BLOATING

Remember wearing your favourite pants or dress and suddenly feeling as if your clothes don’t quite fit anymore? It’s not the best feeling in the world when your waistband is suddenly tight. And this may not even be because you have eaten too much.

Bloating of the stomach can cause this feeling and can make you feel sluggish or uncomfortable. This is a universally common problem and affects almost everyone. Bloating can happen due to several causes and there is very little that can be done to avoid it. Bloating causes swelling of the abdomen that results in an increased waist diameter due to retained fluids or gas.

The first step in figuring out the cause of this discomfort is to determine whether it’s associated with eating or drinking, or both. It can be triggered by anything from fluctuating hormones to eating reheated food. Bloating, in some cases, can become severe enough to cause swelling of the abdomen.

While, most of the time, bloating can cause the stomach to swell just a couple of inches, sometimes it can actually double in girth in one day and deflate overnight. Not everyone will experience it this dramatically and most of the time people will simply report an uncomfortable swollen feeling. It is often accompanied by abdominal pain, which can be either mild and dull or sharp and intense.

There are five main factors that cause bloating - gas, water retention, fibre, excess food and medical problems. It can also be caused due to eating fatty foods, stress, smoking, a gastrointestinal infection or irritable bowel syndrome.

To reduce bloating, the first step is to avoid carbohydrates and try to reduce the amount of gas-producing foods you eat. Chewing gum can also be a cause of bloating as when you chew gum you swallow more air, which increases the risk of a swollen tummy. Sugar-free versions and sugar-free drinks can also have the same effect. Processed foods can increase both fluid retention and gas in your system, deprive you of vital nutrients and overload the ones you don’t need, like sodium. Further, skipping meals can also cause bloating.

Sipping water regularly throughout the day can help you feel less bloated. Yoghurt - particularly with added ‘healthy gut bacteria’ - can also do wonders for keeping your system regular and fruits and veggies with a high water content like watermelon, tomatoes, and cucumbers help to flush out belly-bloating sodium.

Fortunately, bloating is rarely a symptom of serious trouble and the most effective treatment is to control your portion sizes, go easy on the fats, and eat slowly. A little extra attention should keep you from feeling overstuffed and bloated.