Bloating is a miserable experience for anyone.
But as women, we tend to experience bloating far worse, and far more often than our male counterparts.
Painful cramps… The waist of your pants pinching tighter… Bubbly gas in your stomach…
I’ve been there—I used to experience bloating all the time!
Sometimes hormones are the culprit, and sometimes food is… But regardless of the cause, feeling uncomfortable or having your clothes feel like they’re squeezing you half to death is never a fun experience.
These days, I rarely experience bloating, and if I do, I can always identify the culprit. That’s why I wanted to share my five best tips to keep bloating at bay, so you can enjoy a flat, comfortable tummy all summer long!
Eliminating simple sugars from your diet should be the first step. I’m talking about soda, candy, cereal, and other processed sweets.
They may taste good, but these sugary-sweet foods head straight to your waist, disrupting your gut health and quite often triggering a bloated belly.
Packaged foods can sit on the shelves at your grocery store for months before you ever pop them in your shopping cart… That’s not natural!
Manufacturers stuff these foods with artificial chemicals, preservatives, and additives like sodium, which help extend the shelf life of these “foods.”
When you consume these artificial ingredients, they can cause your body to retain water like a dry sponge, resulting in near-immediate (and horribly unpleasant) “expansion” all over your body.
Sugar isn’t the only thing to ditch—other carbs can cause bloating too.
Specifically, I’m talking about simple carbs like rice, bread, and pasta.
When these simple carbs reach the deepest layers of your digestive system, they can encourage the growth of unhealthy, gas-forming bacteria in your intestines, causing your belly to bubble all the worse.
And because these foods also rapidly spike your blood sugar, they’ll tank your energy levels and cause an unpleasant crash soon afterward.
The one exception to this rule is fresh fruit, as even though these are simple carbs, they’re packed full of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Your gut is full of millions of living bacteria, both “good” and “bad”.
We want to feed and support the good, while limiting the bad.
Hence, using a high-quality probiotic is a great way to support the growth of good bacteria in your gut, supporting your digestive system, and keeping the bad bacteria at by.
Adequate hydration is essential if you want to maintain a lean, toned belly.
When you’re not drinking enough water, your body thinks you’re in water storage mode, and starts retaining extra water as a security measure.
Excess water storage = more bloating, which we’re trying to avoid.
By increasing your water intake, you’ll encourage your body to flush waste and drop excess water, while supporting a healthy digestive system.
If you’re tired of dealing with uncomfortable, embarrassing bloating—use these five tips to enjoy a healthy and smooth stomach!