What Causes Festival Bloating? 8 Tips to Beat Festival Bloating Detox

Festivities in India are not complete without food or should I say sweets and festivals in India are all about fun, food, and family – indulgence is the first thing that is on everybody's mind. We eagerly await the time we get to spend with our loved ones, prepare special festival treats, eat out together, sleep late and snack and drink more than usual - and generally end up overeating and not exercising. Although it’s a lot of fun, it takes a toll on our bodies.

Hence, during festivals, we tend to indulge in more sweets and food, however, tend to forget the after of that indulgence. Those after-effects of indulgence are what you called bloating in simple language. But let's first understand bloating.

What Is Bloating?

Bloating happens when there is an abnormal gas accumulated swelling in the abdominal area. As a result, you feel full with a tight abdomen. It may cause abdominal pain and may or may not be accompanied by stomach growling.

What Causes Bloating Post-festivals?

Usually, mommies can feel bloated anytime due to lack of proper diet and care they give to themselves. However, with the festival season starting this is a time when most of you mommies would be feeling bloated. So why post festivals? Well for starters, festivals are the perfect time to indulge and after indulging in fried foods, ‘farsaan', and sweets and not exercising – we generally end up with a bloated body.

Bloating makes everyone feel uncomfortable. So ditch processed foods and opt for fruits and vegetables and balanced food– and help your body recover it's natural strength and fitness levels. [Read: Tips to Cope-up Pre-Menstrual Syndrome(PMS) Bloating]

How to Beat Bloating Post-festivals?

It is quite simple to beat bloating post Rakhi (when you have indulged in too many sweets and chocolates) we don't blame you. When your body is crying out for hydration and nutrients, whip up this hydrating recovery drink in just 3 steps! Once ready, you've got a zingy, hydrating and anti-inflammatory drink that will work wonders on both your hangover and your tired, achy body. I hope these easy tips help you overcome that festival bloating.

You could also try these regularly to maintain fitness and boost your natural energy! Follow these quick & simple tips to help you beat festival bloating detox...

1. Choose Healthy Eating to Fight Bloating: Swap all kinds of refined, salt-laden dishes, fried and sweet foods for a few days with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables– choose salads, steamed vegetables or chicken, etc. Also, avoid sprinkling salt on your salad as it adds on to your salt intake
2. Detox the right way to fight bloating: Detoxifying does not mean starving yourself, so you can have the required quantities of raw juices through the day. Detoxifying means to have a certain diet that helps in reducing the bloating effect by flushing out the toxins in your body and giving you a refreshed look and feel. It also gives your digestive system a break and a much-needed energy boost
3. Avoid caffeine: Caffeinated drinks can aggravate bloating. Pump up on healthy fluids - sip on un-sweetened lemon water and green tea infused water instead. In case you are the kinds who are addicted to your caffeine dose then reduce the quantity and for every cuppa drink two glasses of water
4. Probiotics are the right choice to fight festival bloating: You have often heard to include foods rich in Probiotics as they aid digestion by increasing the gut enzymes. But ever wondered what are Probiotics? Probiotics are the live bacteria and yeast that are good for the digestive system. They help in maintaining the good and bad bacteria balance in the body. Some of the foods that are rich in Probiotics are yogurt, Yakult
5. Increase your water intake: Have plenty of water without fail. Not having enough water makes your body retain water and bloats you up. So, drink plenty of the wonder liquid and flush out all toxins from your body and say bye-bye to bloating. You may also drink coconut water, as it is rich in nutrients and helps in flushing out the toxins
6. Choose smart to fight festival bloating: Natural and unrefined foods– foods with no sugar, no refined flour, no store-bought baked goods and surely no fizzy drinks. Avoid readymade masalas and all other packaged foods during this period
7. Fill up on fiber to fight festival bloating: Choose ingredients with high-fiber content, like ragi, brown rice, etc. Start your meal with a glass of water. Ideally, your day should begin with a warm/lukewarm glass of water, followed by one seasonal fruit, and then the breakfast that is a balanced mix of carbohydrates and proteins as your body needs carbohydrates the first thing in the morning after 12 hours of starvation or deprivation
8. Eat mindfully and fight festival bloating: Take small bites, and chew slowly. Not chewing your food properly also means that it stays longer in your gut, fermenting in your intestines and causing indigestion and bloating. Do not eat in a hurry
   1. Take one chilled, skinned and seeded melon (Galia, charentais or honeydew work well) and scoop out the flesh
   2. Add the melon and a one-centimeter cube of peeled and chopped ginger into a blender, along with four ice cubes
   3. Whizz up the ingredients in your mixer and its ready to serve.

This is one of the most common problems people face post-festivities – which is extremely uncomfortable and saps our energy. Follow bits of advice shared above by pro-parent blogger Foram Modi to help your body recover and overcome that festival bloat – so that the next time you do indulge, you need not worry!