Different Ways to Debloat

There are a lot of blog posts and articles out there that talks about ways to debloat. Most of them talks about what to and what not to consume. So rather this post telling you to drink all the water, don’t eat this and that etc, I thought I would touch up on other ways that could help you debloat alongside the eating and drinking correctly; ways you might not have heard about. Let’s go!

Epsom Salt Bath
Epsom salt baths are known to aid muscle recovery, but it has other benefits too. Whilst magnesium is absorbed through the skin, toxins and excess water are drawn out of the body to make you look less puffy. This is all done just by relaxing and sweating. Sounds heavenly doesn’t it? Two heaped cups of epsom salts dissolved in hot bath water and relax for 20-30 minutes. You need to make sure the salts are fully dissolved and not gathered at the bottom to rake in the full benefits. Once or twice a week is enough. Just remember to drink water before, during and after to replenish and to prevent feeling light headed.

P.S. It’s good for your skin too!

Dry Brushing
Our lymph system is responsible for removing toxins and waste from the body. With dry brushing, you’re stimulating the lymph nodes to boost waste elimination and this does include toxins and excess water. Why not dry brush before an epsom salt bath for better detoxification.

To do this, you brush towards the heart as this is the natural path of your lymph system. With long, sweeping, soft strokes, start off with the feet and work up to your legs, then move onto the palms of the hands and up the arms. Move onto the torso and armpits afterwards, being careful around the chest area. Switch to clockwise, circular motions instead. Brush each area several times, overlapping as you go. Shower or bath as normal afterwards. It’s natural for the skin to turn slightly pink, but if it’s red and it hurts, you’re applying too much pressure.

Yoga
Whether you’ve eaten to an uncomfortable food coma or you might have a condition that causes bloating, yoga can help your digestive system as well as helping you relax. It’s easy to just slump around and not move after a very big meal, but yoga can help assist you when you’re in that state. It helps stimulate your stomach area, moving things along, release tension and aid in digestion. A few moves I would suggest are seated spinal twist, cat and cow, triangle pose, wind relieving pose. If yoga isn’t your thing, its older and wiser sister, meditation, is a great alternative. Don’t forget to breathe whichever option you do. That’s the most important thing.

Stress and anxiety can play a part in the way you bloat so it’s essential that your nervous system feels relaxed therefore the rest of your body benefit from this.

Exercise
As cliche as it sounds, exercise will help. Food such as broccoli releases gas when digested, causing bloating. Stomach muscles help move gas along the intestines so it’s good to strengthen the stomach muscles with some core exercises. Also, regular exercise is good for your overall health. Why not take a 10 minute walk after a meal to reduce excess build up a gas. Just incorporating some form of exercise will help you in the long run.

Sleep
Yes sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, it puts the added stress to your body, therefore your body will hold onto everything you’ve consumed that day. Your metabolism will be slower and that’s not what you want. Sleep is essential for your body to recover, promoting better water balance and blood flow as well as to metabolise all the junk you’ve eaten. Sleep is good, sleep more.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Let me sneak in one food related point here. There are many benefits of apple cider vinegar but did you know it can help with bloating? This helps to kick start your digestive system when taken before a meal, allowing you to manage your meal better. It also contains potassium which can help flush out the excess sodium along with drinking water.

Mix a tablespoon of this with water and drink it 30 minutes before each meal. It’s essential that the ACV you get contains “mother”. This means the ACV is unrefined and contains proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria, making it more beneficial for you.

How do you beat the bloat?