8 Tips to Beat Belly Bloat

This time of year is notorious for overeating and indulging in foods we don’t normally eat. It all adds up and we often end up feeling sluggish and bloated.

But never fear, you can do something about it and help your body recover quickly from those indulgences.

Here are 8 ways to get rid of that bloated feeling quickly:

1. Don't Eat Offending Foods

Seriously! The simplest way to feel amazing is to not eat foods that you know your body doesn't like. If you know certain foods make you bloat, try to avoid them. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat and how your body reacts to the foods you eat.

2. Make lemonade

Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice into a glass, add a squirt of liquid stevia if desired, and fill the glass with water. Voila! You have a low-cal, low-sugar lemonade or limeade alternative that feels fresh and hydrating.

3. Add Sliced Fruit to Your Water

Adding sliced lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, cranberries, or cucumbers to your water has a natural diuretic effect that can help flush out the extra water retention that makes you feel puffy and stiff. Plus, this will add some extra nutrients into each glass of water you drink.

4. Sip on Herbal Tea

Peppermint, ginger, fennel, lemon, chamomile and dandelion herbal teas are great options. These herbs help stimulate digestion to get things moving out of your belly faster. Better yet, make your own Lemon-Ginger Tea by bringing 4-6 cups of water (depending on how strong you like your tea) to a boil in a pot. Add 2 Tbsp of fresh grated ginger and 1 sliced lemon and allow this to steep for about 5 minutes. Strain out the ginger and lemon, add a bit of honey or stevia to taste if desired, and sip throughout the day. Not only will this reduce the bloating, but it will also help ward off those pesky colds and viruses!

5. Drink Celery Juice or Pure Green Juices

Celery juice on an empty stomach is a powerful natural diuretic that can also improve your digestion. Try drinking at 8-16 ounces each morning to reduce bloating and edema. Celery juice also floods your body with nutrients and essential mineral salts. It may take some time to work up to 16 oz a day, but the benefits are worth it. And each glass varies depending on how sweet or bitter each head of celery is. Be sure to buy organic celery when possible since celery is porous and absorbs the pesticides sprayed on it. If not, just wash it well and say a special prayer for your celery juice. :) It will still be beneficial. You may also consider sipping on fresh-squeezed/pressed green juices made with both water-rich fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

6. Eat Water-Rich Foods

Eat celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, apples, oranges, kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple, grapes, leafy greens (like leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, dandelion, collard greens, bok choy) or jicama, just to name a few. Not only do these foods have a high water content, but they boast a wide array of valuable nutrients that your body needs. They are also rich in fiber to help push all that indulgence gunk through your digestive tract more quickly.

7. Eat Smaller Meals More Often

Give your digestive system a bit of a break. You'll be less likely to bloat if you're eating smaller meals and filling up on those water-rich foods listed above. With less energy spent on digesting large, heavy meals, you may also feel more energized after each meal.

8. Get Up and MOVE

Yup. It may not feel that great and you may want to just curl up in a ball and lie in bed, but go for a walk, jog, swim, do some restorative yoga (there are some great poses for relieving excess wind), dance, or whatever you like to do that's active. Exercise signals your stomach to empty so that energy goes towards moving your body rather than digestion. Just be cautious and start slowly and increase the intensity as you feel able.

You may have noticed that most of these tips focus on hydrating. Staying properly hydrated is crucial to flushing out the gunk that causes the bloating. Water is fantastic, but if you struggle getting enough water, try some of the suggestions above. Make sure that you continue to eat to fuel your body. Avoid the temptation to "fast" (aka starve yourself) after an indulgence. Just lighten it up with the suggestions above and you'll feel like your normal, awesome self pretty quickly.

What are some of the things that you do to get back on track and feel better after an indulgence?