Being bloated sucks. Cue sad trombone. Your clothes fit weird, you feel sluggish, and someone may or may not think you're about three months preggo. But with so many flat-belly fixes out there, how do you know which ones are worth your time? Well, lucky for you, we asked the experts to find out what you should skip, what you should use with caution, and what is a sure-fire way to crush belly bloat. Then we ranked them from least to most effective. Behold.
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9. Castor Oil
This technique is uber-popular with the naturopathic crowd. Their theory: If you apply warm castor oil to your abdominal area, it can help your body burn excess fat and flatten your belly. That said, there is no evidence that it works, and there's no clear-cut reasoning that would explain it, says Linda Anegawa, M.D., founder and medical director of OSR Weight Management in Hawaii. "If it does anything at all, I suspect it might be a placebo effect," says Anegawa.
8. Body Wraps
Many spas claim that body wraps are a lightning-fast way to trim inches off your waistline. The treatment involves being covered in a mineral concoction and wrapped, mummy-style, in plastic or fabric. After that, you're left to "detox" for an allotted period of time. Again, while some people swear by them, there's no evidence that they work, says Anegawa. "Sure, you'll lose water weight from sweating, but our bodies are also extremely efficient at moving fluid into areas where excess fluid has been lost," she says. Translation: You'll probably see some kind of effect for an hour or two, but that's about it.
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7. Teatoxes
Teatoxes that claim to cleanse your system, speed up your metabolism, and reduce bloating may be effective at increasing the number of number twos you take, but ultimately you should proceed with caution. "Overusing diuretic teas can be habit-forming and cause undesirable side effects, like severe diarrhea," says Anegawa. Drink plain-old green tea instead, which is a much milder diuretic that can help you lose water weight and de-bloat—minus the nasty side effects, says Gina Sam, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
This easy water bottle hack will help you stay properly hydrated every single day:
6. Water Pills
While OTC and prescription water pills temporarily put the kibosh on bloating by flushing fluids from your body, over time they can have the opposite effect. "You'll go back to retaining the same amount of water as you did before you took them, often within hours," says Anegawa. And if you keep popping water pills, especially without the guidance of a doctor, your kidneys will eventually compensate and become useless. "The mechanism by which this happens isn't entirely clear, but it can make you more prone to water retention and bloat in the future," she says.
5. Sleeping Better
Scoring the proper amount of shuteye—that would be seven to nine hours a night—encourages the normalization of bowel function and less constipation, which minimizes bloat, says Anegawa.
4. Swallowing Less Air
Eating super-fast, chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, drinking through a straw, and indulging in carbonated bevvies can cause you to fill up with air, says Sam. The excess air gets trapped in your stomach, small bowel, and colon, which can lead to bloating and gas, she says. Staying away from these daily habits can go a long way in nixing bloat.
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3. Eating Smaller Meals
When you eat large meals, they take longer to digest, and the fermentation of the undigested food can lead to intestinal gas, says Sam. And when gas doesn't pass through burping or farting, it can build up in your stomach and intestines, hence the poochy look. Try to eat every few hours to help your stomach digest properly and move foods along gradually.
2. Skipping Some Seasonings
You probably know that indulging in salty foods can make your body retain more fluids and lead to that puffy, sluggish feeling. But Sam also recommends cutting back on foods with black pepper, nutmeg, chili powder, tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, cloves, onions, hot sauce, and ketchup, all of which can increase stomach acid and trigger acid reflux. If the excess stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, you may swallow repeatedly to ease the discomfort, and the air swallowed can lead to more bloat. Instead, opt for seasonings that soothe your stomach and act as a digestive aid, such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and peppermint.
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1. Avoiding Gassy Foods
Ultimately, cutting back on gas-producing foods is the best way to combat bloat—starting with carbs. Cutting back on carbs, which hold on to water, can have a natural diuretic effect and help you flush out extra H2O. Foods to avoid include white bread, white rice, cookies, cake, and candy, as well as gas-producing veggies like brussels sprouts, legumes, broccoli, and cauliflower. Instead, nosh on high-protein, low-fat foods, such as Greek yogurt, salmon, and tofu, says Anegawa. These will help keep your hunger in check—and bloat to a minimum.
Krissy is a regular contributor to Prevention, and she also writes for Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers, Women's Health, FitnessMagazine.com, Self.com, and Shape.com.
