HOW TO GO ABOUT IT:
The New Year has begun, you may be regretting the extravagance of the festive season: that extra helping of Christmas dinner, all those mince pies, the Belgian chocs… But don’t despair, you can still achieve a really flat tummy. Here's a collection of things to avoid henceforth.
EDIBLES TO AVOID:
CHEWING GUM: You may not realise this, but as you chew gum, you swallow air which gets trapped in your GI tract and causes pressure, bloating and belly expansion.
SUGAR ALCOHOLS: These sugar substitutes, which go by the names xylitol or maltitol, are often found in products such as low-calorie or lowcarb biscuits, sweets and energy bars. Like fibre, your GI tract can’t absorb most of them, which is good for your calorie bottom line but not so good for your tummy. They cause wind, abdominal distention, bloating and diarrhoea. Avoid them.
SALT: Water is attracted to sodium, so when you take in higher than usual amounts of sodium in the form of salty foods, you’ll temporarily retain more fluid, which contributes to a sluggish feeling, a puffy appearance and extra water weight.
EXCESS CARBS: As a back-up energy source, your muscles store a type of carbohydrate called glycogen. Every gram of glycogen is stored with about 3g of water. But unless you’re planning to run a marathon tomorrow, your body doesn’t need all this stockpiled fuel. Decrease your intake of high-carbohydrate foods such as pasta, bananas and bread to temporarily train your body to access this stored fuel and burn it off.
BULKY RAW FOODS: Lightly cooked vegetables offer much the same nutritional benefits as the raw version, however cooked vegetables take up much less room in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Eat only cooked vegetables, smaller portions of unsweetened dried fruit and canned fruits in natural juice for the four days of this diet. This will allow you to meet your nutrient needs without expanding your GI tract with raw foods.
GASSY FOODS: Certain foods simply create more wind than others in your GI tract. Avoid beans and pulses, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers and citrus fruits.
FRIED FOODS: Fatty foods, especially the fried variety, are digested more slowly, causing you to feel heavy and bloated.
SPICY FOODS: Foods seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, chilli powder, hot sauces, onions, garlic, mustard, fresh chillies, barbecue sauce, horseradish, ketchup, tomato sauce or vinegar can all stimulate the release of stomach acid, which can cause gut irritation and bloating.
FIZZY DRINKS: Where do you think all those bubbles end up? They gang up in your belly!
ALCOHOL, COFFEE, TEA, COCOA AND ACIDIC FRUIT JUICES: Each of these high-acid beverages can irritate your GI tract, causing swelling.
...culled from ynaija
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