Bloating remedies everyone can try

If you've had any experience of regularly having a bloated stomach you'll know only too well what it feels like-miserable!

From out of nowhere your stomach grows to twice its normal size. Often you feel quite a bit of pain in the abdomen, like something is inside trying to get out!

You feel gassy-like, really gassy. You kind of want the gas to be released, but then excessive, err, releasing of gas is also not pleasant (not least for your those around you!)

Worse still, when I get it I sometimes have a sensation of having a lump in my throat and mild chest pains. This is often followed diarrhoea and/or constipation.

Bleh!

I think I'm correct in saying that abdominal bloating makes you feel pretty miserable-agreed? You feel uncomfortable, unhealthy and totally lacking in confidence. I know I've cancelled parties and social engagements before due to it, many times.

You become highly aware of what you look like and do anything possible to not show your HUGE stomach in public (swimming or sunbathing or out of the question!)

I soon found early on in my search for bloating remedies that it was actually more important to discover the cause of it than to try to relieve it once it was happening.

Broadly speaking, it seems that there are only a few major possible causes (though as you'll see below, all sorts of ways we exacerbate it and make it worse!):

1. Swallowing too much air: when we eat, some of us (me included) gulp too much air. This might be due to rushing food down or talking too much when eating, but whatever the reason, all that air makes its way into your intestines and blows you up, just like a big balloon.

2. Undigested food: this is a much more common reason for stomach bloating. Food that hasn't been properly digested makes its way into your intestines and stays there for a good while. It begins to rot and ferment (I know, I know, gross.. bear with me) which creates a whole heap of gas. And we know what happens next.

So we know roughly why bloating occurs, and we're now painfully aware (in more ways than one!) of how awful it can make you feel.

They say prevention is better than cure and bloating is no exception. Here are 16 bloating prevention techniques you should try, to help nip the bloat in the bud:

1. Be careful of the types of food you eat together. Some foods eaten at the same time can make it difficult for your digestive system to work properly.

Basically, some foods help the body release acidic digestive enzymes, while others release alkaline enzymes. When both these types of enzymes are released at the same time, they effectively neutralise each other, which stops your digestive system working as it should. Your food then sits, undigested-and the great fermenting fizz begins. Yuk.

2. Eat slowly and chew your food properly. Your stomach doesn't have teeth, so it needs all the help it can get to break your food down before it gets into your intestines. Chewing properly also releases saliva, which contains digestive enzymes which get to work on your food right away.

So sit upright at the table during meals, chew slowly and relax!

3. Don't swallow too much air. Be aware of how much gulping and talking you do when eating. Too much air intake and you'll be swelling up faster than you know it.

4. Don't drink while eating. Lots of people habitually have a drink with a meal-I always did too! However, slurping too much fluid at the same time as you eat washes your food down too quickly. It also dilutes the digestive enzymes which are doing their best to help you digest your food, so it doesn't end up sitting in your gut fermenting.

Tip: try not to drink half an hour before or after eating. If you do, keep it to just a few small sips.

5. Drink lots of water. "Huh? Didn't he just say...?" I know, I know, sounds confusing! What I mean is, make sure you drink plenty of fluids (preferably fresh water) throughout the day. Keeps your digestive system (along with the rest of your body) in tip-top shape. Just don't do it across mealtimes.

6. Get some exercise. Taking regular exercise is a great way to keep your digestive system in great shape. It strengthens the muscles responsible, and gets your system moving so you avoid issues like constipation which often makes bloating even worse.

7. Eat some fiber No need to go overboard, of course, but getting some fiber-rich food down you keeps your food moving along inside, which in turn makes it less likely that undigested food will sit fermenting, causing gas.

Don't overdo it though-I went a little fiber crazy when I first learnt this tip and ended up more bloated than I was before! All in moderation.

8. Avoid gassy food. Some food, unfortunately, just loves to make you produce gas. It's like it's its job. If your stomach bloats like a balloon, try to avoid beans (a major culprit!), cabbage, onions, artichokes, asparagus, brussel sprouts and broccoli.

9. Avoid some gassy fruits Apples, peaches and pears are known trouble makers, try dropping them for a while and see how it goes.

10. Don't chew gum Chewing gum can cause excess air to be swallowed and can cause your body to release way too much digestive enzymes. Your body overreacts, and you end up with a large stomach before you know it.

11. Avoid antibiotics Sometimes you have an infection that requires you to take antibiotics. Fine, of course, but while antibiotics do a great job of fighting infections-killing off bacteria within a three mile radius-they go a bit crazy and kill ALL the bacteria in your digestive system, including the good guys whose job it is to digest your food.

If you can avoid taking antibiotics then do so. Your stomach will thank you by returning to normal operation when the friendly internal flora move back in.

12. Avoid too much sugar and salt.

13. Avoid fizzy drinks The excess gas and sugar combine together in an explosive combination. I need say no more...

14. Take probiotics. Probiotics are basically live bacteria, often grown in fermented food. Taken regularly they add lots of friendly bacteria to your stomach, pitching in in the fight to restore your internal digestive balance.

You can easily buy probiotic yoghurts, or take probiotic supplements available from health-food stores.

15. Avoid eating wheat. Wheat contains gluten which many of us have an intolerance towards.

16. Avoid dairy products. Foods like milk and cheese contain lactose, a substance we humans often find difficult to digest. Why? Simple really. Milk is made by cows to feed their baby calves, so it contains the perfect balance of nutrients for a calf's stomach. Not so suited to us humans, sadly, no matter how great it tastes.

It's quite likely you'll give some, or all, of the above prevention techniques a try and yet still you find yourself feeling that familiar feeling.

In case of emergency: break glass! Errm... I mean, here are some great things to try!

1. Take some peppermint. Drinking peppermint herbal tea, or swallowing a couple of peppermint capsules after a meal, are brilliant ways to reduce the bloating and discomfort. Peppermint is an antispasmodic, which means it relaxes spasms in your colon, often associated with bloating. Highly, highly recommended.

2. Try some carminative herbs. Like peppermint, there are other herbs which work to reduce gas and generally give your digestive system a kick where it's needed. Get hold of ginger, chamomile, fennel or lemon balm. All available as herbal tea or in capsule or supplement form.

3. Give burdock a go. Burdock, or arctium lappa is well known as an herbal systemic cleanser. It detoxifies your system, strengthens weak digestion, and effectively relieves wind, bloating, constipation and indigestion. Works well!

4. Try some natural remedies. I've taken Gasolve Relief and it worked really well. It promotes digestive calm and comfort after meals to alleviate gas and bloating.

Also similarly effective is Gastronic Dr.. Again, 100% natural, and formulated precisely to alleviate and relieve bloating.