There is no part more fascinating, in my opinion, than the belly.

Whether it’s a woman or a man.

Have you just finished eating and your stomach has already swelled beyond belief?

Yeah, I know, I too was one of those who became a hot air balloon after eating, swelling is  much more common than you think .

So how do you do it?

Here’s how to get a flat stomach with the right diet : useful tips to make your  stomach flat  and to feel lighter.

Smaller portions

Feeling bloated is sometimes the same as feeling overwhelmed after a large meal. Of course things are consequential, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable when you’ve eaten too much.

The first practical solution that comes to mind is to eat less, it will seem stupid but you certainly won’t starve. Eating little and often  is very good, you should eat the same amount of food 3 to 5 times a day so that our body does not have to try too hard to digest. Personally I have adopted this lifestyle also because I have found it beneficial for my  energy levels  which I consider much higher without eating a lot.

No to fizzy drinks

I’m sorry for you, dear soda lovers, but with all that carbon dioxide, sodas are the number one cause of  bloating.  The gas contained and then swallowed can cause a series of problems for our body and moreover we know very well that fizzy drinks lead to insulin resistance  and heart problems.

Be careful how you eat

We do not ingest air and gas from substances but also from the mouth while we eat so we are careful about the way we bring food to the mouth. If you eat while talking, eat quickly, chew gum, drink with large gulps or through a straw, you can swallow air without even realizing it.

Eat slowly , eat with your mouth closed, don’t talk.

Don’t breathe through your nose while drinking.

Don’t eat chewing gum.

Already these three things will certainly make your belly flatter.

Don’t exercise after eating

You can’t exercise after eating, it’s counterproductive. Haven’t you ever thought about going to the gym on your lunch break and then after a while you got nauseous? This happens because you can’t do two things like this at the same time, that is, digest and exercise. Your intestines, your stomach are already working for digestion, putting on other work makes this absolutely absurd because it reduces the stomach’s ability to digest as the body is engaged in another exercise. So eat and then go to the gym after a couple of hours.

Pay attention to the “sugar-free” label

We understand that too much sugar is certainly bad, but the sugar substitute that companies use is not that good. Instead of sugar, companies often use sugar alcohols,and while they are technically considered safe they can certainly cause digestive problems. Your large intestine contains a lot of bacteria that are useful for digestion, but when these bacteria digest sugar alcohols they produce gas that we know leads to bloating. Sugar alcohols are attracted to these digestive bacteria and this meeting between them can also lead to diarrhea if in an unfavorable condition. Check the nutrition label on “sugar-free” foods and look for sugar alcohols, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. These are all known to cause digestive problems, so avoid if you have problems with gas and bloating.

Little salt

Salt is the primary cause of bloating by retaining water and causing  water retention . Water is essential for our needs,  50, 70%  of our body is made up of water. But when excess water is kept in certain parts of the body such as blood vessels, it can affect blood pressure and make the whole body swollen (especially in the stomach, hands and feet, and face). So a little salt and a little canned and frozen food because there is a lot of salt in those foods, salt being an excellent preservative. The guidelines say to use less than  2300 mg of salt  per day, I recommend.

Cook vegetables more often

Of course, vegetables are good for you, we all know that. But there are some vegetables that are really hard to digest and cause bloating when raw. The solution is simple, though: cook the vegetables more often. Cooking them helps lower the fiber content in vegetables, making it easier for you to digest them without the associated gas. It must also be said that some vegetables lose their nutrients in water but they can also be stewed or fried or if we really want to boil them we could also think of eating in a soup and therefore having a nice sauce full of nutrients to drink.

Eat more fiber

Bloating and flatulence can be the result of  constipation . This is a common digestive problem and most recommendations say eat more fiber to resolve it, as fiber helps food move through the digestive system and relieve constipation. Soluble fiber is the best bet, as it is the type of fiber your body can absorb. It also retains water (in a good way), helping to reduce and relieve diarrhea. There is a downside, however, about fibers …

Foods rich in fiber but dangerous

I said before that vegetables and fibers are great in some cases but in other cases they are really dangerous for those suffering from bloating. We are talking about foods rich in fiber but also in fats such as  beans . Beans are bad, if eaten too often they swell and are also high in fat like peanut butter, red meat, too much cheese, so avoid if you can.

Rule out allergies

If your body is always bloated it may also be that you have an intolerance or an allergic reaction to a particular food. Common food intolerances and allergies include dairy products (lactose), cereals (gluten and other wheat proteins), eggs, nuts, and seafood.

If you’ve been experiencing bloating and flatulence, try cutting one or more of the above types of foods out of your diet for a couple of weeks. If you see the symptoms lessen or disappear, it is likely that you have an intolerance and you need to completely eliminate that food from your diet

Don’t worry about having to completely revise your diet also because there are usually valid alternatives to your intolerances. You can substitute cow’s milk for milk with almonds or soy milk if you have lactose intolerance, and there are plenty of gluten-free breads, pastas and cereals on the market if you have a gluten intolerance or a ‘allergy.

Sometimes it’s easy to get better by eliminating just one item from your diet.

Find out if you have IBS

First of all, find out if all this swelling and discomfort does not arise from a disease. IBS, Irritable  Bowel Syndrome  is a disease that affects almost 15% of the population but very few people know their exact diagnosis. This is a disease that is not treated with drugs and heavy drugs but with a change in diet. In fact, we are talking about a diet like  FODMAP  which is the acronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides and Polyols, that is a series of short-chain carbohydrates; these molecules can be found in numerous foods, for example in the form of:

• Fructose (fruit, honey, …),
• Lactose (milk and dairy products),
• Fructans (also known as inulin, found in wheat, onion, garlic, …)
• Galattani (beans, lentils, legumes such as soy, …)
• Polyols (sweeteners containing sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, stone fruits
  such as avocado, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, …)

All of these foods should be avoided if you suffer from IBS. Challenging but not impossible, mind you!

Digestive enzymes and probiotic supplements

Make sure that, when your stomach and intestines ask you, you always have an answer and that you can lend a hand to the digestion process that bothers you so much with a little help: digestive enzymes and supplements probiotics.

Digestive enzymes  help the stomach during digestion, there are various types: lactase (helps digest lactose), amylase (helps digest starches) and protease (to digest proteins)

Probiotic supplements help natural bacteria in the digestive tract. If those bacteria are not functioning properly or if you have few digestive bacteria, your food will not be digested properly and you will fill up with gas.

Probiotic supplements help with this by allowing natural bacteria to function better and avoid gas.

Keep a food diary

A food diary is a quick way to get to the bottom of your specific problems and will also pay off when changing your diet.

There is no need to count calories or weigh food for this. Just write down what you ate each meal and a rough estimate of how much you ate. Take note of any symptoms you have and the times they occur and see if they can be linked to specific foods you have eaten.

You may notice that some of the common “problem foods” we have talked about are really a problem for you or that only some of them are.

Reduce your stress

If you feel anxious, nervous, or worried, take some time to calm down. Take a walk to clear your head, listen to your favorite music, or watch a movie. Then, go back to whatever problem you are pointing out with a calmer mind so you can move on.

Reducing stress also has beneficial effects on the ability to eliminate swelling, making an effort to stay calm will certainly help your gut as well.

Consult a doctor

Self-diagnosis may be enough, as there are many ways to find the causes of your bloating and gas problems, in order to make the necessary changes in your diet and lifestyle to eliminate them. However, if the problems don’t seem to go away, it’s always worth seeing a doctor.

If your symptoms are severe or if dietary changes don’t seem to solve anything, you may be dealing with a severe and / or chronic condition that goes beyond your diet. Keeping in mind that diagnosing digestive problems is not an exact science (remember that most IBS cases go undiagnosed!), It can be very helpful to speak to an expert.

While most problems can only be solved through adjustments in your diet and lifestyle, don’t hesitate to see your doctor if your symptoms don’t go away.

Are we struggling with bloating and flatulence? Let me know in the comments below if any of these tips helped you!