Feeling a bit like a bloated Michelin Man these days? Here are 10 foods and drinks that will flatten your belly fast, whether you want to squeeze into your favorite jeans or just deflate after a night of over-indulgence. 1. Peppermint To preempt bloat, sip on some peppermint tea or pop a peppermint oil pill likeHeather's Tummy Tamers Peppermint Oil Capsules about an hour before going out, suggests Tamara Duker Freuman, RD, a New York–based nutritionist who specializes in digestive disorders. "Peppermint is an anti-spasmodic. It calms down the entire digestive tract and allows gas to pass," she says. Sipping tea post-indulgence can also banish belchy gas. 2. Instant oatmeal Any kind of disruption to your routine, like travel or a late night out, can throw off your eating and sleeping, and wreck your regularity. This can lead to constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. "Grab a couple of packets of plain instant oatmeal instead of a pastry in the morning," suggests Freuman. "Oatmeal is a terrific source of soluble fiber to keep bowels regular." 3. Parsley This herb is a natural diuretic that helps flush excess fluid out of the body, as well as provides bone-building vitamin K and immune-boosting vitamin C. Chop it up into salads or add it to your green smoothie for a belly-bloat fix. 4. Fennel An age-old remedy for gas and bloating, there's a reason Indian restaurants keep a bowl of colorful, coated fennel seeds by the door. Not only is the licorice-tasting spice a digestive stimulant that can speed up food transit time, fennel can also boost bile production in the gut to help break down foods. Keep some seeds in a baggy in your purse to pop postmeal, or sip fennel tea. 5. Banana Rich foods can send your sodium levels soaring, causing water retention and bloating. That's where bananas come in. The potassium in bananas helps rid your body of belly-bloating sodium and excess water. So the morning after a salt binge, eat a banana with peanut butter at breakfast, or add one to your smoothie. 6. Yogurt When the bacterial balance in your gut is off, it can cause gas and bloating. Probiotics to the rescue! These beneficial bacteria found in yogurt can rebalance the gut and improve digestive health. "Look for a brand with live and active cultures, and avoid flavored varieties filled with sugar and sugar substitutes," says Freuman, who loves Green Valley Organics, which happens to be lactose free as well. 7. Water Seems counterintuitive to drink more H20 when you're retaining water, but hydrating can actually help you excrete excess water. "When there's not enough fluid in the body, sodium causes retention so that you hold on to the fluid you have," warns Freuman. Just skip the straw, which can cause you to swallow extra air. 8. Ginger If you don't have fresh ginger, chew on a strip of crystalized ginger, suggests Freuman. Ginger is an anti-spasmodic that aids digestion and relaxes the digestive tract muscles. Ginger tea works too: Simply steep thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water. Source
