How to Treat Bloating Naturally!

Have you ever noticed that during certain times of the month or after eating a big meal, your stomach looks and feels a little bloated? The first step is to always speak to your healthcare professional, once they give you the all clear, you may find that mild bloating can be helped with a few simple lifestyle or dietary changes! There are many reasons as to why we become bloated. These range from food intolerances to digestive issues. It’s different for everyone, so it’s important to identify why it may be happening to you.

So what causes bloating?

There are many possible causes of bloating, however these are some of the most common:

Indigestion: bloating can often be a symptom of indigestion which is the uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen after eating a meal. It can be caused by overeating, eating too fast or consuming foods that are spicy, fatty or greasy.¹

Lactose Intolerance: bloating is another symptom of lactose intolerance which is the inability of the body to process a natural sugar (lactose) found most commonly in dairy products.¹

Menstrual Bloating: bloating can often occur due to a hormonal imbalance during menstruation. For some women, fluctuating hormones can cause not only bloating, but also constipation and cramps.²

Gas: when gas builds up in the stomach and isn’t released through flatulence or belching, this can cause also cause bloating.³

Which foods affect bloating?

Did you know that the foods you eat can actually influence bloating? Foods that worsen bloating include dairy, legumes, apples, salty foods or greens like broccoli, kale and cabbage. Whereas foods like bananas, cucumber, ginger, papaya and asparagus may help reduce bloating.

Teas that are suitable for bloating

Kintra Foods Roasted Dandelion Tea
A great way to target bloating is to drink tea containing ingredients that aid digestion. This tea from Kintra is made with Dandelion Leaf, which has anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties that have been known to help reduce bloating.⁴ It’s also blended with Chicory Root that tastes similar to coffee, minus the caffeine hit! It’s a great night tea that won’t keep you from falling asleep!

Pukka Tea Three Mint
Prefer tea with a minty fresh taste? This Three Mint Pukka Tea is highly refreshing and great for digestion. Mint tea has been long known for its ability aid not only digestion, but also flatulence and stomach gas.⁷ It also has relaxing properties which can calm the tummy⁷ For a delicious cup of mint tea, simply brew for 5 minutes!

Pukka Tea Detox
This naturally caffeine free Detox Tea from Pukka is full of detoxifying and soothing ingredients like Licorice Root which calms the body and is full of antioxidants. Another key ingredient in this tea is Fennel Seeds which are known to stimulate digestion and relieve flatulence. Just like the mint tea, brew this tea for 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Wholefood supplements suitable for bloating

The Beauty Chef BODY Powder
This Inner Body Powder by The Beauty Chef aims to balance the body from the inside out. It contains three premium sources of plant protein in the form of fermented brown rice, organic peas and chia seeds. These plant proteins are easily digestible and blended with antioxidant rich spices full of vitamins and fibre. This powder also uses the benefits of pre and probiotics that balance the body, boost the metabolism and aid digestion, which in turn reduces might help with bloating.⁶ This delicious powder can be added to your daily smoothie or breakfast, by simply adding two scoops!

Amazonia Raw Pre-Probiotic
As bloating can be caused by digestive issues, consuming foods with Probiotics can help difference. This Probiotic powder from Amazonia actually contains 13 different strands of organic probiotics and billions of prebiotics! These pre and probiotics play an important role in our health and help to keep our digestive system regular.² This blend also works to help support the gut. To use, simply 5-10g of this Vanilla flavoured powder into a 300ml glass of water.

Supercharged Food Love Your Gut Powder
(Previously called Heal Your Gut). Have you read my blog post on this amazing Heal Your Gut Powder? It’s made with diatomaceous earth which is an ingredient that cleanses the digestive system, removing toxins, impurities and parasites from your system⁷ This naturopath-grade powder helps to clean the intestines, promote better digestion and may also help reduce bloating. To use, just add a tablespoon to water twice daily!

To learn more about gut health, check out my blog What you need to know about gut health and if you have any health related questions you can contact our on staff Naturopath here!

(sources:¹healthline.com, ²bloatingtips.co.uk, ³mayoclinic.org , ⁴livestrong.com, ⁵curejoy.com, ⁶superchargedfood.com, ⁷flatulencecures.com)