We probably all have it every once in a while: feeling sluggish and thinking you kinda look like a pregnant woman: belly bloat. Bloated bellies can be quite annoying, especially if it gives you stomach aches or when bikini season is upon us. What can worsen it, and more importantly, what are the tips and tricks that help reduce it?
BYE BYE BELLY BLOAT
Try to avoid:
- Any carbonated drinks, including diet soda. All these bubbles have to go somewhere and unfortunately your stomach is the place to be.
- Artifical sweeteners, they can't be digested and are likely to cause bloating.
- Alcohol. Besides a headache, my hangovers often involve a not so happy tummy too. So maybe take it slow on the cocktails if you experience the same.
- Gum. When you chew gum, you swallow air. All that air gets trapped in your GI tract and causes pressure, bloating, and belly expansion—none of which help flatten your middle. Drinking from a straw and eating too quickly have the same effect.
- Raw veggies and fruits. Although this is very healthy, most people get quite bloated from eating raw vegetables and big amounts of fruit. Raw vegetables are quite hard to digest for a lot of people. Legumes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers, and citrus fruits are known for increasing gas and might be better to avoid in large quantities if you're sensitive to this.
- Lactose. Again, it really depends on your body if you are able to digest this well but for a lot of people lactose can cause bloating. Swap that vanilla icecream for a sorbet to find out if it makes any difference for you.
Instead:
- Help your digestion by eating more fibre. Increase your fibre intake with wholegrains like oats, and eat fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds regularly.
- Eat foods that contain probiotics. Yoghurt and fermented veggies are good sources of probiotics, healthy bacteria that will benefit your gut.
- Eat slowly, drink enough fluids and keep that booty moving.
- Peppermint tea, chamomile tea, anise, coriander, fennel, and tumeric can help to reduce gas. In case you can't resist those summery iced teas, fresh fruits, icecreams or cocktails and end up bloated anyways.
After ditching the bloat, it's time to find your perfect bikini and enjoy the summer! Cheers!
