6 Ways to Beat Belly Bloat

Bloating is totally normal

Even ask super-fit Instagram fitness celebs like Anna Victoria (pictured above) and Kelsey Wells, who occasionally show off the difference between a perfectly posed shot and one that features bloating or poor lighting.

But that doesn’t mean any of us have to like it! A bloated tummy can be painful, cause unwanted gas and make pants too tight — and no one likes that feeling.

Luckily, the founder of Joyous Health and author of Joyous Detox, Joy McCarthy, has six key tips for banishing the bloat.

1. Avoid carbonated beverages

“Especially those loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners,” she says. “You’re basically drinking gas.”

Here’s the real reason you’ll never want to drink diet soda again.

2. Chew, chew, chew

“Your stomach does not have teeth. When you don’t chew your food until a paste, this makes it harder on your digestive system to break it down and absorb the nutrients. It also makes it harder for your stomach enzymes to get into every nook and cranny. When you chew quickly, you swallow more air and that leads to further bloating.”

3. Spit out the gum

“You’re swallowing air and promoting the secretion of digestive enzymes and HCl in the gut but the problem is you’re not actually eating any food.”

4. Avoid sugar

“It feeds yeast and bad bacteria and promotes the fermentation of food in your gut, which leads to bloating.”

5. Feed the good bacteria

“Dysbiosis is a super common cause of bloating this is when the bad bacteria outnumbers the good. Eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, tempeh and natto.”

These 9 foods help promote good gut health. Plus, try our amazing coconut kefir recipe.

6. Avoid potential food sensitivities

“The most common ones are dairy, gluten, sugar and soy.”

These 8 signs could mean you’re lactose intolerant.