Some foods are easier to digest than others. Deep fried, processed, salty, and chocolatey foods all fall into the harder to digest list. Foods that contain artificial sweeteners, excessive sugar, dairy and sometimes gluten can also be hard to digest. If you find yourself with a bulging belly often begin to pay attention what you tend to reach for as snacks and meals. Slowly begin to shift to more fresh whole foods and drop the convenient food.

Getting too much insoluble fiber or upping your intake quickly can result in a bloated and constipated belly. Typically, most people get too little fiber, but those who jump on to the supplement wagon can get these symptoms. If you’re increasing your fiber do so slowly and drink plenty of water. Adults need about 25 (ladies) to 50 (gentlemen) grams a day!

Our bodies are excellent at digesting… real whole foods. When we start to include things like artificial sweeteners in the body then we introduce it to unnatural chemicals. Many artificial sweeteners are very hard to digest or not digestible at all. This causes disruption in the guts and can leave you feeling bloated and constipated. Check the ingredient list for names like sorbitol, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose.

Drop the coffee and reach for the warm lemon water first thing in the morning! This is a gentle laxative and helps release sodium so the body stops holding on to water. Bonus points if you add some dandelion or peppermint into your drink for a belly flattening tea.