Do you want to stop bloating and the pain and discomfort that come with it? In this episode of Thank Gut It’s Fixed Show, I talk about the 7 diet and lifestyle mistakes that you can avoid to eliminate bloating, gas, and other digestive discomforts.

If you want to prevent bloating, watch episode 22 where I list the foods that cause bloating so you can avoid them. You’ll be surprised that some of your healthy favorites are on that list.  And in last week’s episode, I clarified the difference between lactose intolerance and dairy sensitivity or allergy as dairy is often a one of the big boating triggers.

But lists of foods to avoid are not very helpful if the way you eat is causing bloating. That’s why in this episode, I wanted to cover the basic lifestyle and eating habits mistakes to avoid to get rid of bloating long-term.

Stop bloating by avoiding these 7 diet and lifestyle mistakes:

1. Eating too much

I know this may seem like common sense, but sometimes people are so focused on what they can and cannot eat, that they aren’t focused on how much they’re eating. This is one way to help relieve bloating fast! Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to eat too much of the right foods. If you’re eating and you start feeling uncomfortable and heavy, that’s a sign that you’re eating too much and that you’re bloated. At the same time, however, you don’t want to eat too little because you’re going to be hungry an hour or two later which leads to grazing – which I talked about in episode 21.

2. Eating too quickly

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re constantly go, go, go. We have to pick up the kids, we have to run them to their sports, come home really fast and make dinner, you know how it goes. Sometimes you feel like you only have five or ten minutes to eat, or you have to eat it super quickly in the car, and that does not allow your body the chance to digest it properly. You need to be sitting down to eat. If you want to prevent bloating, your must break down the food properly with your teeth. When we eat quickly, we are not giving our body what it needs to digest our food properly.

Look at the clock next time you eat and strech your meal to at least 15 to 20 minutes. Even if that means doing something else while eating like reading a book or answering an email, as long as it’s something that helps you to slow down.

3. Eating too much fats, salty or processed foods

Now I’m not against eating fats, because there are several healthy fats you can add to your diet. However, once you start adding in processed foods or junk foods, that’s when you’re going to start retaining water and experiencing bloat. Ultimately, the food will sit longer in your stomach and that is going to make the digestive system work slower which results in bloating. Getting rid of unhealthy junk foods is one of the quickest and most effective ways to eliminate bloating all together!

4. Bad drinking habits

Here are a few examples of what I mean by drinking habits:

• Not drinking enough water. Dehydration makes you retain water and can make you bloated.
• Drinking with your meals. When you do this, you’re diluting stomach enzymes so your gut can’t digest food and more bacteria will ferment.
• Drinking with a straw. When you use a straw, air gets trapped and causes bloating.
• Carbonated beverages – do I even need to get into this? 😉
• Alcohol. It slows down the stomach emptying which, as I mentioned before, will result in bloating.

5. Not cooking your vegetables and fruits

Eating raw vegetables and fruit is trendy but it won’t work for everyone – especially when you’re trying to eliminate bloating. Steaming, sauteing, and roasting veggies and even fruit allows the cell walls of these foods to break down. As a result, they are easier to digest in your gut and better absorbed through the lining of the intestine. Better absorption of sugars, such as the fructose and glucose found in vegetables and fruit, means that your body will be nourished while preventing gut bacteria from fermenting the sugars.

6. Not allowing gas to pass

I know it sounds funny, but it’s a real thing – and one of the main reasons you may feel bloated! Women, often times, can be more guilty of this than men. Gas is natural, and it’s something that we all produce. If you’re holding your gas in – for whatever reason – then it’s going to stay stuck inside of you, and you’re going to feel bloated, and that’s not healthy. And let’s be real, that’s not the best feeling in the world either. You want to release that gas and get the relief from that and as a result, eliminate bloating!

7. Wearing tight clothes

Tight clothes can constrict the abdomen and place pressure on the intestines. Compressing the intestines can interfere with their normal mobility leading to multiple symptoms, including gas distention, constipation, pain, and heartburn and indigestion. If you wear properly fitting clothes and the symptoms go away, then your problem is solved!

Comment below. Which habits are you guilty of but didn’t know?