Get Relief from Bloating the Natural Way

Feeling bloated is the worst feeling in ththe world. Ok, maybe not the worst feeling in actual sense…but it really can suck!

It feels like there is some air trapped somewhere inside your stomach or intestines and you can’t get it out, or your entire midsection is flooded with water and you can’t let the water out.

You can’t have a great time with Squats, deadlifts and leg presses at the gym. Your belly is distended and you can’t put on the sexy Lycra dress you had in mind for the night. You can’t even enjoy the party food because you already feel kind of full. Most embarrassing is when comes along with gas or the need to run to the bathroom.

While stomach bloating leaves you feeling lethargic and clumsy, it rarely signals something serious and usually goes away after a while.

Triggered by poor diets, high levels of stress, need for daily medications, and exposure to various pollutants, it is also very common.

Generally, the discomfort is usually where the pain lies. And most times it just seems pretty easy to take an antacid or any over-the-counter products that contains simethicone to ease the pain, but taking these medications may not always been the best solution.

Why opt for meds when you can actually ease yourself of the discomfort and get the much needed relief with natural products or remedies? While there has been no definite study on the efficacy of natural products for relieving bloating, some remedies have proven quite effective. Here are a few natural remedies to relieve bloating.

Drink warm lemon-infused water
Adding some lemon drops, or lemon slices to warm water can bring a quick relief for bloating. The acidity in lemon stimulates the production of HCL (hydrochloric acid) which is what breaks down our food and food breaking down more efficiently results to less bloating and gas.

Drink Peppermint tea
Also good for nausea, Peppermint tea relieves symptoms of abdominal gas and bloating. It can easily be made using fresh mint herbs from the garden or store.

Consume crushed fennel seeds or drink hot home-made fennel tea
Fennel seeds are a diuretic, and they contain pain-reducing properties. They have a way of soothing the digestive system, making it easy for the bloating to subside.

Exercise
Bloating may leave you feeling lethargic but you can bounce back by engaging in simple exercises, such as going for a walk or running.
Exercising will help increase your blood circulation, since your heart will be beating faster and you will find it easier to release gas.

Chew on rocket or watercrest (water leaf) leaves
The sharp taste of the herbs can stimulate the digestive juices and bile flow and bring relief to the bloating.

Try a bit of Yoga
A number of yoga poses are digestion-stimulating and gas-relieving. You can start with the child’s pose, the reclined thunderbolt pose or the peacock pose. These movements, when done properly, can help move the gases through your system and ease the pain.

Try 5 minutes of deep, abdominal breathing
To achieve this, you have to ensure your diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity, contracts during inhalation. You usually get faster relief when you lie on your left side and breathe deeply.

Get an abdominal massage
You can use a soft ball to do this, you just need to rub the ball over your abdomen. Giving yourself abdominal massage or receiving one can help get the gas moving along, therefore, relieve bloating.

Consume activated charcoal
Although activated charcoal is sometimes used to help treat a drug overdose or a poisoning, it can be a good option for controlling bloating, especially if the bloating is due to an illness. It is also available in tablet or capsule forms to treat gas, but can also be home made.

Pass the gas
Sometimes, the bloating persists because you are unwilling to pass the gas. Maybe you have no access to a toilet or you just do not want to spoil the air around you, but that extends the discomfort of the bloating. Ensuring that you release the gas, especially when the feeling arises, is a sure way to ease the bloating.

Different remedies work for different people as we all have unique body systems. It would help to try a few of these natural remedies for bloating, find out which works well for you and stick to it.

Has any of the remedies worked for you before? Do you have other remedies that can help with bloating?

Photo Credit: Hugo Felix