As much time as one may spend in the gym praying to the calorie gods to bypass them as their victims, it's hard to always say no to all the delicious food one sees all around. Whether you're attending a wedding, on a holiday, or just out for dinner with friends - life happens - and there's only so much 'no, thank you' you can really dole out before someone forces you to eat that dessert that you were tempted to eat anyway.
If you've gone off track that diet you solemnly swore you would stick to this time, or just plain overeaten, take solace in the fact that you're not alone. We all slip every now and then. Having said that, no one likes the bloating that almost always follows a round of overeating. If you think it's time to get back on track and beat the bloat, here are a few things that could help.
1. Don't skip breakfast
You might think skipping a meal after that all-too-heavy meal the night before is a good idea, but it's really not. The best thing you can do for your body now is to nudge it back into its normal routine. Start with a light, but fibre-rich breakfast the next day and follow the pattern through the day. Eating a full but healthy meal first thing in the morning will help you avoid any cravings or hunger pangs you might experience later in the day, when your body is starving. Remember, you could just be sabotaging yourself by skipping breakfast.
2. Get out of bed and off that couch
Although it might be the last thing you feel like doing after a night or weekend of heavy drinking and eating, do it. This will help ease that uneasy bloating. Staying active and walking around, even if you don't feel good enough to hit the gym yet, will help you like nothing else can. Just a 15-minute brisk walk can help take the pressure off your stomach and stimulate your digestive system.
3. Hydrate yourself
The feeling of bloating after overeating usually comes from all the fluids your body is holding on to due to all the sodium-rich food you might have eaten. This leads to making your body feeling bloated everywhere - not just around your stomach. Drinking more fluid when your body already has an excess might not seem to make sense, but it does. Drinking a decent amount of water will help flush out some of that sodium and make your body release the excess fluids, which will make it feel less distended. Drink as much as is comfortable, and keep sipping on water through the day.
4. Eat potassium-rich food
Potassium is excellent at helping the body get rid of excess fluids. Foods such as bananas, avocados, pistachios, spinach and sweet potato are great options if you're looking for potassium-rich foods.
5. Sip some hot tea
Not all bloating is due to fluid retention. Overeating, or eating foods that irritate the intestinal tract can lead to gas in the digestive tract. Sipping on hot tea can help soothe your gut and relieve some of the gas that might be causing you discomfort. Opt for a mint tea or chamomile if you want something milder. Make sure you avoid sugar in the tea, though, because sugar too leads to water retention in your cells.
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