Beat Bloat: Foods That Reduce Bloating (And Ones to Avoid)

These super foods will help you beat belly bloat. 

There I was, standing in front of the mirror, staring at the belly reflected back at me. I was wearing my swimsuit, ready to take on the pool and thought, “oooof, maybe I shouldn’t have attacked that bag of chips last night.” My body was reacting to the copious amounts of sodium I partook in and was now blatantly letting me know. I grabbed my towel, threw caution to the wind, and jumped in the pool anyway. But not before I noted my gut’s reaction…

Bloat is an uncomfortable symptom. Most of the time it is a feeling of fullness and gas in your belly. You may feel sluggish and, well, bloated. According to the US National Library of Medicine, abdominal bloating is a condition in which the belly (abdomen) feels full and tight. Your belly may look swollen.

There are many causes of abdominal bloat, most of which can be tamed with a few precautions. These causes include sodium overload, swallowing air, constipation, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, intolerance to dairy products or other food items, eating too fast, weight gain, overgrowth of bacteria in the small bowel, hormonal flux (especially PMS for women), giardiasis (intestinal parasites), inflammatory bowel disease (e.g. ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s), and some medications. Abdominal bloating can also be a symptom of several serious conditions, so please see your doctor if you experience prolonged bloating. However, if your bloating is caused by an unbalance of potassium and sodium, try these quick food bloat blasters.

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Bananas

If bloating is being caused by sodium overdose, then bananas are your answer. The high potassium levels in bananas counter the effects of salt intake. Bananas help keep the sodium-potassium balance which is important for keeping bloating at bay.

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Water and lemon

Retaining water is the body’s way of preserving what is left so you don’t reach dehydration. Increasing your water intake restores fluid balance within the body and allows the release of excess water. So drink up even when you might think the opposite. Add juice from half a lemon, as they are a natural diuretic which helps lessen the amount of salt in the body.

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Soybeans

Soybeans (and lentils) are super high in potassium and fiber while being low in sodium, which make them a bloating blaster. For extra flavor, add salt-free seasoning for a superfood snack.

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Green Veggies

Veggies like cucumber, celery, leafy greens and squash are great digestive aids and have chemicals known to lessen fluid retention. Cucumber and celery are high in water content. Cook the green veggies to break down the fiber to make them easier to digest.

+How do you beat belly bloat?

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Becki
7 years ago

Great post, I do struggle with salt bloat. Going to try the bananas and see how that goes. I really try to avoid salt but this might help for when I get more than I would like. Great tips

7 years ago

I actually just posted about this on my blog! Probably my favorite tip for preventing bloating (especially now that it’s swimsuit season, like you said), is drinking lemon and cucumber water throughout the day, and drinking hot herbal tea with meals! Especially ginger or peppermint tea are so helpful with digestion! It helps with bloating a lot! You can also look at my post, How To Naturally Beat Bloating for Good. :)
http://www.tinyecospa.com/uncategorized/naturally-beat-bloating

AlliC
7 years ago

From my experience, banana’s are great for preventing bloat, unless they’re still green. Unripe bananas are too hard for your digestive system to break down, so make sure your banana’s are ripe and spotty:)

7 years ago

Thanks for sharing this, Joanna! I’ve been experiencing lots of bloating lately and it’s nice to know of some foods to eat as well as foods to stay away from!

Claudia
7 years ago

Thankies!
I will try these out :). I only used medicine for this kind of problems, but I’m sick of it!

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