One way to get a flatter belly is to avoid foods that contribute to bloating. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, bloating is caused by a combination of swallowing gases and gases being produced during the digestive process, and it can add up to 3 inches to the measurement of your waist. Water retention can also contribute to a larger belly, so avoid foods that cause you to retain water if you want a flat belly.
Fried Foods
Fried foods and other very fatty foods take longer to digest and slow down the emptying of the stomach, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can make you feel uncomfortably full and bloated.
Gas-Promoting Foods
A number of well-known foods tend to cause gas while they are being digested, including apples, bananas, peaches, pears, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, raisins, peppers, onions, legumes, lettuce and potatoes. The complex starches these foods contain make them more difficult to digest, according to Oz, which causes you to get gas. However, as these are healthy foods you shouldn't avoid them entirely. Nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot says that most of the gas-causing effects are neutralized when these foods are cooked.
Salty Foods
Zuckerbrot recommends avoiding salty foods, including chips, pretzels, hot dogs and many other processed foods. The salt in such foods causes you to retain water and get bloated. Check labels for sodium content because many processed foods are high in sodium.
Carbonated Beverages
Carbonated beverages, including sparkling waters, sodas and beer, are made bubbly through the addition of gases. Drinking them means drinking gases and adding to the gases already present because of the regular digestive process, causing even more bloating, according to Oz.
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are difficult for your body to digest, and as such can cause your system to produce more gas, according to Oz. Zuckerbrot mentions sorbitol as being particularly bad since it attracts water and acts as a laxative. These sweeteners are common in sugar-free candies, sodas and many reduced-calorie foods.
Chewing Gum
When you chew gum it causes you to swallow more often, and each time you swallow you swallow air, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sugar-free gums also contain artificial sweeteners, causing even more risk of bloating.
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