Feeling bloated? Here’s what to do

By The Gut Health Doctor Team

Dr Megan Rossi in a lab looking through a microscope

It’s important to remember that the occasional bloating is totally normal! Especially after a big meal or extra fibre. In fact, a bit of bloating after a high-fibre meal is a good thing, it’s a sign of well-fed gut microbes (including good bacteria) just doing their thing.

If you’re suffering from bloating that comes and goes during the day, it can typically be helped with simple lifestyle and diet tweaks.*

Here’s the tricky part – the causes of bloating are complex and triggers will be different for everyone. No matter what claims you might hear, there’s no ‘superfood’ or supplement that’ll magically fix it.

Bloating can be just as much about our lifestyle and how we eat. Stress and wearing tight clothing all day can be common triggers too – tight pants syndrome is a thing!

Here are a handful of things to try as part of my first-line approach

  • Chew your food well, aim for 10-20 chews per mouthful.

  • Split your food intake into smaller meals throughout the day.

  • Gentle stretching, abdominal massage and heat packs to help release trapped gas.

  • Avoid wearing tight clothes where you can.

  • Check for common food intolerances just not with the invalid commercial tests!

If this doesn’t seem to give you relief, that’s where the second-line strategies in my book come in, which you can tailor to find what works for you personally – check out  Eat Yourself Healthy & Love Your Gut.

*if you’re always bloated with no relief at any time, do check in with your GP first to rule out any underlying issues.

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