Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #23 "Mind Your Stress Levels"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#23 Mind Your Stress Levels

We all know stress always causes something bad and the best thing for our well being is to not have it, but stress does exists and we need to recognize it when it rears it's ugly head and nip it in the bud immediately if possible. While stress can help you get things done, it does come with a bevy of healthy related problems and especially so if you suffering from chronic stress. When we are stressed our bodies release a hormones that trigger the "fight or flight" mode. This mode makes you more awesome to ensure your survival. But what happens in the body diverts resources away from the non-essential organs, such as the digestive system, to your heart, brain and muscles instead. Therefore your digestive system slows down considerably and your last meal eaten linger around longer in your gut than it normally would causing you to bloat. You can beat stress by relaxing techniques and or daily physical exercise. Exercise reduces stress hormones and releases happy hormones (endorphins) We all love those "Endorphins" so go get some every day.. Workout!

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #22 "Step Away from the Cigarettes"

Top #26 Best Way To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#22 Step Away from the Cigarettes 

Smoking causes a lot of things, a lot of no so good things as most people know, yet they'll still smoke them. This time it's not the chemicals that are causing the trouble for you, it's the motions you use while smoking each dreaded cigarette. When you inhale during smoking you also inhale extra air, just when you drink out of a straw the extra air comes in to your body. This continued inhaling over a course of a day can cause a lot of extra air to get stuck inside your body, your tummy area and cause the dreaded bloating. So, my advice is.. Just STOP smoking for that reason and for the other much more important reasons that we all know about. Stop smoking and be less bloated and more important be #Fit 

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #21 "Walk After Eating"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#21 Walk After Eating

Walking may be the last thing you feel like doing after a good meal, but a brief 5 minuet walk will help release any air trapped in your digestive track. If you're eating 5-6 small meals a day, a post walk is less necessary, but certainly won't hurt if you have the time and the other plus is you'll burn extra calories at the end of the day and before you settle in for the night. 

A casual walk after a meal isn't harmful, but whether you should do a walking fitness routine after eating is a bit more complex. In general, nutrition before a workout is essential for several reasons, including providing much-needed energy. However, you should just stick to a nice easy 5-20 minuet walk after dinner, not a full workout walk or jog as there's a good chance you'll get stomach cramps and have discomfort if you try to do more than a causal, easy walk. The main object is to do a nice, slow walk after your meal just release any trapped air in your digestive track after you eat and stop and prevent any bloating, it's not to do a full strenuous workout trying to burn off your meal. You'll still burn calories, but more important it will keep you from bloating up and the light exercise, fresh clean air will make you feel good and you'll feel nice and light before you settle in for the night.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #20 "Big Event?"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#20 Big Event? Hitting the Beach?

So, you've got a big event coming up soon? It's today or tomorrow or maybe a week away and you want to make sure your tummy is flat as it possible can be for this event. Then you'll want to be sure to cut back on all bulky raw food immediately. Bulky raw foods like: Carrots, provide a similar level of nutrition when they're cooked, but raw they take a whole lot more room up in your tummy. So, rather than eating bulky raw foods that take up room and expand your tummy more than necessary, so go with cooked vegetables and smaller portions of fruit/dried fruit. If you're going on a beach vacation and want to avoid looking bloated in your small, sexy swimsuit on the beach, then skip the bulky foods for lunch and have them for dinner. Even healthy, clean food can have a negative effect on you body and cause you to bloat, so knowing how foods effect your body you can determine when is the best time to be eating them. If you love raw carrots and other veggies, but aren't going to be wearing a bikini for a beach day then by all means eat away and enjoy!

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #19 "Balanced Meals"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#19 Eat Balanced Macronutrients ratios

Remember to eat balanced meals. Try not to cut out fat, protein, or carbs excessively. The best most healthy way for your body is to eat in moderation. Eating too little protein in your daily diet can cause bloating, too much fat slows down digestion and puffs you up, and to much carbs makes your body promotes water retention in your body. So, you can see it's best for your body to eat a well balanced macronutrient meals to keep your body from shocking over load of of either too much fat, too much carbs or too little protein causing the dreaded bloating of your body and belly area. In addition always drink plenty of water with your meals, and throughout the day.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #18 "Eat Potassium Rich Food"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly..

#18 Eat potassium rich food

 Fluid balance in your body is regulated by sodium and potassium levels. Potassium helps the kidneys excrete more sodium, while sodium causes the body retain water. Basically, potassium helps relieve bloating by reducing water retention. Fruits and vegetables that are packed with potassium include... Spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, kiwi, banana, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, nuts, yogurt, fish. Lots of good, healthy, yummy choices here for you to add to your diet if you're not already do so. Eat more of these healthy food choices to beat your belly from bloating.

 

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #17 "Graze"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#17  Graze 

Eating smaller meals more often is much easier on your body and allows your digestive system to break down and assimilate food more easily, which then will reduce any bloating from happening. Remember that your stomach is only the size of your fist and over eating, stuffing yourself with large meals means your over-loading and stretching it. Try to reduce your portion sizes and aim to eat about 4-6 smaller meals throughout the day. If eating that often seems to be a problem or too fussy to you, then simplify it by going three main meals, but smaller and add two snacks (containing protein and carbs) between your main three meals. Try this and you will feel so much lighter and your chances of being bloated will be very slim to none.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #16 "Dietary Fiber"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Fat..

#16 Dietary Fiber 

In some cases dietary fiber or the type of fiber used to treat constipation may cause bloat. It does this without actually increasing the amount of gas in the digestive track. It is thought that bloating arises from the fiber slowing the movement of gas throughout the bowels. However some types of fiber may directly increase the amount of air because they are partially digested by the bacteria that's live in the colon. So, again this is something that will be different for everyone and you need to test some of the fiber you do eat and see how it effects your body when you eat it. It may be that you are eating certain types of fiber that can or could be causing your to bloat and you're not even aware of it. If you suspect this is happening then take it out of your daily diet and see if your body feels different and if you do notice a difference, but aren't too sure then you can try to add it back in to your diet to see if your body does react negatively. If you do try this approach you need to do one food item at a time so you know exactly what food items have a negative effect to your body. This comes from knowing your body and knowing what certain foods can cause you to bloat or even cause other problems when you consume it on a regular basis.

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Motivational Note✿ "Make it Happen"

Okay, it's Monday and are you going to use another excuse this week? or are you going to get your shit together and "Make it Happen" this time. Remember it doesn't get any easier if you wait or put it off for a better day or better week. It's best to just bite the bullet and jump right in to and do the work. You don't need to be perfect nor athlete to begin a healthy, fit life style, you just need to have the will, and desire to make yourself better than you are now and not settle for the body you're living with. If you're happy with yourself and your body then you're half way there, but if you're not then you clearly need some motivation to buckle down and make it happen today! Just do it and Make it Happen and a month or months from today you will be so thankful and happy you stop all the excuses and took your first step toward a better, fit and happy you! Love yourself and Love your body everyday!

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #15 "Tolerate Milk?"

Top 26 Ways To Beat Bloat and Banish Your Belly...

#15 Tolerate Milk

Milk carries a natural sugar known as lactose. The enzyme that breaks down lactose is known as lactase . People who are known as lactose intolerant lack enough of the enzyme lactase and therefore are unable to complete the digestion of lactose. It is the undigested lactose that cause cramping gas, and the bloating, Lactose intolerant is fairly common and as we get older we're more likely to become lactose intolerant. The think is not all dairy contains a lot of lactose. Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt can have very low levels of lactose, this is because much of it is broken down during the processing. In any case people tend to suffer with varying degree of lactose intolerance, and many are able to eat cheese and small amounts of milk ( in coffee or tea) If you don't know if you're lactose intolerant you can have your family doctor test you for it to see. If you are in question then you should find out if you're indeed lactose intolerant and then you can prevent unnecessary bloating from dairy products.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #14 "Throw Away Sugar Substitutes"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly..

#14 Throw Away Sugar Substitutes Sugar substitutes such as xylitol, manitol, maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, erythritol tend to be found in sweet tasting products marketed as low calorie, low-carb and sugar-free such as gum, cookies, snack bars, hard candy and flavored water beverages. While it does help you to cut back on calories, these sugar substitutes stay in your digestive tract longer where it's broken down and fermented by bacteria and playing havoc on your gut. The result to this can be bloating and excessive gas, abdominal distention and even the not so pretty diarrhea. So, be more aware of these hidden sugar substitutes in your food, drink and cut back or avoid them all together. It just takes a little more of your time to check labels and additives to you meals, drinks and you can either cut them out or chose an alternative that doesn't have a sugar substitute in them. Being aware and taking the extra time to know what's in your food is so worth it in the long run for your healthy and your body.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #13 "Spicy Foods"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly Fat..

#13 Spicy Foods

Hot spicy food contribute to bloating, especially if your body is not used to spicy foods. Foods seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, chili powder, hot sauces, onions, garlic, horseradish, and mustard to name some may irritate your stomach if you're not accustom to eating spicy foods, and it will cause your body to bloat. 

Eating Certain Foods: Consuming high-fat foods, spicy foods or other foods that tend to promote gas can cause uncomfortable bloating after eating. According to the Mayo Clinic, fatty foods can delay stomach-emptying, leading to uncomfortable fullness and abdominal bloating. High-sodium (salt) foods, spicy foods and carbonated beverages can also contribute to bloating. Some vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, are known to cause gas for some people. Since vegetables are an important part of a nutritious diet, avoid these foods only if they cause negative symptoms. Cooking these vegetables can reduce the gas-promoting qualities, so you may need to experiment. High-fat, spicy and high-salt foods, such as red meat, deep-fried foods and potato chips, are associated with increased risk for heart disease and other conditions. By avoiding these, you may reduce your bloating symptoms and improve your overall health simultaneously.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly #12 "Less Alcohol Please"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

#12 Less Alcohol Please
Yes, it's true consuming alcoholic drinks can make bloating worse. First of all alcohol is dehydrating and constipating, which exacerbates bloating. Secondly, many alcoholic drinks are carbonated (beer, cider, fizzy mixers, and champagne of course), which will puff you up like a round balloon. So, stay off the carbonated alcohol and always remember to rehydrate before you head for bed after you've had a night of drinking. Alcohol can irritate and erode the stomach lining, which can create bloating because the stomach is more vulnerable to digestive juices. The stomach's protective layer becomes weakened and so it is not so easy to digest foods. The digestive juices damage and inflame the stomach lining. Excessive alcohol can lead to gastritis, which produces bloating and other symptoms. Too much alcohol can make you feel hungry and eat more while eventually making you overweight and bloated. But it is not just they way you feel, it is what you are doing to your body if you continue to drink excessively. Stick to moderate drinking to give your body time to go through its fat-burning activities and keep you in healthy shape

 

Burning Fat It is the way alcohol deals with fat that can add pounds and bloat you up. Instead of storing away fat like some substances, alcohol is converted into acetate by the liver to slow or eliminate the body's fat burning processes. When the acetate levels rise, the body is forced to spend more time burning more acetate and less fat. So the fat left over sticks around.

Adding Fat.. Drinking too much alcohol stops the body from burning fat as energy just as skipping meals or not getting enough rest does. It is bad enough that alcohol is converted into acetate, which affects the body's fat burning abilities, but the body also makes another substance called acetyl CoA, which causes the body to make even more body fat, according to Shapefit.com. The body can only process a certain amount of alcohol per hour, about an ounce or less. It makes the liver work harder at all its functions, but it can only do so many during a short time. That's why excessive drinking can slow down the body's burning of fat and even be responsible for creating more fat. Additionally, you are not getting any vitamins, minerals or other nutrients, because alcohol has empty calories. Moderation if you're going to drink is the best way. Everyone loves to celebrate or relax and have a few beers, or glass of wine during the week and that is not a problem, it's when drinking on a regular basis and consuming too much alcohol in your system is when it's a problem. If you're wanting to banish your belly fat or rid your tummy of bloat cutting back on all alcoholic beverages or stopping completely is the best choice. Once you get to your goal, then you can maybe designate one day a week and special occasions to pop the cork and have some bubbly or a few beers and relax! Just don't relax to much when you reach your goal and make drinking alcohol a habit again... Do the work and sacrifice a little or a lot before you indulge.  

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly #11"Cut Back on Fatty Foods"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly..

#11 Cut Back on Fatty Foods

Fatty foods, especially fried foods can cause bloating because fat delays the stomach from emptying. This also increases the sensation of fullness and the feeling of heaviness after you eat. Cut back on all fatty foods and make sure the fat that you do consume is of the healthy sort. Monounsaturated fatty acids (aka MUFA) Some of these types of healthy fats are found in foods such as.. olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, flax, soybean and even dark chocolate to name a few.

A good clean diet along with regular exercise forms the cornerstone in any stragedy to lose belly fat. whether you have a lot of belly fat to lose or you just need to burn a little belly fat, you really need to pay careful consideration to your what you are allowing to pass through your lips, "Your Diet" Research as shown that there are foods that appear to increase belly fat, and foods that help you rid yourself of belly fat. So, again be aware of what you're eating and drinking, especially if you are trying to rid yourself of the dreaded belly fat or bloat. What you eat does really matter!

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #10 "Hide the Coffee"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly...

10. Hide The Coffee

Coffee over stimulates the stomach and causing it to puff up and bloat. Try to cut back the amount of caffeine-laden drinks your consuming daily. These main culprits are of course coffee, tea, cola and chocolate. Caffeine is an irritant that could trigger symptoms of various digestive conditions, resulting in bloating. Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that affects about one in five Americans with chronic diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, bloating and gas, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Irritable bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can also be affected by caffeine consumption.

Milk may be a consideration... If you only develop bloating after drinking coffee that contains milk or creamer, you may be lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the sugar found in milk, which commonly causes bloating, gas and diarrhea. Bloating is a common symptom of caffeine overdose. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that can have a negative impact on the body when taken in excess. So, it's best to be aware of how caffeine is effecting your body and cut back on your daily intake of caffeine in general. You're over all health and your body will feel much better without so much caffeine in your system everyday and the chances of being bloated will be very slim to none as well.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #9 "Eat Slowly"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly..

#9 Eat Slowly. Don't Gulp!

You can swallow excess air if you're eating too fast, gulping down both your meal and your drink. Often when you're taking big bites, gulping down your food too quickly large gulps of air get trapped in your digestive system and will cause your body to bloat. Just relax if possible and eat your food slowly. Try your best to make your meal time a relaxed occasion, and take that time to eat calmly and enjoy your food, not just consume it like a hungry animal in a hurry. We are not animals and no one is coming to steal your food from you. So, you should be able to slow your eating down even if you time to eat is limited. Eating when your rushed for time on the run or stressed out can interfer with your digestion system and will cause you to bloat. So, just relax and make time to eat your meal in a calm state. If you can't, and time is limited.. then beware of what eating fast and gulping your food down will do to your body.. Just eat slower to prevent bloating. A few extra minuets is worth preventing a bloated sore tummy.

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #8 "No More Gassy Veggies"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat ~ Banish Your Belly..

#8 No More Gassy Veggies

It's unfortunate that a lot of healthy foods can cause bloating. Raffinose found in many vegetables is a indigestible carb will cause you to expand like the Michelin man. Humans don't process the enzyme needed to break down this complex carbohydrate, but the gas-producing bacteria that lives in our colon does. In the process of breaking down this carbohydrate the bacteria releases carbon dioxide, methane, and or hydrogen. Basically, the carbohydrate ferments in your colon producing gas and intestinal distress. People are effected by this in various degrees depending on each individual. Vegetables that bloat you are legumes and cruciferous vegetables that include 

1. Beans

2. Broccoli

3. Brussel Sprouts 

4. Cabbage 

5. Cauliflower 

6. Lettuce

If you enjoy eating these specific veggies and would love to continue eating them (as you should), you can supplement with a over-the-counter digestive aid such as "Beano" which contains the missing enzyme needed. This allows your body to break down the indigestible carbohydrate before those pesky, gas-producing bacteria in your gut can get a hold of it. Ergo, less or No gas. No one wants to be gassy, and especially while out around public, out to dinner or gathering where food is served.  

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly #7 "Reduce Salt Intake"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly..

#7 Reduce Salt Intake

For the same reason you should drink a lot of water throughout the day, you should reduce your salt in take at every meal. Salt makes the body retain water, which causes bloating. Foods to be particular careful and aware of are... packaged food, processed foods, canned food and the deadly over salted restaurant meals. These foods tend to be incredibly high in salt to make them more tasty to us. Endeavor to prepare fresh meals at home as much as you possibly can. This will help you have total control of what is going in to your meals and then in your body. You can also try swapping your table salt for natural sea salt or kosher salt which are both lower in sodium, but will give your food the same salt flavor it needed. Before you go to grab a condiment to flavor your food, you should also know that soy sauce is also very high in sodium and will cause bloating. Instead go for fresh garlic, peppers, herbs and spices to add more flavor to your meals making them just as scrumptious and full of flavor.. Always be aware of what your putting on your food and therefore in your body.  It does matter and will matter more if you don't take notice more often or better yet all the time. It's true you are what you eat!

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Top #26 Best Ways 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly #6 "Stop Chewing Gum & Hard Candy"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat ~ Banish Your Belly..

#6 Stop Chewing Gum & Hard Candy

This my not be a obvious cause of your bloating, but chewing gum and sucking on hard candy causes you to swallow more air than what is normal. Air gets trapped in your gut, increases pressure and makes you bloat. Not only that, gums, mints and hard candy that are sugar-free often contain certain sugar alcohols that in itself can cause your belly to bloat. It's similar to sweeteners used to sweeten our drinks and other food items, as they have chemicals that aren't good for our bodies and although they may be sugar-free, fat-free that doesn't mean they are good for your body. So. be careful what you put in your mouth thinking it's okay and won't cause a back fire effect on you. Chewing gum or sucking on candy verses a bloated tummy? Hmmmmm no contest there for me!

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Top #26 Best Way 2 Beat Bloat~Banish Your Belly~ #5 "SassyWater"

Top #26 Best Ways To Beat Bloat Banish Your Belly..

#5 Drink Sassy Water 

The popular book "Flat Belly Diet" advocates drinking 8-glasses of "Sassy Water" per day. It will help calm and soothe your gastrointestinal track and ward off bloating. Sassy Water recipe below..

1. 2 liters of water (8 1/2 cups)

2. 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

3. I med. cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced.

4. 1 med. lemon, thinly sliced.

5. 12 small spearmint leaves

 

Sassy Water ingredients.. Easy accessible items you're able to buy at your local grocery store or if you have a farmers market you most likely can get all these items there as well. Buy your items fresh at the beginning of the week. Make your Sassy water at night before bed or first thing in the morning and drink it throughout the day! Take it on to go with you too! Drink 8oz glasses each day or more and be healthy, fit and feeling great!

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