Gastrointestinal Woes

Getting a dose of your dinner after you've eaten, doubling over with gas pains, or, worse yet, expelling gas—none of these gastrointestinal nightmares will win you a second date.

To tame the storm you've got to coat it with a layer of antacids. Preferably, use one that contains alginic acid, urges Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterologist. "When you take a big slug of it by mouth, it sits on top of whatever you've eaten, so the stuff coming up is not acidic," she says.

While you can shrug off occasional acid reflux, regular bouts can signal something more serious. "If you're going through a fair amount of antacids—more than a couple times a week—see your gastroenterologist to make sure you don't have something more serious," Raymond suggests.

Where does gas come from? "Either you've swallowed gas or it's generated in the bowels," Raymond tells WebMD.

Yes, you can actually "eat" gas, or air. There's even a name for ingesting air: aerophagia. Raymond explains the various ways that air gets absorbed. Drinking through straws is a common way. Lots of people tend to swallow air when they're nervous, notes Raymond. Certain ways of chewing can also cause you to swallow air. The good news about gas produced via aerophagia? It smells, well, just like air.

If your gas smells far less innocuous than air, chances are you've eaten something that is gas-producing. Raymond recommends doing a "food diary" to determine and eliminate the offending food. Dairy products, whey and cruciferous vegetables top the list of gas-inducing foods, she explains.

Once you've identified the culprit? "Get it out of your life," Raymond advises.