Foods to Beat the Bloat

You have a swollen belly and always feel terribly bloated? Well, whether it is the consequence of a wrong choice of foods or of eating too fast and too much - the constant feeling of fullness and tightness is always unpleasant! Have a look below and find out which are the best foods to beat the bloat and restore your flat tummy.

To Recover a Flat Belly, Drink a lot of Yogurt and Eat Soluble Fiber

Healthy bowl of muesli

Yogurt is rich in enzymes that have many beneficial and positive effects on our stomach. It is made by adding live bacterial cultures to pasteurized milk, which consequently produce lactic acid, giving yogurt its typical flavor and consistency.

These live bacterial cultures, or probiotics (“meaning for life”), promote the growth of good bacteria in our stomach and fight off harmful bacteria and yeast, responsible for the accumulation of excessive air in the intestine.

In conclusion, having a flat and healthy stomach greatly depends on whether we have more good bacteria or bad.

To beat the bloat, without irritating your intestinal tract, eat plenty of soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is not easily digested, while soluble fiber may help deflate your stomach – it slows down digestion and helps food pass through the digestive tract more easily, while pushing waste away.

Soluble fiber regulates the intestinal contractions, prevents and relieves constipation and diarrhea, which are some of the main causes of bloating.

Consume enough bran cereal and oatmeal, but never exaggerate, for taken in large quantities, they may produce negative effects. An equilibrated diet is the first step in gaining flat stomach!

Fresh Fruits Can Reduce Bloating, While Cooked Vegetables Are Easier to Digest

Cooking breaks down the fiber, and for this reason boiled or steamed vegetables are a lot easier to digest and assimilate and will not cause bloating like the raw ones.

Consuming fresh fruits rich in soluble fiber will, instead, help you beat the bloat and reduce water retention. But, be careful! Many fruits also contain insoluble fiber, which is very hard to digest.

Opt for soluble fiber fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, cherries, cranberries, blackberries, nectarines and citrus fruits. Take advantage of some extremely beneficial properties of bananas, oranges watermelon, raw fennel, pineapples and papayas. Have a look.

Bananas, Oranges and Watermelon

healthy vegetarian and vegan tropical fruit watermelon pizza

To reduce water retention, which is often responsible for a swollen belly, increase the amount of bananas, oranges and watermelon.

Due to their high content of potassium, bananas will balance the sodium levels in your body and favor the elimination of liquids, while oranges and watermelon, which contain around 90% of water, will easily flush away any waste matter, as well as retained water.

Raw Fennel

To aid digestion, consume lots of raw fennel, which has a stimulant action on your digestive system.

Pineapples and Papayas

diced pineapples fruit

Pineapples and papayas are also rich in enzymes that help digest proteins and reduce bloating.

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps absorb and assimilate proteins and eases digestion, while papayas have a high content of papain, a protein-digesting enzyme that can treat several digestion disorders and help beat the bloat.

Fish Relieves Inflamed Stomach and Aromatic Herbs Reduce Bloat

fish to eat

Fish is one of the most efficient foods to beat the bloat, as it helps relieve abdominal inflammation and reduces stomach swelling. It is extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help keep the intestines lubricated, while alleviating and preventing the irritation of mucous membranes.

Season fish with extra virgin olive oil, which has the same anti-inflammatory properties, and add carminative herbs and spices to your dishes.

Fennel, anis and coriander have excellent digestion-stimulating properties and amazing anti-bloating effects.

Peppermint is a potent stomach healer and gas reducer – it soothes the muscles of the digestive tract and helps the body eliminate excess air, while improving the flow of bile and helping digestion.

Include fresh ginger root into your recipes and dishes. It is an efficient natural diuretic that may reduce bloating and alleviate swollen stomach.

About the author

Jessica

Jessica is a translator who has lived for many years in Asia and South America. She now lives and works in Europe, while preparing her new journeys. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people, exploring different cultures and foods, and being in love.

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