloated stomach and uncomfortable flatulence. Limit the amount of oil, butter, meat, cured meat or industrially produced products like biscuits, crisps, pizzas or burgers that you eat.
The foods you should eat
1) Pulses and cereals
Eating pulses like beans, lentils, peas, soya as well as tofu and cereal all help with digestion and can prevent bloating or intestinal gas. It is enough to eat pulses or cereals at least once per day.
2) Toasted bread
When eating toasted bread we secrete less saliva enzymes. As a result the bread is more easily digested which helps to prevent bloating.
3) Herbal tea
To avoid bloating and to improve your digestion, it is a good idea to drink a herbal tea after each meal. Some plants are more effective than others for improving your digestion!
4) Aromatic herbs
Some aromatic herbs have known properties which are good for our body and especially for help digestion and avoiding a bloated stomach. Thyme, aniseed, lemon balm, peppermint and rosemary are ideal for an infusion at the end of a meal to help digest your food better.
5) Essential oils
Some essential oils are very effective in combating bloating and they are 100% natural like tarragon, basil, pepper mint, coriander and caraway seeds. If you want further advice on how to use essential oils consult an aromatherapist.
6) Foods rich in fibre (although in small doses)
Fibre found mostly in fruit and vegetables helps digestion and can naturally prevent bloating of the stomach. To make the most of their benefits, it is best to cook the vegetables before eating them.
However if you eat more than 20 g of fibre per day bacteria can start to ferment which can bring about painful bloating and flatulence.
Artichokes, avocados, asparagus, lettuce, cherries, grapes, strawberries, raspberries and melon are all rich in fibre.
At the same time it is important to practice a physical activity everyday so that you can strengthen abdominal muscles and digest your food better. (At least 30 mins of walking per dayis advised.)
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