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Beat the Bloat to look Great at Christmas
If you want to look good in your Christmas party dress the last
thing you need is a swollen tummy. Plan ahead with these tips so
that you look the best you can on the night
1. Avoid salt
Salty food causes you to retain water which often concentrates
around your mid-section. If you want your tummy to be as flat as
possible avoid salty snacks and meals for a few days before the
event. Chinese food is especially heavy in sodium (the key
ingredient in salt which causes you to swell) so avoid that if
you want to look your best. Look out too for processed foods and
ready meals which tend to be high in salt (to make up for the
lack of taste). Stay well away from fast food, family
restaurants and pizza places too which salt food like it was
going out of fashion. Eliminate salt completely on the day of
the party for best results.
2. Choose low GI foods with some protein
Starchy foods like bread and pasta tend to puff you up because
they cause you to produce excess insulin. Eat only small
quantities of carbohydrate foods and choose those which release
energy more slowly into the body, the so-called low GI foods.
These tend to be whole grains rather than white processed
products. Eat some protein with each meal to keep your insulin
levels steady.
3. Don't swallow air
Drinking through a straw and chewing gum introduce a lot of air
into your system which ends up in your tummy causing you to
bloat up. So leave them well alone. And avoid foods which you
know cause you to feel "gassy".
4. Drink Water
All fizzy drinks, even diet soda will cause you to swell up due
to the amount of sodium and air they contain. Instead, drink
lots of water to help flush out your system - about 8 glasses a
day.
5. Eat fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Fresh foods (which contain a lot of fibre) will help sweep your
system clean ready for your big night out. They tend to be high
in potassium too which helps regulate water balance in the body.
6. Keep your digestion healthy
Ensure you are digesting your food properly by eating your food
slowly and chewing it well. Don't eat too much at one meal -
smaller more regular meals are easier to digest. Also avoid
drinking with your meals - drink water half an hour before or an
hour afterwards. Peppermint tea may help your digestion if you
have problems.
7. Help from your wardrobe
Once you've done everything you can from the inside, get all the
help you can from your clothes. You can get great tummy
controlling undies these days and they don't have to look like
something your granny would wear. Also make sure your clothes
fit your properly and skim rather than cling if you have more
curves than you would like.
8. It's a wrap
If you want to look your very best, you could try a body wrap
treatment at your local spa or beauty salon. They can work
magic. Unfortunately these treatments are expensive and the
results are only temporary. So save this one for a really
special night out.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
About the author:
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet
Exit Plan", the system that promotes permanent healthy and
AUTOMATIC weight loss through making small changes to your
everyday habits. Visit http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas
today to get the Simply Slimming FREE ezine full of tips and
recipes and a 24 page special report "How to have a Great
Christmas without piling on the pounds".
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