Beat the bloat

Get rid of bloating by cutting out fizzy drinks and foods that cause wind. Sit down to eat and take regular exercise.

Most of us have experienced the feeling of being bloated, when your tummy is stretched, puffy and uncomfortable. It often happens after a big weekend or over a festive season. But for some people, bloating is more than an occasional inconvenience.

If your stomach or tummy often feels bloated, it could be due to:

• excess wind  
• constipation
• swallowing air (from talking while eating etc)
• Coeliac disease 
• food intolerance
• irritable bowel syndrome 

Excess wind and bloating

Cut down on foods known to cause wind and bloating, such as:

• beans
• onions
• broccoli
• cabbage
• sprouts
• cauliflower

But make sure you still eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Constipation and bloating

If you get constipation, take steps to prevent it with a fibre-rich diet, drinking lots of fluids and taking regular exercise. Even a 20-30 minute brisk walk four times a week can improve your bowel function.

Swallowing air and bloating

Try not to swallow too much air. Don’t talk and eat at the same time, sit down to eat (sitting upright and not slumped over), reduce the amount of fizzy drinks you consume, stop chewing gum and chew with your mouth closed so that you’re not taking in excess air.

Coeliac disease and bloating

Coeliac disease is a common digestive condition where your intestine can't absorb gluten found in wheat, barley and rye.

Pure oats do not contain gluten, but people with coeliac disease may need to also avoid oats as they are often processed in factories that also process wheat and there is a risk of cross-contamination.

Apart from bloating, if you have Coeliac disease, eating foods containing gluten can also trigger diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue.

See your GP for a blood test if you suspect you may have Coeliac disease.

There is no cure for Coeliac disease but, once the condition has been diagnosed, switching to a gluten-free diet should help.

Read more about Coeliac disease.

Food intolerance and bloating

Food intolerance can lead to bloating when:

• Your bowel doesn’t empty properly.
• The food causes gas to be trapped.
• Too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food.

The main offenders are wheat or gluten and dairy products. The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the culprit food or cut it out completely.

Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But don't get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.

Find out whether you should cut out bread to stop bloating.

Read more about food intolerance.

Irritable bowel syndrome and bloating

People with irritable bowel syndrome often complain of bloating, especially in the evening. The bloating of IBS doesn’t seem to be linked with excess wind. It’s thought to be down to erratic propulsion of contents through the bowel.

It can help to cut down on fatty or high-fibre foods. Peppermint tea or capsules and probiotics have also been reported to help ease IBS symptoms.

Read more about IBS and its treatment.

If your bloating symptoms persist, consult your GP to rule out a more serious condition. Bloating, and a persistent feeling of fullness, are key symptoms of ovarian cancer

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/digestive-health/Pages/beat-the-bloat.aspx

8 worst habits you need to give up

Everyone has bad habits from overdoing it on the booze to watching fantastically mindless, trashy TV. But although some things might seem like a hard habit to break, there are often really good health reasons why we should stop. So with that in mind, here’s our top 8 worst habits that really need to go.

Smoking

This is one of the classic New Year resolutions that so many people make and yet so many fail to break. Research has consistently highlighted just why smoking is bad for you.  Cancer, heart disease and long-term respiratory problems are just some of the health risks associated with the habit. It kills over 100,000 in the UK annually and over 400,000 in the USA. And it’s anti-social. So go on. Say no to nicotine.

Binge-drinking

When you wake up with a hangover, it’s a fairly common reaction to ponder the point of over-indulging on the alcohol front. But as well as adding pounds we don’t need in areas we don’t need them, too much alcohol can lead to a stroke, cardiac arrest, liver problems and heart issues. Indeed a recent study at University College London found that almost half of adults in the UK are binge drinkers. Time to hit the wagon huh?

Too much caffeine

Nothing beats that first cup of tea or coffee in the morning to beat the bleary eyes, but could you live without it?  Although we might think of the USA as the coffee capital of the world, Europeans consume more caffeine than anyone, with the UK 15th in the world charts.  Too much caffeine accelerates the heart rate and leads to insomnia, headaches and irritability. That said it can have a beneficial effect on fat-burning and exercise, so why not think about limiting your intake instead. 

Junk food

Practically everyone has had the munchies after a night out and succumbed to a kebab or a burger and chips. The trouble is, that kind of food is full of empty calories. That means your body can’t effectively convert junk food into anything other than fat. So eat before you go out and salmon makes for the perfect pre-party evening meal. Not only is it an amazing source of protein, but it also contains all sorts of other benefits such as omega-3 fatty acids, which improve cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Protein also lessens the effects of alcohol, as it takes a long time for your body to digest and minimises alcohol absorption.

Fizzy drinks/soda

Yes they taste good but no, they aren’t good for you. Apart from their teeth-rotting potential, fizzy drinks are packed with sugar, calories and caffeine. There are 139 calories in a can of Coca Cola, which is 14% of a woman’s recommended daily allowance. So yes, have one as an occasional treat, but come on, have a healthy fruit smoothie instead and radiate vitality and a Hollywood smile.

Too much technology

Research has shown recently that children’s thumbs are actually getting bigger because of the amount of time they spend texting and on tablets/android technology. We all do it, check our phones and tablets and play pointless computer games when we could be outdoors getting some fresh air. So ditch the technology. Angry Birds can wait. A gorgeous sunset can’t.

Vegging out in front of the TV

According to a Belgian study, people can consume up to 71% more food when they watch TV. When you do the maths that means that if you watch more than 19 hours of TV a week (and it adds up very quickly), you suddenly have a whopping 97% chance of being overweight. As if that wasn’t bad enough, TV isn’t great for engaging the brain either. Why? Because researchers at Case Western Reserve University discovered that for every hour beyond 80 minutes you watch, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases by 30%. Wow. Time to read a book and do something active in the evenings.

Late night eating

Eating late at night is a sure fire way to pile on the pounds. US researchers have discovered that our internal organs have a body clock, which means they are more effective at certain times of the day than others. So, if you eat late at night, when the liver and intestines are not at their peak intensity, you could be asking for trouble and a bigger waistline. 

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/8-worst-habits-you-need-to-give-up/

Water and drinks

Your body needs water or other fluids to work properly and to avoid dehydration.

This article explains how much we need to drink, how to spot the signs of dehydration and how to choose healthier non-alcoholic drinks. For advice on alcohol, see our Alcohol section.

Water makes up about two-thirds of the weight of a healthy body.

Most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water in order to take place. We also need water so that our blood can carry nutrients around the body and get rid of waste.

How much should we drink?

To stay healthy, it's important to replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate.

We get some fluid from our food but most comes from drinks.

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. That's about eight glasses of 200ml each for a woman, and 10 glasses of 200ml each for a man. 

However, the amount a person needs to drink to avoid getting dehydrated will vary depending on a range of factors, including their size, the temperature and how active they are. So, for example, if you're exercising hard in hot weather you'll need to drink more.

All drinks count, including hot drinks such as tea and coffee, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest. It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.

Try to avoid sugary, soft and fizzy drinks that can be high in added sugars. These can be high in calories and bad for teeth.

Signs of dehydration

When our bodies don't have enough water, we are said to be dehydrated.

One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty.

If you think you may not be getting enough fluids, check whether you have any of these other common signs of dehydration:

• dark urine and not passing much urine when you go to the toilet
• headaches
• lack of energy 
• feeling lightheaded 

See Dehydration for more information.

Types of drinks

Try to choose healthier drinks as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Many soft drinks are high in sugar. Food and drinks that are high in sugar are often high in calories, and having too many calories can make you more likely to gain weight.

Some energy drinks are high in both sugar and caffeine.

Checking the nutrition labels on soft drinks, such as fruit juices and fizzy drinks, can help you make healthier choices. For more information, see Food labels.

Drink plenty of water

Water is the healthiest choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth.

If you don't like the taste of plain water, try sparkling water or add a slice of lemon or lime. You could also add some no-added-sugar or reduced-sugar squash or fruit juice for flavour.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx