Rather than starve yourself to flatten your stomach, why not eat your way to a trim middle? There are a number of foods that can naturally help to deliver a slimming punch to your paunch--no crunches necessary.
Water-Rich Foods
A study from the University of Tokyo found that women who ate water-rich foods (think cucumbers and grapefruit) had lower body mass index and smaller waistlines than those who did not consume such foods.
Water-rich foods owe their volume to all of the water they contain. Even though it seems counterintuitive to consume more water-rich foods when you already feel waterlogged, when you eat them you naturally flush out waste from your body and reduce bloat. Some of the best water-rich and flat-belly foods to snack on are raw vegetables like lettuces, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and jicama as well as fruits like citrus, strawberries, apples and watermelon.
Just make sure you don't add salt to your water-rich vegetables as the sodium can enhance your feelings of puffiness and cause your body to retain water.
Potassium-Rich Foods
Having a distended stomach may be due to consuming too much sodium. Therefore, to flatten your stomach, choose foods that are rich in the mineral potassium, which has the capacity of taking sodium out of the body's cells and reducing fluid retention.
Bananas, potatoes, raisins, avacados, cantaloupe, oat bran, cucumbers, tomatoes and papayas are all foods rich in potassium. Plus, a few them are also water-rich foods so you can get a double dose of stomach-flattening power by choosing the right snack.
But too much potassium, more than 5000 mg, can create an electrolyte imbalance in the body and increase risk for kidney and heart problems. It is wise to stay within the 3500 mg recommended daily allowance of potassium.
Peppermint
This refreshing herb has long been used as a natural remedy for stomach ailments, including indigestion, bloating and gas. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint relaxes the muscles that allow the body to rid itself of painful digestive gas and calms the stomach muscles and improves the flow of bile allowing food to pass more quickly through the stomach. But if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you should not take peppermint as a flat-belly remedy.
Consider sipping on peppermint tea to ease bloat. Just leave out the artificial sweeteners as they can worsen stomach problems. If tea is not your thing you can also pop a few enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules.
Just keep in mind that peppermint oil in excess can be toxic so consult with your health practitioner for proper dosage guidelines.
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