If your like me and you sometimes can’t zip the jeans that fit great a few days ago the most likely culprits are fluid retention and trapped gas. As many as 63 million of us struggle with fluid retention and trapped gas regularly. To flatten your tummy fast and prevent gas, follow this easy round-the-clock plan.
Starting at 8 in the morning, soothe your tummy with yogurt. Roughly 3 out of 4 of us don’t have enough probiotics in our intestines. Since these healthy bacteria help your digestive system function, the result can be bloating, gassiness and pain. Fortunately, a daily one cup serving of yogurt that contains live bacteria can restock your gut’s supply, quelling symptoms in just four weeks. When 10 a.m. rolls around, flush out extra fluids with water. It may sound odd but it is true, drinking lots of water actually reduces bloating. When you drink little or no water your brain tries to compensate by releasing vasopressin, a hormone that tells your body to retain fluids and reduce the amount you urinate. Aim to drink 48 oz. to 64 oz. of water daily.
At noon a good choice for lunch is chicken. At least 50% of Americans end up with bloating after diffing into high-carb lunches, such as pasta, fries or bread. In high doses your body targets these foods as invaders, resulting in nasty immune system reactions that trigger up to ten pounds of fluid build up in tissues. A little later around 1 pm or so try releasing trapped gas with a stroll. Two hours of exercise weekly, (that’s just 17 minutes a day!) eases bloat for about 80% of us. Exercise improves blood vessel tone so fluids can’t leak out, plus it increases perspiration, which flushes out fluids. You could also try hopping on a bicycle, peddling for 20 minutes can cut bloating and gas in half.
When evening rolls around and its dinner time make sure to dodge the salt. Americans consume 3,200 mg. of sodium a day, more than six times what we need. Too much salt causes fluid retention. Eating two cups of fresh veggies with dinner and nix the salt and you can shed up to 5 lbs. of water weight in just 72 hours. Also try to avoid air-filled foods such as ice cream and soda. If you balloon out in evenings and look better by morning there is a good chance your bloating is due to swallowed air. Avoiding these foods will instantly reduce the gas in your digestive tract.
About 8 pm try stopping stress with a soak. Adding six drops of juniper, fennel or chamomile essential oil to a bath can can help ease stress induced bloating in as little as three days. Why? Because when women feel calm they inadvertently swallow 67% less air than when they’re stressed. Around 9 pm when your tempted to lay back on the couch and watch t.v. you should sit up instead. Poor posture can keep gas trapped in the intestines causing bloating and pain.
