BEAT THE BLOAT

HERE is an article with 10 foods to avoid if you want to ban belly bloat!
The list (and my summaries/explanations):

NOTE: Anything with a * means that the entry is not entirely factual. I have included explanations and clarifications for any information from the article that wasn't totally accurate.

1) SALT
-water is attracted to salt, so it makes you retain excess water, especially around your middle! Hidden sources: restaurant food, canned soups.
2) Excess carbs
-8 servings a day of whole grains is ENOUGH! Any extra is stored as fuel... a type of fuel that leads to excess water storage.
3) Bulky raw foods*
-raw vegetables mainly, but this bloating is temporary! If your body isn't used to a lot of ruffage, you may see some distention in your belly. What to do? KEEP EATING RAW FOODS! Your body adjusts over time and the extra fiber helps to DECREASE tummy distention in the long run.
4) Gassy foods
-Broccoli, cauliflower, beans, cabbage... "too much of a good thing" does exist! These foods are very healthy, but in excess they can lead to bloating and gas.
5) High-acid drinks
-ALCOHOL, coffee, soda... these irritate the lining of your GI tract and can lead to swelling. They included tea on their list but this is FALSE! Green and white teas actually HELP to decrease bloating because they are diuretics, so they flush excess fluids in the body!
6) Fried foods
-The high fat content causes these foods to be digested more slowly, leading to increased uncomfortable feelings of fullness and stomach distention.
7) Spicy Foods*
-If you have gastric reflux, then yes, the extra release of stomach acid stimulated by spicy foods can lead to stomach irritation and inflammation. However, if you do NOT have GERD, these foods can actually DECREASE stomach bloating by speeding up digestion!
8) Carbonated drinks
-The carbonation in soda and other fizzy sips can lead to excess gas in the GI tract, leading to distention, stinkyness, and overall unpleasantness.
9) Chewing gum
-When you chew gum, whether you mean to or not, you naturally swallow some air. The build up of air in the GI tract leads to belly bloat, gas-y-ness, and general discomfort.

DELICIOUS DIET-FRIENDLY DESSERT

I found am amazing recipe for simple to make, vegan blackberry lime tartlets!! The photo in this post is of the finished result. Not only are they low in fat and calories, but they're bite size, so you can watch your portions!



BLACKBERRY LIME TARTLETS

24 mini phyllo shells (buy pre-made in freezer section)
1c plain soy yogurt (or regular, is you aren't vegan)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp lime zest (scrapings from the skin of a lime)
1/4c apple juice
1/3c organic sugar
2 tsp Agar powder
6oz Blackberries

1) Bake phyllo shells for 4min at 350F (to make them just hard enough to not soak up the filling)
2) Mix soy yogurt, lime, and lime zest in a medium-sized bowl
3) Put apple juice and sugar in to a medium sized sauce pan and heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle in the Agar powder and continuing heating until completely dissolved.
4) Add the apple juice/sugar/agar mixture to the yogurt/lime/lime zest. Stir until an even consistency.
5) Divide yogurt filling among the phyllo shells, chill in fridge for about an hour.
6) Place blackberry on each filled phyllo (or, for even more flavor, puree the blackberries and place the puree on each filled phyllo), SERVE AND ENJOY!!

***4 tarlets contain approximately 158 calories, so enjoy without regret!!