Reduce Bloating

Start with the easy changes:

• Treat constipation if present. Retained stool often worsens bloating.
• Eat more slowly, and cut back on talking while chewing, gulping drinks, chewing gum, or straws if they make you swallow air.
• Shrink very large meals, and test smaller portions at the meal that causes the most trouble.
• Limit fizzy drinks if they're a clear trigger.
• Add fiber gradually, not in one big jump.
• Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after meals when you can.
• Check for sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, or erythritol in gum, candy, bars, and “sugar-free” foods.

Don't drop gluten, dairy, legumes, fruit, and vegetables all at once. You won't know what helped, and you can end up with nutritional gaps.

For seven days, track when bloating happens and how bad it is, plus visible distension, bowel movements, meal size, and one or two likely triggers. Note whether it eases after you pass stool or gas.

Pick one change for two weeks. If you're constipated, fix that first. If symptoms follow a very large dinner, cut the portion and move more food earlier. If a specific high-lactose food is the pattern, test lactose instead of removing all dairy. If symptoms are broad and look like IBS, a structured low-FODMAP trial is an option with professional guidance, followed by reintroduction and personalization.

Keep the rest of your diet steady. Bring back any removed food to find the amount you tolerate.