If the extent of your belly is just a bloating issue, watch your diet. Here are my top tips for managing bloat:
– Simplify your eating patterns. Too much wheat, sugar, alcohol or processed food will have a direct effect on the shape of your stomach. Eating less of these and more high fibre foods will promote a healthier digestive system and help fight the jelly belly.
– It may seem like a contradiction, but it takes plenty of water to beat the bloat. If you aren’t getting enough, your body will hold onto fluid to fight dehydration. 250 ml for every 10 kgs of your body weight is your minimum daily requirement.
– Eat more probiotic yoghurt or take a probiotic supplement. This speeds up the digestion process so that food has less time to sit in your system, meaning a flatter tummy overall.
– Say no to salty snacks. Foods like crisps and pretzels cause your body to retain water in an effort to dilute your sodium levels. Try keeping your salt intake down to 2000mg day.
– Don´t forget the fibre! Women in particular need at least 25 grams to aid digestion, yet many of us barely take in half that amount. Apart from bran, fruits like strawberries, blueberries and dried fruits are filled with fibre. Don´t be too hasty, though, as too much fibre can cause constipation – ease it into your diet slowly, particularly during breakfast time.
– Hold back on the beans – and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and cabbage. These contain sugars some people struggle to digest. Don’t forego them entirely, simply minimize your helpings down to half a cup at a time.