Nothing takes the fun away from a satisfying meal like the post-meal bloat that follows. Bloating is an uncomfortable sensation inside the stomach that makes you feel like a balloon ready to burst anytime. Sufferers describe bloating as a sudden build-up of gas in the abdomen, followed by stomach pain, distension, nausea and fatigue. Mostly, people who experience bloating have underlying stomach problems like irritable bowel syndrome. But it can also be caused due to a high fibre or fatty diet, overeating or eating too fast. Whatever the reason, bloating can slow you down and make you feel very sick. But don’t worry. Bloating can be fixed with a few kitchen ingredients. Here are some home remedies to relieve your stomach from bloating.

Ajwain or carom seeds

Chewing on carom seeds is the most effective ways to help your stomach relax. It’s an old folk remedy to treat every kind of stomach ailment and is safe enough to be given even to babies for colic. Just a teaspoonful of roasted carom seeds help in relieving problems like bloating, gas build up and stomach ache.

Jeera or cumin seeds

Yet another understated ingredient that has a wealth of digestive benefits is jeera or cumin. Spiking the food liberally with this digestive herb is one way to beat bloating. Alternatively, you can chew on some roasted cumin or drink cumin infused water for instant relief from bloating.

Ginger

Folk wisdom advises teaming ginger with the usual offenders that cause gas like lentils, beans, cruciferous vegetables, etc. That’s because ginger helps in nullifying the flatulence-causing effects of these “gassy” ingredients. Apart from using ginger liberally in the food, chewing on a piece or having a teaspoonful of ginger juice will do the trick.

Peppermint

Remember the bright mint-green capsules that our parents used to stock at home for acidity, gas and bloating? It contained peppermint oil, a potent antidote for bloating and other digestive issues. Peppermint is a digestive, which contains stomach-friendly ingredients like menthol and menthone, both of which have antispasmodic properties. A cup of peppermint tea after meals is what you need to keep all your digestive woes at bay!

Banana

Traditional meals in Kerala cooked during festivals are known as sadhya. These carb-heavy meals, which comprises preparations made of rice, lentils and pulses can be quite heavy on the stomach. That’s why it’s a custom to round up the meals with a small banana, because the potassium rich fruit helps in easing digestive issues by flushing out excessive salt and maintaining fluid balance in your body.

Turmeric

There’s no health problem that turmeric cannot solve. If you are prone to bloating, cook all your meals with a healthy dose of turmeric. Drinking a cup of turmeric tea at the end of the meal can also help reduce bloating.

Probiotics

Sometimes, gastric problems can trigger an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria in the gut. When the bad ones overruns the good, you get a bad tummy and bloating is a common side effect. What you need is a good dose of gut-friendly bacteria that will take care of all your abdominal woes. So team your meals with healthy probiotics like yoghurt, kombucha, pickles, etc.

If bloating is a constant issue, make sure you follow some healthy eating habits. Cut down on salt, eat potassium-rich foods, exercise and drink plenty of water. Some medication can interfere with your digestive processes. Make sure it's not the medicines that are triggering it. If these remedies don't work, seek advice from your physician.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2018 04:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).