Are you dealing with the battle of the bloat? Bloating happens to the best of us, but the good news is there are some easy ways that we can support our bodies in relieving bloating fast.
This is a great time to talk about this too, since the holidays are coming, which is always a challenging time for maintaining our good lifestyle habits and diet. I don’t know about you, but I’m about to eat my body weight in turkey, mashed potatoes, and lots of pies. I do let myself enjoy the holidays, since they are just a brief snapshot of time and full of so many beautiful memories, but if I’m not careful – that change in diet will impact my health very quickly.
Luckily, there are some things we can all do to help our body process this change in our diet and also relieve bloating and other uncomfortable symptoms fast. I’m going to share some of the home remedies I use for any bloating, and hopefully some of these will be new ideas for you. Or, maybe they’re all reminders of things you already know about but have just gotten out of the habit of doing. Either way, take care of yourself and your health this holiday season so you can enjoy every minute of it and not waste any time feeling sick.
6 Home Remedies to Relieve Bloating:
1. Take Digestive Enzymes:
Something I started doing this past year is taking digestive enzymes with big meals, especially if I’m eating something that has inflammatory foods or foods that can cause bloating. I have seen a distinct difference when I eat these foods with digestive enzymes vs. not.
If you’re struggling with digestive issues, IBS, autoimmune diseases, or just bloating in general, you are probably struggling with a lazy digestive system that needs help breaking down protein, carbs, fiber, lactose + fats, and/or sugar. Digestive enzymes are going to support your body by helping break down your food, so you can digest it easier.
There are lots of options out there, I just happen to like HUM nutrition because of their clean formulas and full transparency, so that’s what I take. You can read about the other HUM nutrition supplements I take here or
Check out HUM Nutrition Flatter Me Supplement here.
2. Use Castor Oil Packs:
My castor oil pack posts are some of my most popular posts – and that’s because it’s an easy, affordable, home remedy for so many things and they work! Not to mention, they’re comforting, too, so when you’re in pain or going through something stressful, they actually help you relax and feel better, whereas so many treatments can add to stress or create more issues.
For bloating, you’ll use the castor oil pack right over your midsection. They even have wraps that you can buy that will tie around your waist so you can keep getting things done (around the house, of course), while you’re wrapping. I’m also not the only one who has noticed that castor oil packs can help trim the midsection, too. For a lot more information on how to do a castor oil pack, with more info on why and how they work, check out this comprehensive post right here.
Here’s what you’ll need to do one of these castor oil packs for bloating:
- Castor Oil: Be sure to buy an organic, cold-pressed, 100% pure, hexane-free, extra virgin castor oil, preferably in a glass bottle.
- Old Towel/Shirt: Castor oil STAINS, so be sure to wear clothes you are okay with getting stained. If you’ll be sitting down, put an old towel underneath you just in case there are any drips.
- Soft Small Fabric or Waist Wrap: I love this super soft, adjustable, washable waist wrap kit.
3. Drink Lots of Water:
I know, it’s on every list, but we all need this reminder. Plus, it’s so easy and free to do this one. And, fact is, most of us are not drinking enough water, so keep that water tumbler full all day and try to drain it at least 2x before you go to sleep at night. Water should be the first thing you drink in the morning and the last thing you drink at night before you go to bed. It should also be something you drink in between any other drink, especially if you’re drinking lots of coffee like me.
I don’t love drinking water, so I have to be really intentional about it and these are the things that help me: filling a large tumbler first thing in the morning, drinking water in between any other type of drink, and cutting off all other beverages by 2 or 3pm and only drinking water the rest of the day. Find what works for you and up your water intake, because your body needs that water to flush out all of the things that are sitting in your gut and causing bloating.
I have a few water tumblers that I really like and have helped me up my water intake.
- This brand is such a fave. I love the design, they fit in cup holders, go in the dishwasher, keep water cold all day, and don’t spill very much when tipped.
- I finally caved on the infamous Stanley. Here’s the biggest benefit: I drink a lot more water. The handle is easy to hold and it really does fit in my cup holder. It gets heavy when it’s full and that makes me want to drink more water. Here’s my exact one, but I also really love these colors, too.
4. Go for a walk:
Something I’ve really been challenging myself to do is go for walks after I eat. I’m also trying to walk more in general throughout the day. Because I work from home, I have to be super intentional about getting movement throughout the day, which is why I added a standing desk and walking pad combo. You can check out all of that info in this post here.
But, even if you don’t work from home, try to get up and move around for awhile after eating. Yes, this is the last thing we want to do after we’re stuffed, but if all that food just sits in our gut, bloating is not far behind. This is one of those old Ayurvedic principles as well that really works. In Ayurvedic medicine, they don’t recommend a brisk walk and you’re not trying to work up a sweat, but they say to walk at least 100 steps after eating to help your food move through your system.
I will tell you that when I move around and walk for a bit after eating, I do feel much better and I see less bloating. And, when I use my walking pad throughout the day instead of just sitting in my desk chair, I notice the same thing, too.
5. Up your fiber:
Fiber really helps our bodies digest food. I find that eating apples, bananas and cucumbers are great ways to up fiber naturally, while packing lots of other health benefits. I’m also a huge fan of superfood smoothies. If you’re using a fiber supplement instead, be sure to drink plenty of water, or you could actually make your bloating worse in the short-term.
If you’re thinking you’re getting enough fiber, a study showed that only 5% of the US population gets the recommended amount of fiber, so you may actually not be getting enough. I’ve also heard that women who want to balance hormones and/or lose weight should be aiming for 25g or more of fiber a day. That’s probably more than you think, since one apple has around 4g of fiber.
So, consider upping your fiber to improve metabolism, increase good gut bacteria, help with healthy weight loss, and support natural detox.
6. Try an elimination diet:
If you’re suffering from painful bloating and it’s not the holidays where you’re eating all sorts of heavier, sugar loaded foods, then consider an elimination diet to find out what is causing issues for you.
Common triggers are gluten, dairy, and sugar. But, you could also have a food sensitivity to something that seems healthy, but your body just doesn’t agree with it. And, since our bodies change over time, this can be a food that you’ve never had a problem with until recently. I had a friend who has always loved spicy food, but in their 30s just couldn’t handle it anymore and it caused so many issues for them. When they finally figured it out, they had to reduce the spiciness of their foods, but it brought them so much relief. So, don’t assume anything when starting an elimination diet and be open to learning whatever is triggering your body to have digestive issues that are causing bloating.
For women, this could be an imbalance in your hormones. You can request hormonal testing, but you may experience push back from your GP or OBGYN. If this happens, you may need to find a new doctor who is going to test your hormone levels, thyroid, cortisol, etc., to find out what could be going on with your body.
Or, if you think it’s just a hormonal or gut imbalance due to stress, age, diet etc., consider home remedies first and see how your body responds. This would mean diet changes, upping your water, upping your fiber, and trying to walk more. I know that I see direct results in my own health when I am doing these things vs. when I’m not.
Here’s a more detailed guide to doing an elimination diet
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I hope you found some new ideas or good reminders on this list. If you’re dealing with more than just bloating and experiencing periodic or regular stomach pain, feel free to check out this post where I share some more ideas for that particular dilemma.
Let me know if any of these work for you or what ideas have worked for you when battling bloating.
Have a fabulous day,
E
