Other than the fact that it makes you look much bigger than you actually are, bloating just doesn’t feel good. Your clothes don’t seem to fit right, and it seems as though any physical movement is too difficult to even try.

So to prevent such a downer ruining your day, here’s everything you can do to avoid bloating.

 

1. Avoid Gum At All Costs

We’re going to start off with the simple stuff here. While gum is usually a staple at social events, to of course prevent the ghastliness of bad breath, you should probably try and skip out on it if bloating is a concern for you.

Chewing gum, as well as sugar-free lollies, contain something called sorbitol and aspartame. These two pesky buggers aren’t actually digestible and can cause bloating. Also, when you chew gum you end up swallowing a lot of air, which is another major cause of bloating.

 

2. Avoid Swallowing Air

OK, so we know this one sounds more like a crazy old wives’ tale, but it really is something you need to be careful of. Swallowing air is a big cause of bloating, and while it might be inevitable, there are ways to reduce the amount of air that ends up in your gut.

We’ve already ticked off chewing gum as one culprit of swallowing air, but you should also avoid drinking from a straw, eating too quickly and eating while walking or talking. Easy, right?

While we’re here, stay away from any carbonated and fizzy drinks. What makes them fizzy is the inclusion of carbon dioxide, which is released once it’s in your gut to cause bloating. It’s all in the science guys.

 

3. Know Which Foods To Stay Away From

There are certain foods which are known to cause bloating and while it might be difficult to stay away from them for too long, at least try to avoid them on your big day.

For all of our lactose intolerant ladies, do stay away from milk and any milk products. Lactose is another major cause of bloating, so don’t take the risk here.

Avoid eating anything that is high in fibre, which includes whole grains and some legumes, and keep certain vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, onions and artichokes, at arms length. Sorry Mum.

You should also avoid eating raw vegetables in general, as they’re too difficult for your body to digest, so cook those up before you dig in.

 

4. Stay Cool, Calm and Collected

As always, stress is as evil as it gets when it comes to messing up your healthy bodily functions. It causes acne, hair loss, weight gain or weight loss, and now, bloating.

Stress releases the hormone called cortisol, and it really plays up with your digestive system by preventing you from being able to digest your foods properly. As a result of stress, your gut will either process food too quickly, or too slowly, causing excess gas, and yep, bloating. We just can’t win, can we?

 

5. Stock Up On Water

Water is always going to be your best friend, and we’re always going to take the opportunity to remind you to drink up. There’s so many benefits, and we cannot stress enough how important it is.

If you’ve had salt-heavy foods, or you’re dehydrated, your gut will retain water and make you feel bloated. Staying stocked up on water puts a stop to that, which is definitely what you need if you’ve broken and had a sneak of some food you know you shouldn’t have had.

It also prevents constipation, which is always a plus for many obvious reasons.

 

Written by Hanan Merheb

Cover photo by: @annaheinrich1