Feeling Bloaty?

Season Food Differently

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Add zing to your meals with salt-free seasoning blends.

Avoid These
Salt, salt-based seasonings, and highly processed foods.

Why?
You may be attracted to your saltshaker, but water is, too. When you take in higher than usual amounts of the salty stuff, you’ll temporarily retain more fluid, contributing to that sluggish feeling, a puffy appearance, and extra water weight.


Thirsty? Hit the H20

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A nice carbonated beverage can hit the spot when you're thirsty. But you'll have to skip the bubbles while you're on mission: muffin top. Drink plain old tap water to stay hydrated--and make sure you get at least 8 glasses a day.


Avoid These
Any carbonated drinks--including diet sodas

Why?
Where do you think those tingly bubbles end up? In your belly, causing it to puff out more.


Cut the Carbs

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Use one slice of whole grain bread for your sandwich at lunch and pack extra protein like turkey slices and low-fat string cheese. Swap your afternoon pretzels for nuts or seeds. At dinner, stick to brown rice if must have a starch.

Avoid These
High-carb foods like bagels, pasta, pretzels, and cereals

Why?
As a backup energy source, your muscles store a type of carbohydrate called glycogen. Every gram of glycogen is stored with about 3 grams of water. But unless you have a vigorous exercise routine, you don't need all this stockpiled fuel. When you decrease the carbs, you'll temporarily train your body to access this stored fuel and burn it off. At the same time, you'll drain off excess stored fluids.

Shrink Your Fruits and Veggies

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Of course you should eat veggies, just eat them cooked--steaming is quick and easy. (Remember to skip the salt!)

Instead of fresh fruits, eat canned varieties in natural juice or small portions of dried fruit, such as raisins and dried plums.

Avoid These
Any raw vegetables and fresh fruits

Why?
A half-cup serving of cooked carrots delivers the same nutrition as one cup raw, but it takes up less room in your GI tract. The same goes for fresh fruits: Compare the size of a few grapes to a few raisins. Big difference!



Hold the Hot Sauce

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Some people love their food four-alarm spicy! If that includes you, you'll have to lay off the barbecue sauce and garlic for a few days while debloating. Give dishes a flavor boost with in-season fresh or dried herbs like dill, basil, mint, sage, tarragon, and rosemary. You can also use curry powder, lemon or lime juice--all perfect with fish or chicken.

Avoid These
Black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, Chili powder, hot sauces, onions, garlic, mustard, barbecue sauce, horseradish, catsup, tomato sauce, vinegar

Why?
Spicy foods can stimulate the release of stomach acid, which can cause irritation.

Chuck the Chewing Gum

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If you chew gum by habit or just like to bite down on something crunchy, reach for some nuts, like roasted or raw unsalted sunflower seeds.

Avoid These
Gum

Why?
You probably don't realize this, but 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.

Fried Food Fiasco

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There really isn't a healthy substitute for French fries, fried calamari, and onion rings! So try to take your mind off them altogether. Take a quick 5-minute walk after your fry-less healthy meal. Moving your body helps release air that has been trapped in your GI tract, relieving pressure and--you guessed it--bloating. Naturally you can stroll longer, but you need to walk at least 5 minutes to help get things moving inside your belly.

Avoid These
Anything fried in any way, shape, or form

Why?
Fried foods are digested more slowly, causing you to feel way too full. Not to mention unable to zip up your favorite jeans.

Gassy Veggies

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As mentioned earlier, you should eat your veggies cooked--but there are a few to take off your shopping list while debloating. Skip gas-producing veggies like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and legumes; instead cook up green beans, mushrooms, and squash for a delicious dinner side.

Avoid These
Legumes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers, and citrus fruits

Why?
Certain foods simply create more gas in your GI tract (think: blown-up balloon inside your stomach).



Ditch Diet Foods

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Swear off low-calorie or low-carb products containing sugar alcohols. These sugar substitutes go by the names xylitol or maltitol. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth by eating any of the fresh fruit substitutes mentioned earlier. Or mix up a refreshing Flat Belly Diet smoothie--each recipe packs a MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), the Flat Belly Diet powerhouse ingredient that targets belly fat.

Avoid These
Sugar alcohols

Why?
Your GI tract can’t absorb most sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.



Steer Clear of Acidic Drinks

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Drink plain tap water instead of coffee, tea, juice and alcohol. Think of it as tough love for your tummy.

Avoid These
Alcohol, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and acidic fruit juices

Why?
We realize that giving up your morning cup of joe may be tough to swallow (pun intended!), but it's only for four days. Coffee and the other bad guys of bloat on the "avoid" list are all high-acid beverages that can irritate your GI tract, causing swelling.

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