Do you tend to get gassy and/or bloated easily, especially after meals?
Or are you struggling to get rid of that little bulge at the waistline of your jeans, that stubborn extra fat that seems to become a bigger problem as the years go on?
Too many people (especially women) think cutting calories and boosting their workouts is the answer to eliminating their bloat and muffin-top, but usually, that strategy fails.
After much research and even personal struggle, I realized that the key lies in first understanding what's causing you to get bloated and gassy, and eventually contributing to your belly fat. I always believe in first finding the ROOT CAUSE behind your health issues, and in the case of excess belly fat and bloat, it’s usually centered around inflammation as well as sub-optimal digestion.
Generally, eating the right anti-inflammatory foods will make a huge difference, and of course, staying away from the typical inflammatory foods, such as highly processed foods and the “white powders” - sugar, white flour and excess table salt. But there are also certain eating and lifestyle habits that can help.
HERE ARE 5 STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR DIGESTION, ELIMINATING YOUR BLOAT AFTER MEALS, AND GETTING RID OF THAT EXCESS BELLY FAT:
Step 1: Discover whether you have underlying gut issues, and any unknown food sensitivities or allergies.
Your bloated belly can be due to foods that you're sensitive to, often unknowingly! So it's key to IDENTIFY and then AVOID these foods for a period of time, while working on healing your gut. Plus, long-term exposure to these foods that irritate your gut can cause inflammation and yup, cause extra belly fat (not to mention more serious things down the road including chronic disease).
I usually suggest to start by doing a 2 week food elimination detox (like my 10 day detox which I’ll support you in extending then doing the reintroduction process) and depending on the results after that detox, I would potentially also suggest testing (via bloodwork and possible stool tests and breath tests). Getting to the root cause of your constant bloating is KEY. If we do confirm that you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), for example, we can try a low-FODMAP diet for a few weeks (I can explain in detail if this is relevant to you; we can set up a call!), and furthermore if you have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth), a certain anti-microbial/anti-bacterial protocol might be necessary for about a month just to eradicate that pent up bacteria that’s not supposed to be there! (For this, I usually have my clients work with me alongside a functional medicine practitioner or gastro). From there, you continue to steps 2-5.
Step 2: Incorporate healthier EATING HABITS.
Just being more conscious of what you’re eating, eating slower, and staying mindful while eating can be a game changer. Take a few breaths before your meal, set your fork/spoon down between each bite, and aim to chew your food until liquid before swallowing, and THEN picking up your fork/spoon again. Aim to be as relaxed as possible while eating, too, because if you’re stressed, your body is NOT going to digest optimally as its too busy dealing with your stress.
Step 3: Try digestive aids
Try adding a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) with a bit of water 5 mins before a meal, taking digestive bitters, and/or digestive enzymes. This doesn’t have to be forever, but a protocol of digestive bitters/enzymes can be a HUGE help to diminish gas/bloating while you work on healing your gut.
Step 4: Focus on eating an Anti-Inflammatory diet every day!
Think tons of colorful foods. Some of my favorite anti-inflammatory foods include: turmeric and ginger (add them to as many recipes as possible!), berries (all varieties, ideally organic), wild-caught fish like salmon, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens (have some greens every day!) and colorful vegetables such as orange veggies (sweet potatoes, butternut squash and carrots) and red/purple such as purple cabbage and red onions and bell peppers (skin and seeds removed!)
Step 5: Limit the inflammatory foods that tend to get us bloated.
Sorry this one is difficult but its one of the most important steps. Here are the 5 key things to AVOID (that will address the likely root cause of your belly fat) and what to eat instead:
SUGAR and FAKE SUGAR. You want to be careful with all packaged goods, especially "low fat" stuff that is injected with sugar and chemicals to make up for the loss of fat. Look at the grams of sugar in everything that is packaged. Be extra careful with things like granola and cereal, and even condiments and sauces that have tons of hidden sugar. For ex. teriyaki sauce, barbeque sauce and salad dressings, which tend to have a ton of inflammatory sugar and sodium. Likewise, be careful of all sugar substitutes. I suggest AVOIDING SPLENDA and other artificial sweeteners. They cause just as much belly-fat inducing inflammation as pure sugar. BETTER OPTION: Aim to eat LESS sweet if you want a flater belly! Gradually add less sugar to your coffee (or preferably, nix it completely. If needed, you can sweeten most things naturally with bananas, dates, or small amounts of pure, raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or a tiny bit of organic stevia or monk fruit. Read more about the Best & Worst Sweeteners HERE.
All WHITE/REFINED STARCHES - including white rice, pasta, bread, and anything containing dough like pastries/pies/dumplings/empanadas, etc. BETTER OPTION: Check out my blog for easy, low-carb substitutions for things like bread and pasta. And if you want something with dough, make it at home using a less-refined flour coming from naturally gluten-free grains or nuts/seeds, like chickpea flour, almond flour, buckwheat or even coconut flour. There are so many easy recipes online, or just ask me and i'll share my tried and proven-delicious gluten-free recipes!
PROCESSED, HIGH-FAT MEATS. Red meat can be slightly inflammatory and should be eaten in small amounts, but in particular, limit animal products that have been smoked, cured, salted or chemically preserved, like sausages, cold-cuts like salami and ham., as these are the worst for your belly. BETTER OPTION: Generally, it's best to cut back on red meat (I usually suggest max 2/week), and when you do eat red meat, try to get grass-fed sources. If you need a cold-cut for your sandwich, opt for low-sodium turkey fresh from the deli (preferably organic) instead of ham or salami.
INFLAMMATORY OILS – like soybean oil, corn oil, vegetable oils, and even canola oil which tends to be genetically modified. BETTER OPTION: Choose cold-pressed oils that are rich in Omega-3's and other beneficial properties, such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and organic coconut oil. I also like grass-fed ghee. Check out my Guide to Cooking Oils HERE.
ARTIFICIAL &/OR BUBBLY DRINKS. AVOID artificial drinks like sodas, commercial fruit juices and energy drinks (both sugary or diet versions). All the sugar and chemicals in that stuff will add to your belly fat, plus in general, these bubbly mixers can make you bloated. BETTER OPTION: If you need a boozy drink during your summer vacation, opt for a glass of wine, or my favorite, fresh coconut water (with or without a splash of your preferred alcohol). Regardless, when it comes to alcohol, YOU KNOW it packs on the calories and pounds, so LIMITING your alcohol intake overall is KEY. Set a goal of only 2 drinks per week, and start looking for more activities that don't involve alcohol. And while healing your gut, it may be best to do ZERO alcohol for a few weeks (sorry!).
Apart from limiting/avoiding these 5 foods, it can be helpful to pay attention to the wrong food combinations, at least for a while. While this usually isn’t necessary to do if you have a healthy gut with no bloating, it can be a lifesaver to follow food combining rules for a while if you’re constantly bloated. While you don’t need to follow them 100 percent, I say TRY to follow them as best as possible (as I explain in my blog) especially at night (when you most easily get bloated). For the most part, try to avoid: combining proteins with starches, or mixing different proteins, and fruits are best eaten on an empty stomach and alone (with only small amounts of "fatty proteins" such as sprouted nuts/seeds). Almost everything goes well with low-starch veggies.
And of course, taking care of your GUT HEALTH on a daily basis is key, so make sure to follow my 10 steps for optimal gut health. Additionally, here are 9 tips for a great poop!