It’s late at night, you feel tired and sluggish and your pants are feeling a little tighter than usual. You poke your belly and it feels hard and bloated, but you don’t know why. Many times we don’t think twice before indulging into foods that we know are not good for us. But other times, we think that certain foods are healthy and we don’t realize that these foods might be what’s causing inflammation in our bodies.
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Sugar
When it comes to sugar, there’s sugar in practically everything. We live in a society where we have very easy access to fast food and drinks that contain tons of sugar. Sugar can make you feel bloated, cause you to gain weight, and even help accumulate fat around your vital organs. Tip: Be conscious of your sugar intake and make it a habit to read the labels in packages and buy unsweetened instead of sweetened foods.
Fruits
When we think about fruit, we think about all the health benefits we get by eating fruits, such as antioxidants. Eating fruit is great, but there are many fruits like bananas, oranges, mangoes, and pineapples that we should limit to once a week because of the higher fructose content. Tip: There are many fruits are much better for you, like raspberries, blackberries, and grapefruit that will not make you bloat.
Oil
Many of us look at vegetable oils as a healthier source of oil, like corn, soy, and canola. The hydrogenated oils that we use on our food to fry vegetables and meats should be avoided. Fried foods can cause you to feel fat and sluggish because the high levels of fat cause you to digest your food slowly. Tip: Change the way you cook, opt for getting different pots and pans and a steamer. If you want fried chicken or fried vegetables, instead aim for steamed or baked which cuts down on inflammation and calories.
Carbonated Drinks
We all know how much sugar is in soda and carbonated fruit juices. Carbonated drinks can actually make you feel like your stomach has expanded. Tip: For a flat belly avoid them completely and make yourself lemon water or fruit infused waters to drink something with flavor.
Gassy Vegetables
Cabbage is a vegetable that is known for increasing gas production in the gastrointestinal tract during digestion. There is a difference between eating vegetables cooked or raw. When you cook cabbage well it is easier to digest than if you eat it raw. Other gassy veggies include, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and beans. Tip: Eat more greens like kale, arugula, collards, and even avocado, these are great for digestion, as well as iron, protein, and vitamins A,C, and K.