7 Foods To Avoid When You Are Feeling Bloated

Feeling bloated? Don't know what to do to feel better? A common stomach problem that most of us face from time to time is bloating, which can make you feel uncomfortable, gassy and lethargic. There are several reasons that cause abdominal bloating - from indigestion and food allergies to lactose intolerance and constipation. Our eating habits, particularly, play a crucial role in triggering the issue. Even things like eating food too fast, taking cold drinks immediately after meals or high salt intake can make it worse. As such, it's important to be mindful of the kind of foods you include in your daily diet and how they affect your body.

Here's a list of foods that are known to cause bloating:

1. Beans

Beans or legumes are high in fiber content and also contain certain short-chain carbohydrates that can't be digested in the stomach. They undergo fermentation much later in the intestine, thanks to gut bacteria, but in the process leads to gas. It's therefore recommended to always soak the beans in water before cooking and to wash them many times.

(Also read: 7 Quick Home Remedies To Bring Relief From Acidity)

^{Legumes are a rich source of fiber}

2. Lentils

Not all kinds of lentils suit everyone. Most people have difficulties in digesting lentils like toor dal, maa ki dal, chana dal, etc because they too contain short-chain carbs like beans.

3. Cauliflower, broccoli

These veggies fall under a category known as cruciferous veggies. While they are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, the downside is that they cause gas for many people. That's again because of a kind of sugar that gets digested only in the gut.

^{Broccolis cause gas for many people}

4. Onions and garlic

Can you imagine a dish without the delicious flavour of onions or garlic? As common as these ingredients may be in the kitchen, for those who are prone to bloating, they should keep a check on their intake. Raw onions and garlic contain fructans, which are soluble fibers that can cause bloating.

5. Wheat and grains

There are many who suffer from celiac disease and as such has to follow a strict gluten free diet. Those who are prone to bloating should also keep a check on their intake because wheat and other grains contain high source of fiber and that's hard for the body to digest. As such it leads to gas and bloating.

^{Wheat and other grains contain high source of fiber}

6. Junk food

As much as you may love junk food, those fries, sugary treats and fizzy drinks actually do much more damage to your body than just spiking up your calories. One of them is to cause bloating as they are not easily digested. Aerated drinks, on the other hand, contain high amounts of carbon dioxide, a gas, which gets trapped in the digestive system.

7. Dairy

While milk and other dairy products are largely consumed in most Indian households, many people are unable to digest the milk sugars known as lactose, leading to a condition known as lactose intolerance. As such it leads to gas, bloating and cramps. Hot milk, especially, is a common trigger.

^{Many people are unable to digest milk sugars}

Keep a check on these above mentioned ingredients to prevent bloating.