Your Good Health

6 Tips for Tricking the Afternoon Bloat

 digg it |   delicious |   StumbleUpon |  reddit 

Has this happened to you? You wake in the morning, slip easily into your favorite pair of pants, then after lunch…come afternoon…suddenly your pants don’t fit. It feels like you’re three pant sizes up since that morning, but all you’ve had is a light breakfast and a healthy lunch. What happened?

Afternoon bloating can strike without warning, but it is not unstoppable. The next time you get that unexplained “full” feeling try these tips for staying your true size and skipping the bloat altogether:

1. Watch out for the gassy food no-no’s. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, and, of course, beans can all cause bloating. 
2. Eat raw food sensibly. A good tip is to avoid eating dried fruits and nuts together. Soak your raw nuts overnight to help break down the enzyme inhibitors in them that are difficult to digest.
3. Food combinations. This is a big one for many of us. Typically, dairy and fruit are not digested well together. Monitor not just the foods you eat but also the foods you eat together and take notes to see which combinations tend to cause bloating.
4. Try a self-tummy massage. Gently massage your middle in a clockwise direction to help move food and gas through the intestines.
5. Move it. A brisk (and I mean brisk) 15 minute walk can also help get things moving. Very helpful if you happen to have a sedentary job.
6. Supplements. Easily my favorite supplement for bloating is FloraZyme - with probiotics plus digestive enzymes and a non-gas forming fiber (scFOS®) to help balance intestinal flora and keep things moving in the digestive tract.