Bloating: The 5 foods to avoid and the 3 you need.

Image via iStock

It’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and it nearly always announces itself at the exact moment you decide to pull on your most hip-huggy item of clothing.

Although bloating is a normal part of life, it’s also – figuratively and literally – a pain to deal with.

That ‘wait, did I somehow swallow a bowling ball?’ feeling generally results from fluid retention or a build-up of gasses in your digestive system, which can be triggered by a range of events and conditions. Overeating (which explains how you felt on Christmas Day, huh) or eating too fast, your diet, food allergies or intolerances, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome are just some of them.

As many women know all too well, bloating is also a common and unpleasant sidekick to periods – as if you don’t already have enough going on in your body at that time.

As with many gut-related issues, there are certain foods that will help relieve your discomfort and prevent bloating in the first place, while others will only aggravate it. Here are five foods to avoid – and three to keep handy.

1. Processed foods.

Sodium is a major bloating bandit, and it tends to hide out in processed foods like tinned soups – so be sure to check those nutritional labels before you stock up.

2. Cruciferous vegetables.

We know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes – of course veggies are good for you. However, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale are known to promote bloating in some people. This is because they contain a sugar called raffinose that can be harder for your body to digest, therefore leading to the production of excess gas. Steaming your veggies is recommended, as it makes them easier to digest.

3. Legumes.

Like cruciferous veggies, beans and lentils also have a reputation for being a little, ah… gassy. That doesn’t mean you have to forgo them entirely, though. Legumes will affect everyone differently, so get to learn where your limit is by starting with small portions, then adjusting them accordingly.

4. Soft drinks.

This one shouldn’t come as a surprise. Bloating is caused by pockets of trapped gas in your digestive system, so it seems obvious that ingesting something that’s full of carbon dioxide bubbles is only going to create more trouble. One way to reduce this effect is to let your drink sit a little after you open it to release some of the carbonation, or even shake it a little bit.

That’s not the only issue with fizzy drinks, however. The high levels of fructose in sweetened beverages, carbonated or not, can also be hard for your body to digest.

5. Chewing gum.

Bet you didn’t see this one coming. Although chewing gum doesn’t go anywhere near your stomach (well, unless you accidentally swallow it, which isn’t a great idea), it can provoke bloating just as much as the other items on this list. That’s because chewing a piece of gum causes you to swallow excess air, which can then get trapped and wreak havoc on your gut. This is why it’s also important to chew your food properly and slowly before you swallow it.

But all is not lost. Here are three anti-bloating superheroes to have up your sleeve.

1. Parsley.

Parsley isn’t only good for garnishing your favourite pasta dish; it can also help to relieve a bloated belly by stimulating digestion and easing fluid retention. While you’re in the herb section of the supermarket, grab some mint as well – it’s also believed to soothe the digestive tract and reduce bloating. Hooray for herbs!

2. Water-heavy fruits.

Drinking the recommended amount of water is an easy way to prevent and ease bloating, as it helps to flush excess sodium out of your system - so it figures that fruits containing high concentrations of water will have the same benefit. Watermelon, rockmelon, citrus fruits and pineapple are all full of water, so keep that fridge/bowl well-stocked. Fruit salad, anyone?

3. Yoghurt.

When you whip up that aforementioned fruit salad, be sure to add a few dollops of yoghurt. This will not only taste delicious, but it’ll give your gut a hand in the war on bloating. The probiotics (also referred to as active cultures or good bacteria) found in yoghurt help to restore the bacteria balance in your gut and regulate digestion.

What do you eat to help cleanse your insides?

Exercise always does the trick as well. Check out some of our favourite celebs getting some Vitamin D: