You are not pregnant and it’s not just belly fat? Are you suddenly having trouble fitting into your jeans? Let’s do something about it… NOW!

So many of you have written about exactly this problem and I can hear how confused, sad and darned upset you are about it. That’s because this is confusing, saddening and darned upsetting! This belly bloating is really taking liberties with our bodies BUT now we have the power to stop it! ROAR!

10 BELLY BLOAT BUSTERS:

1) EAT SLOWLY
Don’t wolf down your food! If you eat quickly, you eat huge bites and you don’t really chew… and, worse, what you’re really doing is swallowing loads of air which won’t be quite so pretty when it’s trapped inside you! The best thing you can do is eat mindfully, close your mouth when you chew… Look at the food, smell it, taste it, touch it and after each bite you take, make sure you take a big, deep breath through your nose.

2) DAIRY
Lactose intolerant people bloat when they eat dairy!
If you think you might be lactose intolerant, try eliminating dairy from your diet for a week or two… and see if you are still bloated.
Some ethnic groups are much more likely to be lactose intolerant e.g. African 70% – 90% lactose intolerant, African-American 75% vs Northern European 5 – 20%. Remember: If what you are eating is difficult for you to digest then BOY WILL YOU BLOAT!

3) EXERCISE
If you get yourself moving, the gas in your intestines will pass through more quickler. Not being gross but better out than in, right! LOL.

4) CUT DOWN ON SALT
Sodium causes water retention… When you retain water, you might find it hard to fit into that cute, cute skirt you were planning to wear to that wedding on the weekend. Yikes!
If you have overdone the salt and you have an event coming up… Here’s what to do:
a) Drink lots of water to help flush out the excess sodium and also to rehydrate the body (odd but true: too much salt dehydrates us and being dehydrated can make us retain water!).
b) Eat high potassium foods (e.g. dark leafy greens, bananas, avocado, mushrooms and coconut water) to help balance the sodium / potassium ratio in your body. The potassium ‘cancels out’ the sodium. The extra potassium can also cause a reduction in the amount of water you have retained.
c) Eat foods that are natural diuretics (they help get rid of the water you’ve retained) e.g. cabbage, cucumber, watermelon and asparagus.

5) CUT DOWN ON BAD FATS
High fat foods like fries (bad fats) can cause bloating…
but good fats like raw nuts and avocados don’t produce a lot of gas in the body.

6) LOOK AT YOUR BIRTH CONTROL!
Everyone’s different and unfortunately, for some women, the estrogen in birth control pills leads to water retention and abdominal bloating. If you think this is happening to you, go to see your doctor as soon as poss.

7) AVOID SODA
Fizzy drinks / soda – because they are carbonated the bubbles of air get trapped in your stomach.

8) AVOID MAN MADE SWEETENERS
Artificial sweeteners e.g. sorbitol – cause bloating so avoid diet soft drinks.

9) AVOID GUM
Chewing gum – you end up swallowing air.

10) REDUCE YOUR STRESS
When you’re stressed, your body pumps out cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones). These stress hormones overstimulate your digestive system and cause the production of gas – you become bloated and, if you are very stressed and producing lots of stress hormones… you may even experience diarrhea!
For a great breathing exercise to quickly and dramatically reduce your stress levels – go to: http://www.TheLifestylista.com and search for: “Feeling Stressed and Want to Overeat?”
Girl, I am on your side and I want to see you thrive. Beat the bloat!

I’m here rooting for you!

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