8 Ways to Avoid Beach Bloat

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD
Health.com

I have a friend who can drink a gallon of sparkling water and maintain a perfectly flat stomach. I, on the other hand, am extremely sensitive to any and all potential belly bloaters, including "bubbly" H2O. For this reason, I'm particularly conscientious about a handful of habits, at least 24 hours before I'll be wearing a form-fitting outfit, or sporting a swim suit.

If you're like me, and you have any midriff-bearing activities on the horizon, here are eight tricks that can help prevent uncomfortable, distressing belly bloat!

I adore sparkling water and all natural seltzer, but the little bubbles that add pizzaz can cause your belly to swell like a balloon filled with air.

Instead, stick with flat water, sip on hot or chilled ginger tea, or add fresh grated ginger to your green or black tea, water, or meals. Ginger has a calming effect on your GI tract and can help reduce gas, which adds to belly bloat.

Water is attracted to sodium like a magnet, so when you're heavy handed with the salt shaker, or you eat sodium-rich foods like bread, or soy sauce, you'll retain more water, which can leave you looking and feeling puffy and bloated.

To alleviate water retention or prevent this effect, choose high potassium foods, including avocado, papaya, mango, banana and cantaloupe. Potassium is a natural diuretic, so it helps flush out surplus sodium and fluid and de-bloat your body.

While they're incredibly healthy, if you want to avoid bloating, steer clear of gas-producing foods, including broccoli, cabbage cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, Brussels sprouts, celery, apples, and beans. Each naturally produces gas, triggering an expansion of your midsection.

Fruits and veggies less likely to create this effect include carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, cantaloupe, grapes and berries

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It may seem counterintuitive to avoid alcohol to prevent bloating, since it's dehydrating, but alcohol's diuretic effect can trigger rebound water retention, leaving you feeling puffy and swollen. Instead, stick with water, but to make it feel special, add fresh sprigs of mint, slices of lemon, lime, or a few mashed berries.

Sidestep Surplus Carbs and Sugar

Your body has the ability to store roughly 500-700 grams of carbohydrate as glycogen, energy "piggy banks" your body stockpiles for fuel. Some glycogen is stored in your liver, but most is stowed in muscle, and for every gram you stock away, you also amass about three grams of water. When you eat more carbs and sugar than usual, you retain more glycogen and fluid, which leads to a spike on the scale and a bloated feeling.

While I don't recommend avoiding carbs altogether, there are healthy ways to keep them in check. For example, make veggies the main attraction in each meal, along with lean protein, a little healthy fat, and a small portion of a healthy whole grain. Instead of ordering Chinese take-out (which typically includes mondo portions of rice and sauces laden with starch and sugar), whip up a simple stir fry made with a few handfuls of veggies, shrimp or tofu, in a sauce made with brown rice vinegar, coconut oil, fresh squeezed citrus juice, garlic, and fresh grated ginger, over a small scoop of brown or wild rice.

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Foods that take up a lot of space in your stomach, like big salads and popcorn, are healthy choices most of the time. But if you want your stomach to look flat, your best bet is to keep your portions small, and reach for fruits and veggies that take up less space in your stomach, like cooked carrots and unsweetened, preservative free dried fruit (a half cup of cooked veggies is the equivalent of one cup raw, and a cup of fresh fruit shrinks down to a quarter cup when dried). You'll get a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, without a lot less belly distention.

5 Tricks to Stop Belly Bloating

Skipping meals, eating too fast, chewing gum, sucking on hard candy or mints, and drinking through a straw all cause you to swallow more air, which can get trapped in your belly, creating a poochy look. To avoid it, don't let more than five hours go by without eating, slow down, chew your food well, take your time with meals and snacks, and nix the other habits.

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I've fallen in love with hot peppers and fiery spices, from jalapenos to harissa, but they can irritate the GI tract and increase gas production. Prior to baring your belly, keep your meals simple, and reach for GI-soothing herbs and spices for seasoning, including mint, rosemary and cinnamon.

Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she's Health's contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Her latest New York Times best seller is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.

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Foods to Avoid During Prostate Cancer

The foods you take in play a role in the general wellness of the prostate gland. Some foods like soybean products, tomato plants, beans and cruciferous vegetables are suggested to keep it healthy, while other product needs to be prevented. There are many regularly eaten foods which have been associated with greater chances of prostatic problems like cancer of the prostate. By staying away from these foods you could reduce risks.

High-Fat Products

Diet routines containing a significant amount of high-fat Products can adversely impact the health condition of your prostatic gland. Consuming foods loaded with saturated fats like red meats and whole fat dairy products increases your danger of developing prostatic adenocarcinoma. To lessen the danger make sure you keep away from these and maintain your saturated fat consumption to 10% of your daily calories. Most of your fat calories must originate from unsaturated fats.

Low-Fiber Products

Consuming products that have very little to no dietary fiber increases your danger of prostatic problems. Abstain from low-fiber foods like white bread, white pasta, white rice, white flour and white sugar. Fast food choices are frequently low in fiber and must be averted to maintain a healthy prostatic gland. On the other hand, a high-fiber diet plan often helps lower risk of developing prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Milk

Dairy products have been associated with increased risks of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Milk boosts the level of insulin-like growth factor in your blood and this particular boost can promote the development of prostatic adenocarcinoma cells. Also, the high calcium quantities in milk can result in a reduction in vitamin D, and decreased vitamin D amounts are connected with prostatic cancer. To decrease your risk substitute your dairy milk with soy milk or give up the use of milk completely.

High Calcium Products

Diet routines which are frequently high in calcium have been associated with elevated risks of prostatic adenocarcinoma. To prevent prostatic gland issues you need to maintain your regular calcium consumption less than 1,500 mg a day. Should you take a multivitamin pill be sure that the calcium amount is not raising your calcium amounts above what's going to raise your risk of prostatic problems.

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption must be kept to average amounts to keep the prostate gland healthy. Consistent heavy drinking increases your threat of developing the more aggressive types of cancer of the prostate. Avoid consuming over 2 alcohol-based drinks each day; this can also help you prevent an increased prostate.

Processed Foods

Highly processed foods usually consist of increased levels of nutritionally poor calories. Consuming these regularly can result in unwanted fat gain, that could raise your threat of prostatic adenocarcinoma along with other prostate issues like erectile dysfunction. Additionally, stuffing up on processed foods might leave you lacking of a number of the nutrients and vitamins that prevent cancer of the prostate, like lycopene and phytoestrogens.

I have a friend who has prostate cancer and I went with him to see his doctor. He asked his doctor regarding foods he wanted to eat, and his doctor gave him the list of foods he should avoid. It was a very comprehensive list but very helpful. This natural treatment for prostate cancer can truly aid in your healing.

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