Who doesn’t hate bloat? We sure do! But let’s think about it, for a little bit. When we are feeling bloated, we tend to think about what we ate, which is great. But the first thing that comes to mind is all the unhealthy foods we might be consuming, such as dairy, ice cream, chips, junk food, fried food,… you see where I’m going.
However, did you know that there are certain healthy foods that can make you feel uncomfortable and lethargic as well? No worries, we are here to tell you what you can do to avoid that!
What IS Bloating?
As you already know, bloating happens in your stomach, when your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is full of gas or air. The GI tract goes from your mouth to your bottom area and it consists of your whole digestive system.
When you’re eating, your stomach is getting filled up with food and after that, it moves down a little, into your small intestines. Eventually, the food goes into your large intestines, making you feel bad. Why, you might ask?
When food is being broken down and digested in your intestines, there is gas is produced during that process. In addition to that, the food might need some extra water to help push it through. Having extra liquid and gas is what creates bloating.
Bloating can make you feel uncomfortable like you have eaten a huge meal and there is no space in your stomach anymore. Your belly might look bigger and tighter and the worst part is that it can actually get really painful.
As we have already discussed, bloating can happen due to the foods you’ve consumed. There are certain meals that can produce more gas than others. For example, people who are lactose or gluten intolerant can feel a lot of discomfort in their stomachs after eating these types of foods.
Healthy foods that cause bloating issues
1. Beans
They are a legume full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. They contain a lot of fiber and oligosaccharides, which is a type of sugar that is harder to digest. Even though it’s extremely healthy and a good alternative for vegan and vegetarian people, eating too many beans can make you feel uncomfortable.
If you love beans and you want to consume them as often as possible, you should try soaking them for a few hours or overnight before cooking. This way, you will reduce their ability to create extra gas in your body. You can eat small amounts of beans every day, in order to get your stomach used to it. By doing so, you will help your gut build up good bacteria and also reduce gas.
2. Garlic and onion
Although these two vegetables give a great flavor to all the dishes you might be cooking, unfortunately, they contain fructans. These are a type of soluble fibers that can create bloating issues.
You can find fructans in other foods as well, such as leek, agave, or wheat. Even though you might be consuming garlic and onion in small quantities, you can still feel uncomfortable afterward, especially if you eat them raw.
If you want an alternative to onions, you can try fennel, collard greens, and celery. If you wish to have a similar taste to your meals as garlic gives, you can swipe it for different herbs and spices, such as basil and chives.
3. Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous is the name of the vegetables from the Brassicaceae family and they include things such as cabbage, garden cress, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and the list goes on.
These foods are really healthy for you, due to their high numbers of nutrients, such as fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and K. However, if you eat these types of vegetables raw, you are more likely to suffer from digestive issues.
In order to avoid getting bloated, you should always cook cruciferous vegetables. If you want to avoid them, you can always substitute them for something else, such as sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, celery, and ginger. These are also rich in minerals and vitamins, but they will not cause you any bloating issues.
4. Apples and pears
Apples and pears taste amazing. They are sweet, crunchy, and juicy, and they can make the perfect snack for when you’re in a rush. Also, these fruits are great when you crave something sweet, but you don’t want to eat something that is covered in sugar, so you drizzle some peanut butter and cinnamon on a few slices of apples or pears, and call it a day.
Besides them having a nice taste and texture, they contain a lot of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber as well. However, because of the high amount of fructose that they contain, which is nothing else but natural fruit sugar, sometimes it can be hard to digest them.
Other than fructose, pears also have in their composition sorbitol, which is known for making people feel bloated after eating. A good option for people who love these fruits and want to include them in their diets is to cook them before eating.
However, there are always other options that won’t create digestive issues, such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapefruits, oranges, bananas, grapes, mandarins, and cantaloupe.
5. Canned soup
If you were thinking that a canned soup is a healthy choice when you don’t have time to cook, take a second guess! Even though it is true that it’s lower in calories and fat, it doesn’t mean that it won’t affect you in a different kind of way. And we don’t think that you like it when you are feeling bloated!
Usually, soups that you can find in stores have an increased amount of sodium. For example, a serving size of a soup can have anywhere between 750 to 1,100 milligrams of sodium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest consuming less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium in a day. If you eat a can of soup that has 1,000 mg of sodium in it, you are halfway through your recommended total daily intake.
Although you need salt in order to have a healthy and balanced life, if you consume too much sodium you will end up causing trouble for your kidneys. That is because they won’t be able to keep up with your high intake and salt will remain in your bloodstream. Furthermore, they will attract more water, which will cause bloating issues and water retention.
If you still want to enjoy a canned soup, you should look for one that has no more than 600 milligrams of sodium per serving.
6. Corn can also make you bloated
Even though it may be delicious to eat barbecued corn, it might not sound so good when you find out that it will make you bloated. According to Lisa Moskovitz, who is a registered dietitian, not all carbohydrates are easy to digest. She stated that corn has a type of carb that makes it hard for the body to break it down. Furthermore, this can create GI bacteria fermentation, which will attract more gas and air. As a result, you will feel bloated and tired.
TAKEAWAY
Keep in mind that these foods are more likely to create bloating issues, but they won’t affect people the same way! It’s always better to listen to your body and if you are feeling really uncomfortable and you have stomach pain, it might be a good option to talk to your doctor. At the end of the day, you can eat everything you want to, but make sure you don’t overdo it, in order to feel light, not bloated!
If you suffer from bloating, drinking green tea every morning might help because it contains antioxidants, gives you energy, and gets things moving! Here’s one of our favorites, so check it out because it works wonders!
Have you ever had any digestive issues due to these healthy foods? We are curious about your experiences, so make sure to let us know by leaving a comment in the section down below! If you enjoyed reading this article, don’t forget to check this one out as well: Signs You Secretly Have Advanced Colon Cancer!
