What to do about bloating? Bloating refers to a feeling of fullness, pressure, and discomfort in the upper abdomen. It affects your normal appetite and can disrupt your mood, making it very troubling.
1. Chew Thoroughly
When eating, chew your food slowly and thoroughly. Avoid chewing with your mouth open, talking while eating, or drinking soup while eating, as these habits can easily cause digestive problems and lead to bloating.
2. Drink Rice Water
Rice water and barley water are effective for bloating, flatulence, and heartburn. Use five parts water to one part rice (or barley), boil for 10 minutes. Then, simmer with the lid on for 50 minutes. Strain, cool, and drink several times a day.
3. Drink Vinegar
Sip a mixture of one tablespoon of pure apple cider cider and a glass of water during your main meal to aid digestion. Alternatively, you can drink a glass of lemon water upon waking in the morning, which also has therapeutic and blood-purifying effects.
4. Soak Beans
If you love beans but don't want the gas, here's a solution. Soaking beans in water appears to remove most of the gas-producing substances. Studies show that soaking beans for 12 hours, or covering them with a wet paper towel for 24 hours, can significantly reduce the content of gas-producing compounds. Cooking them in a pressure cooker and then soaking for another 30 minutes can reduce these compounds by up to 90%.
5. Avoid Food Pairing Mistakes
Improper food combinations can cause digestive issues. For example, protein and starch are not a good pair, nor are vegetables and fruit. Milk should not be consumed with main meals, and sugar should not be combined with protein or starch.
6. Don't Sit Down Immediately After Eating
After a meal, you can take a walk or stand for a while. Don't lie down or sit down immediately, especially as lying down can easily put pressure on your stomach, causing indigestion, bloating, or even stomach pain.
7. Choice of Medication
Pancreatic enzymes can be used for stomach bloating; trace minerals for intestinal bloating; antacids are ineffective for gas and bloating. When excessive gas is produced, you can use an enema made from fresh lemon juice mixed with 1.14 liters of warm water to balance the body's pH level. If flatulence persists for several days, a bifidobacterium enema can resolve the issue within a few hours.
8. Take Probiotics
Bloating caused by indigestion can be improved with probiotics, as a lack of these beneficial bacteria is a common cause of indigestion. Open 10 capsules to take, or use a tablespoon of the powder formula. Those allergic to dairy can use a dairy-free formulation. Probiotics are also a safe enema; you may feel mild discomfort at first, but this should subside in about an hour.
9. Use Pancreatic Enzymes
If you have had abdominal surgery (e.g., removal of a section of intestine), using pancreatic enzymes can help digest food. People with hypoglycemia also need pancreatic enzymes. If you feel bloated, hear rumbling in your stomach, or experience gas after a meal, you can also take pancreatic enzymes.
10. Take Charcoal Tablets
Activated charcoal can effectively expel excess gas. Take 5 tablets immediately when you feel discomfort. However, if you are taking other medications, be aware that charcoal tablets absorb not only gas but also medicinal ingredients. Also, do not use them daily because charcoal's strong absorption capacity can also absorb useful nutrients.
11. Apply Peppermint Oil
When bloating is hard to relieve, you can apply peppermint oil around the stomach area to effectively alleviate the problem.
12. Traditional Herbal Tea Therapy
Li Shizhen recorded in his "Compendium of Materia Medica": "All medicines are medicines for specific diseases, but tea is a medicine for a thousand ailments." Liu Zhenliang of the Tang Dynasty also summarized the ten virtues of tea: it disperses stagnant qi, drives away drowsiness, nurtures life qi, removes illness qi, facilitates etiquette and benevolence, shows respect, allows one to savor flavors, nourishes the body, helps one follow the Way, and cultivates one's ambition. The traditional herbal tea, "Zha Pi Cha," is very suitable for people with bloating.