WATCH: Personal Trainer: 'I Only Control One Hour, You've Got 23'
4 Killer Routines To Beat Treadmill Boredom
Beat Bloat! 10 Smart Food Swaps
Posted on Dec 31st 2009 6:30PM by PreventionThe Flat Belly Diet 4-day Jumpstart is a great way to reduce belly bloat and start flattening your stomach instantly. The Jumpstart was created to reduce water retention, eliminate heavy solids, and relieve gas so you will quickly look and feel lighter. You can lose up to 7 pounds in 4 days!
Click on the gallery below to learn which food swaps can help you look slimmer fast!
Season Food Differently
Make This Smart Swap
Add zing to your meals with salt-free seasoning blends such as the Original and Italian medley Mrs. Dash®.
Avoid These
Salt, salt-based seasonings, and highly processed foods.
Why?
You may be attracted to your saltshaker, but water is, too. When you take in higher than usual amounts of the salty stuff, you'll temporarily retain more fluid, contributing to that sluggish feeling, a puffy appearance and extra water weight.
Beat Bloat! 10 Smart Food Swaps
Provided by Prevention
Season Food Differently
Make This Smart Swap
Add zing to your meals with salt-free seasoning blends such as the Original and Italian medley Mrs. Dash®.
Avoid These
Salt, salt-based seasonings, and highly processed foods.
Why?
You may be attracted to your saltshaker, but water is, too. When you take in higher than usual amounts of the salty stuff, you'll temporarily retain more fluid, contributing to that sluggish feeling, a puffy appearance and extra water weight.
Thirsty? Hit the H20
Make This Smart Swap
There's nothing like a nice cold carbonated beverage when you're hot and thirsty. But you'll have to skip the bubbles while you're on mission: muffin top. Drink plain old tap water to stay hydrated--and make sure you get at least eight glasses a day.
One delicious alternative: On the Flat Belly Diet Jumpstart you'll drink Sassy Water (the eating plan's signature drink). The special ingredients aren't just there for flavor, either: the ginger helps calm and soothe your GI tract.
Avoid These
Any carbonated drinks -- including diet sodas.
Why?
Where do you think those tingly bubbles end up? In your belly, causing it to puff out more.
Cut the Carbs
Make This Smart Swap
Use one slice of whole grain bread for your sandwich at lunch and pack extra protein like turkey slices (eat them rolled up) and low-fat string cheese. Swap your afternoon chips or pretzels for nuts or seeds. At dinner, stick to instant brown rice if you must have a starch.
Avoid These
High-carb foods like bagels, pasta, pretzels and cereals.
Why?
As a backup energy source, your muscles store a type of carbohydrate called glycogen. Every gram of glycogen is stored with about three grams of water. But unless you have a vigorous exercise routine, you don't need all this stockpiled fuel. When you decrease the carbs, you'll temporarily train your body to access this stored fuel and burn it off. At the same time, you'll drain off excess stored fluids.
Shrink Your Fruits and Veggies
Make This Smart Swap
Of course you should eat veggies, just eat them cooked -- steaming is quick and easy. (Remember to skip the salt!)
Instead of fresh fruits, eat canned varieties in natural juice or small portions of dried fruit, such as raisins and dried plums.
Avoid These
Any raw vegetables and fresh fruits.
Why?
A half-cup serving of cooked carrots delivers the same nutrition as one cup raw, but it takes up less room in your GI tract. The same goes for fresh fruits: Compare the size of a few grapes to a few raisins. Big difference!
Hold the Hot Sauce
Make This Smart Swap
Some people love their food four-alarm spicy! If that includes you, you'll have to lay off the barbecue sauce and garlic for a few days while de-bloating. Give dishes a flavor boost with in-season fresh or dried herbs like dill, basil, mint, sage, tarragon and rosemary. You can also use curry powder, lemon or lime juice -- all perfect with fish or chicken.
Avoid These
Black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, Chili powder, hot sauces, onions, garlic, mustard, barbecue sauce, horseradish, catsup, tomato sauce and vinegar.
Why?
Spicy foods can stimulate the release of stomach acid, which can cause irritation.
Get Rid of Gum
Make This Smart Swap
If you chew gum by habit or just like to bite down on something crunchy, reach for some nuts, like roasted or raw unsalted sunflower seeds.
Avoid This
Gum
Why?
You probably don't realize this, but when you chew gum, you swallow air. All that air gets trapped in your GI tract and causes pressure, bloating and belly expansion -- none of which are figure-friendly.
Fried Food Fiasco
Make This Smart Swap
There really isn't a healthy substitute for French fries, fried calamari and onion rings! So try to take your mind off them altogether. Take a quick five-minute walk after your fry-less healthy meal. Moving your body helps release air that has been trapped in your GI tract, relieving pressure and -- you guessed it -- bloating. Naturally, you can longer stroll and enjoy the great outdoors even more, but you need to walk at least 5 minutes to help get things moving inside your belly.
Avoid These
Anything fried in any way, shape or form.
Why?
Fried foods are digested more slowly, causing you to feel way too full. Not to mention unable to zip up your favorite jeans.
Gassy Veggies
Make This Smart Swap
As mentioned earlier, you should help meet your nutritional needs by eating cooked veggies--but there are a few to take off your shopping list while de-bloating. Skip Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and legumes (full list below) and instead cook up green beans, mushrooms, and squash for a delicious dinner side.
Avoid These
Legumes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers and citrus fruits.
Why?
Certain foods simply create more gas in your GI tract (Think: Blown-up balloon inside your stomach).
Ditch Diet Foods
Make This Smart Swap
Swear off low-calorie or low-carb products containing sugar alcohols. These sugar substitutes go by the names xylitol or maltitol. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth by eating any of the fresh fruit substitutes mentioned earlier. Or mix up a refreshing Flat Belly Diet smoothie.
Avoid These
Sugar alcohols.
Why?
Your GI tract can't absorb most sugar alcohols. That's good for your calorie bottom line, but not so good for your belly. Sugar alcohols cause gas, abdominal distention, bloating and diarrhea.
Steer Clear of Acidic Drinks
Make This Smart Swap
Drink plain tap water or our belly-soothing Sassy Water instead of coffee, tea, juice and alcohol (wine included!). Think of it as tough love for your tummy.
Avoid These
Alcohol, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and acidic fruit juices.
Why?
We realize that giving up your morning cup of joe may be tough to swallow (pun intended!), but it's only for four days. Coffee and the other bad guys of bloat on the "avoid" list are all high-acid beverages that can irritate your GI tract, causing swelling.
Get inspired to start your diet with our Best Weight Loss Success Stories of 2009.
