Bye Bye Belly Bloat!
We all know bloating feels uncomfortable and we’re not so excited about the way it looks either..so what can be done about the tummy, fingers, ankles and more that seem to gain two or more clothing sizes overnight? The good news? It’s only temporary!
These 5 simple tips can help flatten your stomach starting today:
Decrease Salt
Salt is a beneficial and necessary component of healthy living. However, if you are eating an excess of salt, you will retain water and that can lead to an imbalance of salt and water in the body and that is synonymous with your ‘not-so-favorite’ five letter word: Bloat. If you are eating processed foods such as frozen dinners, fast foods, snacks etc, you are most likely taking in excess sodium. Salting all of your food is another indication you are taking in too much sodium. Stored carbohydrates hold three times the water that protein does, so if you are eating an excess of pasta, cereals etc,, next time reduce the amount of carbs and add more protein in its place.
Drink Water
Drinking water releases stored cellular fluid and this means a flatter tummy! When we are mildly dehydrated, the body is crying out for water. Your body neeeeds that water for every single process in the human body..so it holds onto it because it does not know when it will have enough again. Drinking water will quickly restore your flat belly look if you haven’t been drinking your H20. Drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces. If you weight 120 lbs, drink a minimum of 60 ounces daily.
Stop Chewing Gum
Chewing gum encourages you to swallow air and then guess what? You guessed it. You are filling your tummy up with air just as if you were blowing up a balloon. And if the gum you are chewing is sugar-free gum? it’s a double whammy. See the below post on Fake Sugar.
Stop the Fizz
When it comes to belly bloat, carbonation is king. These innocent little bubbles decide to take up residence in your intestinal tract and then become trapped and gas builds up. If belly bloat is an issue..your best (and super healthy choice)move is to eliminate all sodas – diet too.
Skip Fake Sugar
Artificially sweetened products from chewing gum, diet sodas, and candies to protein bars, contain sugar substitutes, sugar alcohols or even natural products that can create excess gas (and even severe gastrointestinal distress). One healthy exception (that, in excess, has a slight potential of creating digestive issues): the sugar alcohol Xylitol (pronounced: Zi-Li-Tol). Xylitol is healthy for you as it has a minimal effect on blood sugar and none on insulin level <- One key to optimal health for everyone.
These simple tips will help you deflate that bloated belly starting today.
To Your Health,
~Lori
© 2014 DLS HealthWorks, LLC.
Lori Shemek, PhD, Health and weight loss expert, is the best-selling author of ‘Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!.