Hints for Bloating

A friend emailed me and asked about some ways to help with being bloated. If you're not sure what being "bloated" is, it's actually quite simple...water retention. If you've had something salty or full of sodium the night before, a lot of times you can wake up feeling bloated and your tummy looks heavy. The best thing to do is DRINK WATER. It will flush all of that out of your system and leave your stomach feeling flatter. Also make sure you're eating enough fiber...TMI, but fiber makes us go to the bathroom and helps keep our stomach flat. There is nothing worse than being backed up and feeling full and gross because you need to go to the bathroom, but can't. A lot of times I feel yuck on Monday morning because I had wine over the weekend and my couple splurge meals...Anyway, I wanted to share a few "hints and suggestions" that I use when I'm trying to get rid of my bloated feeling... These come in handy, too, during the summer because we're in a bathing suit more during the summer! :)

Foods to eat to help with bloating:

1. Water...Enough said... Drink it...Just do it...

2.. Anything green! Asparagus, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, spinach, zucchini, green beans, and guacamole. I have noticed the more I eat these green "good carbohydrate" foods, I feel smaller! They also keep me full and are full of fiber! So if you're struggling to go to the bathroom everyday, throw some spinach in your egg whites in the morning and I promise you'll feel different by lunch! :)

3. Lemon... I love to add lemon to my ice water in the morning. It is amazing what lemon does to your body, hair, skin, and nails.  In the winter, I add it to a hot cup of water. It's so, so good! I almost immediately feel better after a couple of hours adding lemon to my diet.

4. Protein. Fill your diet with lots and lots of protein. I know the big thing right now is the Paleo diet. I actually love that diet because that's exactly what they're doing...Taking away sugar and carbs! I love bread and sweets as much as the next person, but your body hates it! It's okay to have them in moderation, but just remember to KEEP IT IN MODERATION. Protein ideas: ground turkey, chicken, almonds, red meat, pork, etc.

5. I'm not all into the smoothies...I'll just be honest, I'm not.. I know some people put everything but the kitchen sink in theirs, but with my schedule, I just don't have time to make one. However, in the summer I have moreeee than enough time, so I started making a spinach smoothie this past summer. My stomach felt SO flat on the days I had one after my workout... Fill it with lots of veggies and some peanut butter, and you're good to go! Take one to the beach or pool! :)


Foods that cause bloating:

1. Packaged food:  Lean Cuisines, Smart one meals, frozen pizzas, frozen dinners, etc. They are FULL of sodium! I know Lean Cuisines are easy for a lot of you for work, but they are causing you to hold a lot of water. The great thing about sodium is that if you're exercising regularly and drinking a lot of water, you'll be okay and just pee it out, but make sure to drink a lot of water if you eat these meals regularly.

2. The obvious, junk food.... Just say no to junk food! ha! :)

3. Beans... I promise this post is not all about  going to the bathroom, but lets get real... We all know beans make us bloat... ANY kind of beans....

4. Alcohol... I love my red and white wine and a beer while floating in the pool, but they cause sooooo much bloating. Just remember to load up on lots of water the next day, so you don't put your body into dehydration mode. :)


I hope this helps!!! Thanks for the questions, C! :)