This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.

**NATURALLY REDUCE BLOATING**

Every girl knows that uncomfortable feeling after eating. You just want to put on comfy clothes, get into bed & watch Netflix. Bloating can happen when we eat the wrong food groups together, eating too fast, or when it’s that time of the month. I’m not a doctor, however, these easy & effective tricks that I’ve learned through my mom & over the years have worked for myself & could help for you too . . . Try some of these all natural ways to reduce bloating, & not get that, “Feel like I’m going to have a baby” feeling.

Eat Fruit First

Most fruits have a high percentage of water in them, so having it be the first food in the stomach will be easier to digest in your stomach. If you plan on having fruit, have it by itself & the first food you have. This can prevent indigestion, causing that bloating feeling. Eating fruit after a meal isn’t the end of the world, but it can cause indigestion when the food you ate before fruit hasn’t digested yet & the fruit you just had has already digested. Having fruit be the first thing you eat in the morning (before your actual breakfast) might make a difference in your stomach starting right at the beginning of the day.

Ginger Root & Digestive Enzymes

Ginger is great for cooking & is also great for the stomach. Ginger root has been around for centuries while used for medicine & is closely related to turmeric (a great supplement & antioxidant). Ginger root is great for digestion when taken right before eating. Ginger root digestive enzymes come in small tablets that you can get wherever; Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Walmart, etc. My mom also takes regular digestive enzymes every time before she eats, & swears by it. She says she rarely gets bloated or an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach after eating. Take one ginger root tablet, or a digestive enzyme before eating to ensure digestion!

Drink WATER With Every Snack & Meal

Sometimes when we eat foods with too much salt & not enough water, it can cause bloating. When you know you’re about to have salty food, have a glass of water with you while you eat. This might sound obvious & silly, but when we eat, sometimes we forget to drink water with our meal. While eating slowly & drinking water in between bites, can help digest our food and can lessen boating, especially for foods with a high salt content. Even with non-salty foods, drinking water regularly while we eat makes such a difference in the digestion process!

Flaxseed Meal

Flaxseed Meal is a healthy fat, an antioxidant with fiber and packed with protein. Because flaxseed contains both tons of fiber, it’ll help in movement in the stomach and in the digestion process. Flaxseed is also great if you’re looking for an easy way to add more protein to your diet & also boosts your immune system. I get the organic Flaxseed Meal from Trader Joes :-) Sprinkle on top of meals or add to smoothies!

Control your Stress Levels

Especially when it’s that time of the month, we feel more stressed than usual. Getting back into school work, trying to maintain a healthy diet, taking part in clubs, & sports can make anyone stressed. High stress levels directly affects our hormonal levels, which can also cause bloating. It’s important that we take time for ourselves to de-stress & re-wind. Try taking a yoga class, reading, watching Netflix or working out. Even taking 10 minutes out of your day to stretch which will increase blood flow throughout the body can be super effective!

I Rarely Get BLOATED & This is HOW I do it