Oh my aching gut!

Belly Bloat? Don’t you hate it? Eating the wrong foods can cause your belly to blow up like a balloon and leave your digestive system hurting. Food should be fun and not stress you out. I think I can help. If you do suffer from that stomach bloat and want to lose a few inches, I am sure that I have some tips that will help. If you suffer from bloating and could do with losing a few inches from your waistline, listen up…

Hot lemon water in the morning really helps not only to get thing moving. Believe it or not lemon juice is very alkaline and keeping your body in balance is of the utmost importance. When your body is in balance it will have more energy and toxins will be flushed out. Acids and alkaline balanced in your body keep it balanced and healthy.

Trapped air is another cause of belly bloat and a bit of exercise can help release that trapped air that causes it. Simple exercises help and you can even do them when you are watching TV. Every commercial, which is only a 30-second stint, do a simple exercise. Trunk twists, sit on the couch and stand up, jumping jacks, pass around a medicine ball or do a few sit-ups. All of this will not only raise your metabolism but get rid of that gas and thus reduce belly bloat.

Did you know that there are fruits that contain enzymes that can help banish bloat because they break down enzymes that help reduce belly bloat? This will ease digestion. Two that are great and really help are pineapple, ( which contains bromelain known for its ability to break down protein chains) reduces inflammation. And the other is papaya which contains a protein known as papain the younger the papaya the higher content of papain. Both make great marinades as they break down the meat making it more tender, and tastier. Add both of theses delicious fruits to your diet.

Dairy is one of those foods that can really mess with your digestive system. Believe it or not, milk is not the best source of calcium. Cheeses tend to thicken your system and are difficult for your body to digest. If you experience that bloating stomach try cutting out the dairy and see if that helps. Many people feel much better when they cut dairy from their diet, and their stomachs seem to shrink. Studies have shown that eating less dairy will also help your skin.

Water is the source of life and you need to drink a lot of it. In fact, drinking about 1/2 of your body weight in fluid ounces of water a day is a good rule of thumb. Water will help to flush toxins out of your body along with extra salt. Drinking warm lemon water before a meal will help with digestion and you will eat less. Once you start drinking it you will see the benefits not only in your digestion but your skin will thank you for it.

Stop drinking liquids that are laden with high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or anything that is labeled diet. Not only will they make that belly a bit bigger, and if you are trying to lose weight, they will make it extremely difficult and bring on the hunger. When your body becomes overladen with sugar your body cannot produce enough insulin to turn it into fuel so it gets turned into fat. When that happens your “full” hormone ceases to work and a hunger hormone kicks in, even though you are not hungry at all you suddenly feel starving. Diet drinks wreak havoc on your system, rats won’t even eat anything that has those artificial sweeteners in them. Save yourself, stay away.

Life is busy and so are we however eating should take some time. Trapped gas can cause belly bloat and pain. Slow down and take your time when it comes to eating. When you slow down your body will tell you when it is full and you can stop eating. You do not have to be a member of the clean plate club. There will be more food around next time you are hungry. Take charge and just stop.

Throw out those processed foods. Not only are they full of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, additives, and preservatives, they also have little fiber. You should try to get around 30 grams of fiber a day. If you are trying to get rid of stomach bloating stay away from grains and try adding avocado, raspberries, seeds, cherries or pears. Fiber will help your digestive system and keep things moving eliminating toxins and reducing your belly.

Try green tea for a change of pace and sweeten it with stevia. Green tea is full of antioxidants and nutrients and is even considered an “anti-aging beverage.” Green tea will increase your metabolism so it is great for weight loss. It has also been found to regulate glucose levels preventing high insulin spikes which we have learned causes fat storage. No one wants to store fat, right? If you have stomach problems add some grated ginger. Ginger is known to help soothe the stomach and is great if you tend to get motion sickness or if you are experiencing morning sickness with pregnancy.

Incorporating simple changes into your life can have major advantages. You only get to go around once and truly the only one who can change you is you.