Fasting can help with bloating by giving your digestive system a rest and activating "housekeeping" waves (migrating motor complex) that clear out old food and bacteria, reducing buildup. However, it can also cause temporary bloating initially due to changes in gut bacteria or eating large meals after fasting, so it's a mixed bag, but generally beneficial for long-term gut health and reducing inflammation.
While a prolonged fast of 3–5 days aligns with the gut lining's turnover rate and facilitates cell regeneration, studies have shown that shorter fasts of around 16–24 hours can still yield positive changes in the gut microbiome, offering digestive benefits without the need for an extended fast.
Yes, fasting can create a calorie deficit to reduce overall fat, including belly fat. However, combining it with exercise yields better results.
For instance, if you believe that slow digestion is the cause behind your bloating, you can expect relief from symptoms within 2 hours of your last meal. However, as a general guideline, you should debloat within the day as your body digests the stomach contents.
Your digestive system could slow down for a bit when you skip meal this results in accumulation of gas in your stomach and intestines. Moreover, there's a strong likelihood that if you have your meals after passing prolonged time, you might end up eating bigger quantities. It does add up to bloating too!
To debloat your stomach fast, focus on moving your body with light cardio or stretching, drinking herbal teas (peppermint, ginger) for digestion, applying heat with a warm compress, using over-the-counter gas relievers like simethicone, getting abdominal massages, and ensuring you're well-hydrated. Avoiding trigger foods and carbonated drinks also helps quickly reduce trapped gas and water retention.
Skipping meals
You are also more likely to eat too fast and not chew well when hungry. This further worsens bloating!
Bloating is a sign of excess gas or fluid in the digestive system, often from swallowing air, eating gas-producing foods (like beans, dairy, or gluten), constipation, food intolerances (lactose, fructose), or conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or SIBO. It can also signal more serious issues like celiac disease, gastroparesis, or gynecological problems, but usually results from dietary habits or common digestive issues.
Not only does fibrous produce help aid digestion, but foods like potassium-rich bananas and hydrating watermelon help flush out belly-bloating sodium. Papaya contains high levels of essential digestive enzymes that break down protein to aid digestion, which helps you feel less full.
Mebeverine hydrochloride (Colofac) or Hyoscine hydrobromide (Buscopan) are smooth muscle relaxants which reduce abdominal cramps and bloating. Reduce constipation by increasing your intake of soluble fibre such as oats or linseeds (up to 1 tablespoon daily). Available over the counter.
22:2 fasting, also known as the OMAD (One Meal A Day) diet, is a form of intermittent fasting where you fast for 22 hours and eat all your daily calories within a compact 2-hour window, focusing on nutrient-dense foods to support weight loss, improve digestion, and boost mental clarity, though research on its long-term safety and effectiveness is limited. It's an intense, restrictive schedule that helps reduce overall calorie intake and may trigger autophagy (cellular cleanup), but requires careful attention to nutrition during the eating window to avoid deficiencies.
Doctors are cautious about intermittent fasting (IF) due to potential risks like increased cardiovascular death (especially with <8hr windows), hormonal issues for women, muscle/bone loss, side effects (fatigue, headaches), risks for specific groups (diabetics, pregnant/elderly), and the lack of long-term data, with some studies showing similar benefits to general calorie restriction or suggesting risks that outweigh benefits, urging personalized medical advice.
Physical activity helps burn abdominal fat. One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition.
Signs of bad gut health include digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn; skin problems such as acne or eczema; mood changes like anxiety or depression; fatigue; sugar cravings; and unintentional weight changes, all stemming from an imbalance in your gut microbiome (dysbiosis). These symptoms can signal that your gut isn't processing food and eliminating waste effectively, impacting overall well-being, notes Healthdirect and GoodRx.
The 7 Day Gut Reset is a clean-eating and lifestyle-based plan designed to: Eliminate common gut disruptors. Introduce healing, nourishing foods. Support your digestive system with hydration and rest. Improve the diversity of your gut bacteria.
Preparing for your colonoscopy
How to get rid of bloating
Avoid fruits, legumes and vegetables which are known to cause gas. Avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice-cream. Drink un-carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages. On long-haul flights, try to stand up and take a walk around the cabin every 2 hours.
Here our nutritionists explain the best foods for digestion to help you reduce that bloated feeling.
Some people have a bloated stomach for a long period of time due to gastrointestinal tract disease, including gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastrointestinal or colorectal cancer, parasitic infection, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal dysfunction, and other system disorders such as thyroid and diabetes, which can ...
Common causes of bloating include:
Counter-intuitively, the same notion applies to undernourished or malnourished people. Many forms of malnourishment – the most widely known of which is Kwashiorkor – are characterized by bloated, distinctively rounded stomachs.
According to Dr. Sethi, ginger tea soothes digestion and reduces inflammation further helping reduce bloating. Ginger tea also helps reduce nausea, blood pressure and cholesterol. Additionally, it helps promote healthy blood sugar levels.
Feeling full after eating very little
You might have this feeling, known as early satiety, along with nausea, vomiting, bloating or weight loss.