It’s no secret – losing weight from your stomach isn’t an easy business, as the fat around your middle is more stubborn than anywhere else. While we’d never advocate a quick-fix diet or quick weight loss, there are a few things that might be causing a bloated stomach and some easy tricks to tauten that tum.
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1. Drink coffee
Coffee = weight loss. Is this the best news ever? A study by the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham discovered that coffee stimulates ‘brown fat’ in our bodies, burning sugar and fat to produce body heat. So sipping on your morning Americano is actually good for you and will help keep that tum trim.
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2. Moderate some vegetables – really!
Legumes, beans and cruciferous vegetables (the likes of cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts) are all highly nutritious and should certainly feature in your diet however, if you’re not used to them, they can unfortunately cause you to become gassy. The best way to introduce them? Slowly. Give your body time to adjust to these types of carbohydrates.
3. Try a juice cleanse
If you’re looking to feel great on the inside, try a juice cleanse. They help to debloat, reset your body and recharge your energy levels. If a juice cleanse isn’t for you, try a juice and soup cleanse combined – packed with nutrient dense superfoods, the Press London version includes 4 juices and 2 soups per day, to keep you feeling full and fantastic.
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4. Take debloating supplements
The reviews speak for themselves on this one. The JS Health Detox + Debloat vitamin supports abdominal bloating and your liver’s detoxification processes. Containing nutrients to support the body’s natural cleansing processes and support digestive discomfort, this vitamin is your ticket to a soothed tummy and healthy liver.
For detoxing, you’ll find Milk Thistle which is used in western herbal tradition to maintain and support natural liver cleansing and detoxification processes. Turmeric is proven to maintain and support liver health, and acts as a hepatoprotectant to protect the liver. Turmeric is also a strong antioxidant, which can support free radical damage in the body.
For the all-important debloat, you get fennel which is used in western herbal tradition to support normal digestion. Milk Thistle and Turmeric help promote bile secretion and flow.
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5. Get enough sleep
It’s true – lack of sleep does contribute to weight gain, so make sure you get your full eight hours a night. When our bodies don’t get enough sleep, cortisol (the stress hormone) levels increase, which tells your body to save energy and get you through the day.
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Conserving energy means hanging onto body fat rather than burning it off, and that means a podgy stomach. Maybe your mattress is the problem – check out our edit of the best mattresses with top reviews.
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6. Hit maximum chill
First things first, chill out. When you’re feeling frazzled, your body produces more of the stress hormone which has a negative effect on your digestive system – leaving you feeling and looking bloated plus, possibly, constipated.
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Try and relax whenever you can; even if it’s for a few minutes a day, try listening to a meditation podcast, doing a few yoga poses or zoning out in front of the TV.
7. Take a bath
Get that chill time in with a bath – not just your normal bath bomb scented affair but one with Epsom Salts instead.
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Dump in a tub load (or two cups full to be precise) and it can help reduce bloating by drawing excess water from your tum. It’s a great trick for those days you want your tummy to look flatter.
8. Dine on dark chocolate
Not for every meal, but a square or two of the darker variety can actually help lessen your tum. It’s all down to the monounsaturated fat, which can help to speed up your metabolism.
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Plus, it gives you an energy boost so you might not skip that home workout after all…
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9. Work on your posture
Hunching over our desks, phones, tablets and the likes can throw your posture totally out of whack. A good posture not only makes you look slimmer, as you stand taller, but it engages your stomach muscles too.
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Try to sit with your back straight and shoulders back, and place both feet on the floor. If that doesn’t work, set yourself a reminder on your phone or computer to sit up straight every 20 or so minutes. You can also buy posture correctors to help, too.
10. Suck on some lemon (water)
An easy morning routine to get yourself into is to sip on warm water and lemon first thing; it can help to reduce inflammation in the gut and de-bloat your stomach.
11. Bin the gum
When you chew gum, you swallow extra air which leads to, you guessed it, bloating. It tricks your body into thinking it’s about to be fed and it starts to prep itself for food – when there’s no food for it to process, there’s an excess of stomach acid which again, causes bloating. So it might be time to ditch that seemingly innocent, minty habit.
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12. Ditch the salt
Cut down on your salt intake to help beat bloating tummies. According to experts, reducing salt to just 3g a day by avoiding all processed foods, will help your body release water it has been retaining to help dilute high salt levels in your body. If you do need to use salt, try to make it natural sea salt; teaspoon to teaspoon, it is lower in sodium than table salt.
And stay away from soy sauce which has high levels of sodium and will cause almost instant bloating. You can always flavour your food with other herbs and spices; cayenne pepper, cumin and tabasco sauce will also help boost your metabolism.
13. Avoid food on the go
Make sure you slow down and sit down at all mealtimes. It will help you relax and focus on what you are eating. And make sure you mind your manners. Eating with your mouth closed, and not talking while you are chewing, will reduce the amount of air that would otherwise get trapped in your stomach.
You should also try to chew more – calories can be reduced by as much as 12 per cent by chewing each mouthful 40 times rather than 15, research has shown.
14. Go green
Research has shown a direct link between green tea and smaller waists. Green tea contains compounds called catechins, which increase the release of fat from fat cells, help boost energy expenditure and speed up the burning of fat by the liver. Study participants drank four or five cups a day, but any amount will benefit your body.
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15. Eat slower
This takes practice but eating slower can really help you to beat the bloat. If you’re eating too quickly, you’re likely to be swallowing larger pieces of food which slow down the digestion process and likely leaves you bloated. Meals should last about 25 to 30 minutes so use this as a ballpark pointer.
And remember, some people argue that taking longer to eat your food will mean you eat less overall as your body and brain are given the time to register that you’re actually full.
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16. Drink plenty of water
Hydration is key to weight loss. Did you know that the brain struggles to recognise the difference between being hungry and thirsty? As it turns out, thirst is often mistaken for a sugar craving so rather than heading to the cupboard and grabbing that secret chocolate bar you’ve got hidden at the back, try drinking a glass of water instead.
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17. Drink a glass of water before eating a meal
Research has also found that drinking a glass of water before a meal can help to suppress appetite, meaning that you’re more likely to indulge in a smaller and healthier sized portion while feeling fuller. One way to remind yourself? With a super chic reusable water bottle.
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18. Dab a spot of vanilla on your wrists to limit sugar
In a study done by St George’s Hospital, volunteers who wore a vanilla-scented patch on the inside of their wrists reported reduced cravings for chocolate and other sweet foods compared to a control group. You can replicate the study with a little vanilla extract.
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19. Consume gut-friendly foods
A happy gut means you’re less likely to bloat or suffer with tummy aches. You can find live cultures and probiotics in gut-friendly food such as yoghurt and kombucha. Mmm.
Gut Glory salted caramel yoghurt, £1.80, Available at ASDA
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Muller Kefir Smoothie Raspberry & Pomegranate, £1.30, Tesco
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20. Eat more fibre
Fibre is proven to help the digestive system function effectively. In turn, a healthy digestive system can reduce bloating.
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Source: HelloMagazine
