by Paula P.

Created on: January 06, 2010

We've all been there at one point or another. Bloating is never a comfortable experience and leave you feeling fairly self conscious. However, there are actually many ways to cure the symptoms of bloating. By understanding what causes bloating, you can figure out what to eliminate from your diet and save yourself the trouble next time.

Bloating has a number of different causes. It can be from dieting, added salt intake, eating foods with gaseous products (green vegetables, beans, etc.), even calcium supplements. Other causes can be just from simply inhaling a lot of air. Smoking can easily cause this. Chewing gum can also cause bloating because of the fact that you inhale more when you chew gum. One of the main causes of bloating is eating food that doesn't agree with your body. We are technically not made to digest milk or lactose products properly. That isn't to say we are all lactose intolerant, but it is often times a cause of bloating. Likewise, the natural sugar in fruit is not tolerable by some people.

The main idea is that we aren't able to digest everything. In return, we are given bloating and gas problems. It's not very easy to sit down and recall everything you ate and wonder what caused the bloating. And of course, women are more prone to bloating. Especially because of menstrual cycles. Prior to the menstrual cycle, the hormone activity increases causing gases to move slowly before and throughout your period.

Despite the causes of bloating, there are natural remedies for bloating. Ginger and peppermint tea have found to be effective ways to cure bloating. Boiled water with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and honey also helps. For instant relief, a detox bath can be taken to rid yourself of any bloating and accumulation of waste. Exercise also helps. Lying on your back and pulling your right knee up to your chest while keeping your left leg on the floor and holding for 20 seconds helps. Repeat with the other knee and alternate a few more times.

Do not skip meals if you are bloating. It may sound strange, but drinking plenty of water helps a lot. Keeping your body hydrated is very important and can also decrease bloating prior to menstrual cycles. Avoid spicy foods, carbonated drinks, chewing gum, dairy products, sweetened foods, uncooked fruits and vegetables, any seeded fruits (strain seeds out), corn, beans, nuts, garlic/onion, and cabbage.

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