How to eat your way to a bloat-free belly

Even though it’s a carbohydrate, fibre can actually flush out bloat rather than holding water in like simple carbs do.

“It’s slow-digesting and really nourishes the gut,” says Armul.

Leave the skins on fruits and vegetables so you don’t throw out any of that healthy fibre. And if you really want your fruit stores to last beyond their normal season, why not try your hand at preserving them? It’s easier than you think.

Even calorie-free sodas can make your belly bigger because the carbonation will bloat you up.

“With carbonated beverages, there’s nowhere else for gas to go but out, so either belch or gas,” says Crandall.

As a general rule, perhaps you should just keep the soda for cleaning the carpet.

Plus, the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks can cause bloating and gas in some people, says Armul.

Try water infused with lemon or cucumbers instead for a flavourful, refreshing drink.

Your brain takes about 20 to 30 minutes to register fullness signals from your stomach.

If you finish in just 15 minutes, you might go for seconds, thinking you’re still hungry, says Rumsey.

Eating more slowly will give your body time to realise if it’s full, plus it can help you swallow less air into your digestive tract.

“You tend to swallow more air when eating fast, and that can cause bloat,” says Rumsey.

Put your fork down between bites so you don’t end up shoveling food in your mouth, and count to 20 before you swallow each forkful, recommends Crandall.

Then, after your slow-food experience, speed it back up again for these 7 fast fat burning exercises.

Make dessert an occasional treat rather than an everyday event so it doesn’t become a habit, says Rumsey.

If you’re already feeling bloated, eating sweets full of simple carbs could just make it worse, says Armul.

“But if it’s been a healthy day and you’ve stayed active, a small portion of dessert should be fine and won’t cause major bloating,” she says.

The key to making it fit into your flat-belly day is sticking with one small portion – a serving of ice-cream is probably smaller than your usual scoop (or two) – or picking a healthier choice, like frozen fruit, to satisfy your sweet tooth.

If you find you do have a yo-yo relationship with sugary desserts, here’s how to kick the sugar habit without missing out on the sweet stuff.