Although certain medical conditions and even some medications can leave you feeling bloated, there's a good chance that any bloating you experience is a result of your diet. You shouldn't hesitate to set up an appointment with your family doctor or, if the bloating is intense and causing you distress, visit an urgent care clinic. However, it's also worthwhile to take a specific approach to your diet to see if you can manage the condition yourself. It's almost certain that your doctor will talk to you about your diet, so making some improvements in this area means that you can tell him or her that you're on the right track. Here are three ways to approach your diet.
Eat Smaller Meals
Large meals can quickly cause you to become bloated. When you put a considerable amount of food into your system in a short amount of time, bloating is almost inevitable. A very simple way to change your approach to eating in order to reduce some of your bloating is to eat smaller meals. For example, instead of eating a large breakfast, lunch, and dinner, try eating moderate-sized portions for these meals and snack on small amounts of food between each meal.
Track What You Eat
Get into the habit of making a few quick notes in your smartphone about what you eat throughout the day, and then notice if you feel bloated. After a few bouts of bloating, assess your diet and look for trends. For example, if you had coleslaw before you felt bloated on three consecutive occasions, it's a good indicator that cabbage — which definitely can cause bloating for many people — is giving you trouble. Try to eliminate cabbage from your diet and see if your bloating stays away, too.
Eat More Fiber
Bloating can often arise when you're constipated. If you aren't moving your bowels frequently enough, your digestive system will get backed up, gas will be produced, and you'll feel bloated. Assess how much fiber you're getting daily and consider trying to increase your dose through fresh vegetables and fruit. Too much fiber can cause gas in some cases, so you want to make small changes to your diet when it comes to adding more fiber. As you make these changes, don't be afraid to keep some notes about what you're doing and how it's helping you. These notes may prove to be illuminating and can be beneficial to share with your doctor.