Does the day end and you feel bloated like a balloon? Find out why and how to fix it.

What is it like to be bloated at the end of the day?

Many women (and also many men) notice how at the end of the day we have a swollen belly. Or at least much more swollen than just raised. Why is this happening to us? Is this excess fat? When in the morning we feel good and we feel good, but at night it is like that michelin of the belly grows, it is not usually fat but what is known as abdominal distention .

Although abdominal distention is not a serious problem, it is very annoying and the first thing we must do to correct it is to find the cause. The main one is usually accumulated intestinal gas, so let’s see the causes of this accumulation of gas, since they can be very diverse.

Causes of abdominal distention

You should try these options until you find the cause of your bloating. Once found, you will have found the solution.
You will know what is causing that annoying swelling and you will be able to look at ease again! If you want more information on how to have good habits so that this does not happen to you, you can take a look at the diaita course at the academy. 

Carbonated drinks and gum

It is logical that if I drink gas my body retains and accumulates gas. That is why the first thing you should do is eliminate all carbonated drinks from your diet and more if it is sugary on top. So no more soft drinks, diet sodas, tonics … even sparkling water. Instead you can make your own flavored waters by adding fruits and vegetables, spices or aromatic herbs to the water. An ideal combination: cucumber and dill.

The gum can also play you a trick, because what you do is go to the chewing accumulating gas . If you are one of those who cannot go without eating gum or one of those who eat one gum after another, you will have to make an effort and leave them, perhaps the answer is as simple as that …

The constipation

My last post Dietary fiber, your ally to lose weight , deals with exactly how to combat constipation. A diet rich in fiber, based on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts along with plenty of water (between 1.5 to 2.5L a day) and physical activity daily (30 minutes a day would be enough) , it is all you need to combat constipation.

In this way, you will be able to go to the bathroom more often, you will feel less full and therefore less bloated. If you do not follow a diet rich in fiber, do not drink enough water or do not practice physical activity daily, start doing it, you will notice the change from the first week.

Allergies and / or intolerances

Allergies and intolerances can cause bloating, it is one of the main symptoms. The main and most common, lactose intolerance or undiagnosed gluten sensitivity. Read the label carefully to make sure they do not contain the allergen that causes you bloating.

Make sure that you do not have an allergy or intolerance to any food. To do this, go to a doctor to diagnose it, do not improvise on your own or do any dietary transgression on your own. It is important that you are diagnosed before modifying your diet.

How to treat abdominal distention?

Chew well and eat slowly

Chewing food well (between 20 and 40 times each bite) is something so obvious, but at the same time so important that we forget to do it. The usual thing is to eat quickly, while doing something else or thinking about what to do next. Either because we have limited time for lunch or because as always, we are in a hurry.

If this is your case, relax, eat calmly and try to chew your food well. With this, you will not only avoid swallowing the air that leads to bloating, you will also be able to taste food more and give your body time to send the signal of satiety, so you will eat less, with less anxiety and that will help you not gain weight.

Control your salt intake

Salt, due to sodium, can contribute to abdominal bloating and all these processed products, prepared or precooked foods and preserves are usually high in salt. To give you an idea, the WHO recommends reducing sodium intake in adults to less than 2 g / day, which is equivalent to 5 g / day of salt.

In order not to exceed it, get used to reading the labeling well and do not abuse these products or salt when dressing your dishes. One option is to choose those products that are low in salt or with reduced salt content. The best option is not to buy these types of products.

Moderate the consumption of certain foods

There are certain foods that contribute to the production of intestinal gas. For this reason, you should moderate its consumption and check whether or not it produces gas. These are:

• Raw foods : as they are not cooked, the body has to make a greater effort to digest them, which can cause abdominal bloating.
• Certain vegetables : cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli … are vegetables that tend to produce gases. Moderate its consumption.
• Legumes : they are another food that also produces gases, their recommended consumption is 2 times a week.

There may be some other food that does not feel good or it is difficult for you to digest personally, as it happens on many occasions with lettuce, and it also produces this swelling. They are particular cases and therefore we must always personalize diets. If you know of any food that produces it in particular, you should remove it from your diet.

Divide more intakes

You already know that you should eat several times a day and not go more than 3-4 hours without eating so if you are one of those who eat abundantly 3 times a day, try to eat less, but more times, it will surely help you to reduce that bloated belly, since there will be less food to digest and the stomach will not have to work as much.