3 Easy Ways to Reduce Bloating

Anyone can try these simple ways to improve digestion an reduce belly bloat! These tips don’t have to do with food and they don’t cost a thing!

Would you like to reduce or eliminate bloating, gas, or other digestive issues? Of course you do! These symptoms are signs that digestion isn’t working as good as it should. There are many causes for these symptoms from food sensitivities to autoimmune disease to inadequate digestion. Sometimes a few easy lifestyle changes can help optimize digestion and make a big difference! If you suspect candida overgrowth, SIBO, or something more serious, please work with a practitioner, but if you digestion might be sluggish, try these simple techniques to improve digestion that don’t even involve food! They don’t cost anything either!

Sit down

Digestion begins before you take a bite—it starts in your brain! In order for your digestive system to work properly you need to be in a parasympathetic state. Our autonomic nervous system consists of two modes: parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or fight). In sympathetic mode, we are in survival mode—our body is ready to react to stress, which means that our body isn’t prioritizing digestion. This is when we can experience indigestion, bloating, and other digestive issues—our food can stay undigested causing excess gas and distress.

When we are in a parasympathetic state, our body can prioritize digestion. Sitting can help trigger our body to switch to parasympathetic mode (sitting on the floor or ground can be even more effective). So sit down , take a cleansing breath, and relax before you take that first bite. Your digestion will thank you.

Chew your food

This one sounds pretty simple, but it can really make a big difference! Most people eat quickly and don’t savor their food, let alone chew it properly. This can cause bloating and gas. The act of chewing along with enzymes in your saliva start breaking down and digesting food in your mouth. Your mouth is actually where a lot of the breakdown of carbs takes place. Try to chew 20-30 times before swallowing. Chewing thoroughly allows the stomach to do its work more efficiently resulting in less gas and bloating!

Don’t drink water

With your meals, that is. Yes proper hydration is critical to our health, and I am NOT suggesting you should actually stop drinking water! However, timing is everything. Drinking too much water with your meal dilutes your digestive juices, making digestion less effective. This slow down, again, means that food doesn’t get properly digested and can cause gas and boating. So, drink plenty of water between meals, and keep it to about 4-6 ounces with meals.

These tips are simple, but can make a huge impact on your digestion. We’ve all heard that “we are what we eat”, but really, we are what we digest! We need our digestion working properly in order to absorb all the nutrients from the food we eat! Give these tips a try—they’re free, they’re easy, and they might just make a difference in your digestion!

If you try these and are still experiencing symptoms, please seek out a practitioner to investigate further!

For a few more tips on improving digestion read 5 Ways to Improve digestion

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All content on CindyHilliard.com is for information purposes only and is not to be used in place of medical advice or treatment. Always seek the care of a medical professional if you have health concerns.

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