You planned to wear your new jeans today, but after eating that
breakfast burrito, you’re reaching for sweatpants instead. Don’t
panic; most people experience bloating at one time or another as
a symptom of gastrointestinal distress. “As an internist, I see
one or two of these cases every day,” says Timothy Harlan, MD,
author of Just Tell Me What to Eat! (Da Capo, 2011). The
challenge is to figure out the causes, which vary from water
retention to food intolerances, he says. Banish the bloat with
these tips.   Eat slowly  When you eat too fast, you swallow
more air, which can lead to bloating, says Dawn Jackson Blatner,
RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2009). Plus,
digestion starts in your mouth; if food is only partially
digested by the time it reaches your gut, intestinal bacteria
have to work harder to break it down—and produce more gas in the
process. Take your time and chew until food reaches applesauce
consistency.  Watch salt  Sodium maintains the body’s healthy
fluid balance, but where