5 Flat Belly Foods

With Summer well and truly over, you may breath a sigh of relief that you don’t have to worry about Bikini season for at least 6 months, especially if you are one of the many women who suffer from bloating on a regular basis.

But as the dark wintery evenings descend upon us, comfort food becomes far more appealing than the lovely alfresco dining we enjoyed this summer and with that we tend to find we are far more likely to suffer from bloating.

Bloating is a temporary distension of the tummy area caused by a build up of gas.? As long as it’s not caused by a medical condition such as a gastrointestinal disease, and you pay attention to what you eat, you can avoid it from happening in most instances.

There are certain foods that help to eliminate this gas build up & promote really good digestive function in the body and adding them to your diet will help beat the bloat.

Water with Lemon – When you’re bloated drinking water is sometimes the last thing you feel like,? but its the very thing that you need.? If you increase your fluid intake, your body will be less likely to retain fluid.? But adding Lemon juice to your water will relieve your bloating symptoms much faster.

Lemon is a natural digestive aid & a liver cleanse as well as having immune boosting powers.? Lemon also alkalizes in the body, reducing the amount of acid circulating in the stomach & digestive organs.

Bananas – High Sodium intake could be the cause of your belly bloat – after all sodium is a preservative that increases the shelf life of food and it’s hidden in most foods bought in a jar, a box or a packet.? The good news is that potassium helps to regulate sodium in the blood stream and of course Bananas are probably best known for their high potassium content.

Dark Berries ??- If your bloating is caused by being constipated then adding dark berries to your diet will help to relieve this.? Full of fibre and antioxidants, dark berries are really kind to your digestive system.

Almonds – They are full of protein and fibre as well as magnesium and adding them to your diet helps to stabilise your blood sugar.? This means you are less likely to crave foods that cause bloating and gas.

Coconut Water ? Swapping soda’s for coconut water will have a big impact on your belly bloat.? Full of potassium, it keeps your water balance in check – but don’t replace your normal water intake completely with coconut water.? Have it in addition.

Milena Byrne is a Pilates & fitness guru who owns?Platinum Pilates