It’s the question of the day. How does one get a flat stomach?
Sure, there’s working out and eating healthy. But, what about a quick fix. Thanks to a recent article by Prevention Magazine, learn how to decrease belly bloat (thanks to a long weekend of brunches, dinners, cocktails and laziness).
Fruit Exchange: Swap honeydew, apples, and pears for berries, grapes, and citrus. They contain a near-equal ratio of the sugars fructose and glucose, making them easier to digest than fruits with more fructose.
Feelin’ Salty: More salt equals more water retention. Try to avoid salt, overprocessed foods and salt-based seasoning. If you still need some flavor, try fresh herbs and salt free seasonings. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies that are packed with water and stay away from high sodium frozen meals.
Carb Cutback: Trim back on your daily carbs simply by having eggs for breakfast, one slice of bread, and packing protein-rich snacks such as turkey slices, low-fat string cheese, seeds, and nuts. When you decrease the carbs, this temporarily trains your body to access stored carbs called glycogen and burn them off.
Starch Swap: If you must have carbs, go for some brown rice since it’s the only starch that doesn’t cause bloating. Try to cutback on your potato, pasta, corn and wheat intake.
Don’t Milk It: Try lower-lactose foods (such as hard cheese or yogurt) or lactose-free dairy products (such as rice milk and almond milk), or take a lactase enzyme to help break down lactose to reduce short-term belly bloat.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
“A fat stomach sticks out too far. It prevents you from looking down and seeing what is going on around you.” ~Norman Reilly Raine
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