Top 10 Ways To Prevent Belly Bloat!
by Denise Austin | October 8, 2016 | Lifestyle
Hi Everyone!
If you’ve ever dealt with one you know that nothing is more uncomfortable than a distended belly. It makes your clothes fit too snugly, or not at all, and that can really turn your mood sour. Here are some of my favorite ways to help deflate your midsection and tips to prevent belly bloat:
- Eat slowly. If you eat too fast, you can swallow air along with your food which will cause your stomach to bloat.
- Drink lots of water. It sounds contradictory, but drinking water actually helps flush extra fluid from your body. (This is especially helpful during that time of the month.)
- Steer clear of sugar substitutes. Though it’s not exactly clear why these may inflate your belly, avoid them if you can. Not only to keep your stomach flat but also because some studies show that eating low-cal artificial sweeteners actually makes people gain weight. Go figure!
- Don’t chew gum. This one was a surprise to me! It’s believed that you take in too much air when you chew gum, and that can fill your tummy. Also, some gums contain artificial sweeteners that are believed to putt you up.
- Go easy on the salt. This may sound easy, but even if you don’t reach for the salt-shaker, lots of foods have hidden sodium in them. Make sure to read the Nutrition Label to see how much is lurking in your food. The American Heart Association recommends less than twenty-three hundred milligrams – which is equal to about one teaspoon.
- Avoid too many carbonated beverages. All the bubbles in your glass will create bubbles inside your tummy.
- Drink mint or ginger teas. These spices are both reputed to help calm a too-full belly (as well as nausea). Take a brisk walk or do some other form of cardio exercise. Sometimes just getting physical gets things moving inside your tummy.
- Sip hot water with a few squeezes of lemon. The hot water and citrus are thought to soothe your stomach.
- Try some yoga poses. Like cardio workouts, yoga increases circulation, which can relieve the fluid buildup that causes bloating. One that’s believed to help: Lie on your back with your legs extended all the way up the wall.
- Eat water-rich foods. These are foods that help to naturally flush water from the body. Some of my favorites are asparagus, watermelon, cucumber and zucchini.
Let’s live EVER BETTER™ – together!!
Denise
