Summertime is here and that means bikini season! If summer snuck up on you, then you might not have time to whittle your middle in time for your first trip to the beach. However, you can beat the bloat with simple changes in your diet, leaving you feeling trimmer and energized. Implement the following 5 simple tips everyday along with a good dose of heart pumping exercise:
- Hydrate with water. Make water your beverage of choice and stay hydrated, thirsty cells soak up water adding to bloat. Water also helps keep food moving through the gut and flushes out the salt. While other low-calorie beverages can hydrate, they may increase bloating. Carbonated drinks and sugar alcohols can cause water retention, gas and bloating. If you just can’t stand plain water, try adding sliced lemon, limes or oranges to a pitcher of water or try iced herbal tea without added sweetener.
- Sans salt. Salt loves water and this means more water retention. Toss the salt shaker and become a label sleuth. The recommended limit for sodium is 2,300 mg/day. Choose foods with less sodium than the number of calories per serving. Season foods with herbs and garlic instead and reduce how often you eat out since restaurant foods are notoriously high in sodium.
- Grab “good” fats. Adding good fats to meal can help reduce fat storage in your midsection. A little healthy fat with your meal will help you feel full (less calories consumed!) and avoid blood sugar spikes, which helps avoid spikes in insulin. Those pesky insulin spikes can lead to more fat accumulation, so try a little avocado on your sandwich, walnuts in your yogurt and olive and vinegar on your salad.
- Pump up the potassium. Potassium helps with fluid regulation and flushes salt out of the body and it’s great for the muscles too after a long workout! Try sliced bananas over cereal; a spinach, bean and cherry tomato salad for lunch; unsalted almonds mixed with dried figs and raisins for a snack and frozen cantaloupe chunks with vanilla yogurt for dessert.
- Moderate the carbs. For every gram of carbohydrate you digest, you take along 3 grams of water. Keep carb intake moderate at each meal by sticking with 1-2 servings. What you choose matters too. Avoid refined grains (such as white rice or bread) which can lead to blood sugar and insulin spikes and possibly more fat accumulation. Whole grains add filling fiber which regulates blood sugar and insulin and can cut calorie intake. Just don’t add too much fiber at once - going gung ho too soon can leave you feeling gassy and bloated. Add one high fiber food at a time along with a little extra water to keep things moving and let your body adjust to your newfound love for fiber! Try oatmeal for breakfast, 100% whole grain bread at lunch and brown rice at dinner.
If bloating is a consistent problem, you might want to check with your doctor since it can be a sign of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. And remember, no one food can cause you to pack on the belly fat. Reducing calories and adding exercise will help you burn fat, including fat stored in your abdominal area.
Please note: The information in this article is not to be followed asmedical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your physicianor primary health practitioner for information regarding your own personalhealth and necessary treatments.
