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The end-of-the-year festivities are a joyful time with lots of outings, lots of food, and along with that, lots of bloating. Bloating is a problem we all face, especially after a heavy meal. This is a bigger problem than usual during the festive season, when there’s a lot of indulgent meals. Bloating can ruin many outings, especially if you’ve had an outfit stitched especially for the occasion. As annoying as it can be, bloating is easy to avoid. Here are my go-to tips to beat festive bloating.
Hydration is talked about a lot for good health, and rightfully so. However, it is important to hydrate the right way to avoid bloating. Start your day with a glass of warm water or you can start your day with a shot of lemon juice to kickstart your digestive system. Drink water before or after every meal but not during. You can also sip teas throughout the day to stay hydrated while nourishing your body. Fizzy drinks are the biggest culprit, so swap those for juices or flavoured water.
Bloating is a sign that your body hasn’t digested the food properly, so pay attention to what you eat and how you eat. The path to a bloat-free existence begins with how you approach your meals. When you eat, take your time to chew your food thoroughly for optimal digestion. Load up on fiber-rich foods to keep bloating in check, and consider incorporating plenty of gut-friendly probiotics into your diet. Chana-dal and beans are notorious gas producers and are most likely the reason behind your bloat!
Also read: How to stop bloating? Make note of these 9 ultimate tips reduce it
Before starting with yoga, make sure your posture is correct — proud chest with your shoulders pushed back — in your daily life.
* Viparita Karani or legs up the wall pose stretches your torso. Try it when you wake up and before you go to bed.
* Cat-and-Cow Pose stretches your abdominal muscles and relieves tension in your stomach, alleviating bloating.
* Pavan Muktasana is THE yoga pose to get rid of bloating. It is the easiest and fastest way to release gas and reduce bloating.
* Ardha Matsyendrāsana or the Spinal Twist and Supta Matsyendrasana or the Supine Spinal Twist are also great ways to alleviate bloating. Any asanas which involve twisting stretch your torso and abdominal muscles.
* Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose opens the chest and stretches the abdomen to reduce bloating.
Make it a daily ritual to spend just 5 minutes practicing these yoga poses for bloating, and remember to complement them with deep breathing exercises. A full inhalation and exhalation will work wonders in stretching your stomach and helping you stay bloat-free while staying active.
It is important to pay attention to your body and listen to what it’s telling you to avoid festive bloating. The festive season can be hectic, so it is important to be extra attentive to your body and mind. Yoga can help balance the stress by giving you a moment of quiet relaxation and releasing the much-needed endorphins to beat the stress while also beating the bloat!
(Anshuka Parwani is a Wellness Columnist for Health Shots. She writes an exclusive bi-weekly column for the women’s health platform. A leading celebrity yoga and holistic wellness expert in India, Anshuka trains celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt. A former pilot, she is the force behind Mumbai-based yoga studio Anshuka Yoga.)
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