You’re fit, you workout, you watch what you eat, but darn that swollen, bloated feeling that seems to creep up out of nowhere. Ugh!
Bloating can come from stress, food sensitivities, eating large portion sizes, and hormonal changes.
Try these 7 steps to banish belly bloat in just 2 weeks:
1. Set down the wine (or rocks) glass
Alcohol is naturally irritating to the gut and can cause inflammation (code for swelling and bloat). It’s also metabolized as sugar within the body.
Your evening drink may also trigger a serious case of the munchies, leading you to snack even if you just ate a meal.
Finally, alcohol can make you feel drowsy and help put you to sleep, but you’ll likely experience a blood sugar drop in the middle of the night, causing you to wake up before you’re ready, feeling tired but wired.
2. Chew your water, drink your food
Chugging water and eating fast creates a digestive traffic jam, causing major belly distention. Slooow down.
Try sipping your water, and thoroughly chewing and savoring your food.
3. Take a digestive enzyme
Stress and food sensitivities can reduce the amount of acid your body needs to break down food particles.
Try supplementing with a digestive enzyme that contains HCL (hydrochloric acid) to help you process food.
4. Remove gluten, added sugars, and dairy
The easiest and simplest way to test for common food sensitivities is to eliminate potential offenders and then slowly reintroduce them after a period of time.
Gluten, added sugar, and dairy could be culprits in your belly bloat.
Try taking a two-week break from these and any other suspects before reintroducing them into your diet one by one.
5. Consume healing foods
Bloating is all about gut health, so nurture your belly with foods that are linked to healing.
For example, fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha (a yummy, fizzy tea) helps to repopulate good gut bacteria.
Also try preparing homemade bone broth; opt-for grass-fed proteins and fats, and enjoy lots of organic produce.
6. Stay hydrated
Although you’ll be sipping your water, try to drink enough so that your urine runs clear, helping your body to eliminate water retention and banish bloat.
7. Watch your portion sizes
Eating a huge meal is like trying to overfill your grocery bag. It’s going to get tight in there and begin to bulge! You might need to eat smaller, more frequent meals to meet your caloric needs while allowing your body time to process what you’ve given it.
Give these 7 steps a try for two weeks and see if they help!
As always, I’m around if you have any questions! If you found this article useful, please give it a share!
