BLOATED? YOU MIGHT BE CONSUMING TOO MUCH OF THESE:

CARBONATED BEVERAGES - all those little bubbles will settle in your stomach and make you feel like a balloon.

SUGAR FREE PRODUCTS - which are full of calorie-free sugar alchohols like xylitol and malitol. Your GI tract can’t absorb most of these, so they sit in your stomach and  gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

HEAVY CARBS - Like bread and pasta. They’re all high in a carboyhdrate called glycogen, which your muscles store as a backup energy source. Every gram of glycogen is stored with about 3 grams of water. But unless you have a vigorous exercise routine, you don’t need all this stockpiled fuel. When you decrease your carb intake, you’ll temporarily train your body to access this stored fuel and burn it off. At the same time, you’ll drain off excess stored fluids.

GUM - When you chew gum, you swallow air. All that air gets trapped in your GI tract and causes pressure, bloating, and belly expansion—which will all make you feel more bloated. You can cut down even further on swallowed air making you feel like a balloon by eating more slowly.

CERTAIN VEGETABLES - like beans, cauliflower, asparagus and broccoli contain sugars that are difficult for the body to digest, which causes bloating.

SALTY SNACKS - Make your body retain water, which is one of the biggest causes of that ‘bloated’ feeling.

FIBER-RICH FOODS - Although fiber is incredibly beneficial to your body (it cleans out your digestive system, it makes you feel fuller…) too much of it can make you feel incredibly bloated. You really only need 25-35 grams per day, so if you’re getting a lot more than that, it could be causing problems. Balance it out with some good fats and protein.

(via -fitbitch)