I used to have a love-hate-relationship with my belly.
Each morning, I was totally fine with my looks and the fact that I was still fitting into my favorite, 15 year old pair of jeans, but somewhere between one and three in the afternoon, I would start and avoid looking at each and everything that could reflect my silhouette.
Why? Because for reasons that were unknown to me at the time, after lunch my flat morning tummy would reliably turn into a huge and bloated belly that easily made every pregnant woman jealous!
Really, it was unbelievable and although I do enjoy an occasional muffin on my plate I most certainly do not want to look like one.
Luckily, I've found out the reasons for my unfortunate daily transformation and if you, too, suffer from the bloated belly syndrome, keep on reading.
These are my favorite tips for “de-bloating” your belly and getting a silhouette that will turn heads:
1) Start moving!
As a matter of fact, regular exercise gets your bowels moving and helps a great deal in keeping your tummy flat. You don't need to hit the gym every day, but try and incorporate about 20-30 minutes of extra activity into your daily routine.
Go by bike, take your neighbor's dog for a walk, spend your lunch break outside instead of behind your PC or get yourself a mini jumper and put in front of your TV.
I just love watching the latest HBO series while bouncing up and down and this really does not only help me get rid of unnecessary “dead weight”, it also effectively trains my abs.
2) Cut back on salt, avoid artificial sweeteners & flour, and stay away from fizzy drinks!
All these foods promote gassing.
3) Don't touch dairy or gluten for a while!
Many people are actually not cut out for properly processing lactose sugar in dairy or certain proteins aka gluten. I'm not saying you should live without these foods forever, but if you regularly see your tummy change into a balloon, take a dairy and/or gluten time-out and see what happens.
You might find out that this is what's causing your troubles.
4) Meditate and sleep well
Research has shown that a good night's sleep does not only promote fat burning but also keeps your hunger hormones under control.
Just go to bed a little earlier than you usually do and, who knows, if you can convince your partner to do the same, you might even burn some extra calories together!
5) Be nice to your bowels and give them a break!
Finally, a common sense detox program is a great way to flatten your tummy. This will give your bowels a well-deserved break and if you also integrate foods that help build a healthy intestinal flora such as fruits, veggies or the right kind of grains, your “pseudo pregnancy” symptoms will soon be a thing of the past.
How I know this? I've tried all the above myself, regularly do a “Flat Belly Detox” and no longer have to worry when putting on my favorite pair of jeans!
Editor's note: If you'd like to achieve the results that Nathalie discusses in her article, why not check out her Flat Belly Detox Program and start looking forward to a sideways glance in the mirror again!
