Slim chance

trainer Kristy Robertson of auckland’s KLR body architect shares simple diet and lifestyle tips to looking pretty, not puffy

The dreaded bloat – it’s the sworn enemy of every bride. Not only are a swollen stomach and face the worst possible accessories for your beautiful bridal look, bloating will make you feel uncomfortable and unhappy – not an ideal formula for wedding-day bliss.

Here are some common reasons for fluid retention and stomach inflammation that cause bloating, and simple ways to avoid them.

Food for thought

What you eat has immediate effects on your body. The most infamous foods for bloating include processed carbs like white rice, corn products, pasta and bread, which produce gas as they are broken down. Some foods contain natural sugars which, when not fully absorbed, ferment in the large intestine and cause gas.

Cabbage, broccoli, asparagus and baked beans are the biggest perpetrators, but they don’t have to be entirely off limits – to make these vegetables more digestible, use them in soups, roast them or as an alternative, eat digestive-healthy foods such as sprouted lentils, spinach or spirulina. Also, reduce your salt intake as the body holds onto fluid in an attempt to dilute sodium.

Timing is everything

When you eat is as important as what you eat. Large meals at night result in poor digestion or constipation, so avoid eating less than five hours before bed. By eating a bigger breakfast, your system has more time to digest food – snack frequently on low-sugar foods and greens to neutralise acidity.

Thinking drinking

When choosing beverages, consider the following points:

ALCOHOL It takes your stomach up to a week to recover its natural flora (bacteria) after alcohol has destroyed it.

CAFFEINE Because caffeine is an acid, it can cause inflammation which may lead to bloating. It also dehydrates the body, putting strain on the stomach and intestines.

WATER If you needed another reason to drink more water, here it is: H O helps

2 dilute harsh stomach acid and keeps the bowels moving.

HERBAL TEAS Drinking herbal teas will help neutralise the acid in your digestive system. Try rooibos with lemon, or peppermint tea (which soothes the intestinal lining).

CIDER VINEGAR A teaspoon of cider vinegar or two to three teaspoons of lemon juice, in warm water, will help reduce bloating and keep the stomach’s pH level balanced.

Move it, move it

Feeling puffy post- dinner? Take a 30 to 40-minute walk.

Exercise kick starts the stomach into action, but a balance between the duration, type and intensity of exercise is important. If you constantly lift heavy weights and train in the ‘high heart-rate zone’ (around 160+ beats per minute), your muscles will produce pyruvic acid, which disturbs the pH level of your body. Counter this by adding lower-intensity sessions to your workout regimen. The less acidic the body is, the less chance of bloating.

Stress less, sleep more

Long periods (five hours plus) without eating, poor-quality sleep, and anxiety – likely to strike brides before the big day – all put stress on the body. Stress makes the adrenal glands produce the hormone cortisol, which increases stomach acid and slows down digestion. Ensuring you get seven to eight hours of undisturbed sleep each night can help to settle the adrenals, which keeps the body’s pH neutral and helps you better manage stress. For Kristy’s top five must-consume foods that reduce bloating, head to newzealandweddings.co.nz.