Our tips will help you to lose belly fat AND banish the bloat.

#1 Ditch the Soda

You can’t live without your daily Coke Zero? If you want to beat the bloat, think about it. Where do you think all those air bubbles from those fizzy drinks end up? They gang up in your tummy and make your belly bloat. In addition, all sodas contain either refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, both are linked to weight gain. Instead, drink pure water. It will help to flush toxins out of your system and helps to flatten your stomach.

#2 Keep Your Glucagon Levels High

If you want to have a flat belly, glucagon is the best friend you could ever have. It is a hormone that helps you to lose weight and flatten your tummy. Therefore, cut as much sugar from your diet as possible. Why? Because, the less sugar you eat, the lower your insulin levels and the higher your glucagon levels will be. Insulin promotes storing energy in the form of fat while glucagon promotes the release of stored energy.

#3 Give Up the Gum

When you chew gum you swallow additional air, which gets trapped in your gastro-intestinal system, and causes bloating. Surprise: Sugar-free gums are even worse, because they contain ingredients such as sorbitol and xylitol, which are fermented by bacteria in the gut and may also cause bloating.

#4 Limit your sodium intake

The bloated feeling you get after consuming too much salt is a result of fluid buildup. Sodium causes your body to retain water, which causes you to look bloated, especially around your abdominal region. Therefore limit high-sodium foods and replace regular table salt with sea salt, which is lower in sodium.

#5 Eat at the magic hour

Between 3-4 pm our blood sugar is most likely to drop and at this time we're most likely to reach for unhealthy food. Therefore be clever and opt for a high-protein snack like nuts, eggs, tofu, yogurt, tuna or meat to fill the gap. It'll satisfy you for a long time, keep your blood sugar levels low and boost fat burning. That’s why it is called “the magic hour”.

#6 Avoid Gassy Foods

Some foods you eat can increase gas in your stomach, making your belly bloated. If you're not used to eating beans, legumes or cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower they can cause bloating too. That doesn't mean you should give up on these healthy foods. Instead, work them into your diet slowly. Make sure you give your body time to adjust, then you should feel less bloated. Food allergies and intolerances can also cause gas and bloating. But these need to be confirmed by your doctor.

#7 Reduce your stress level

As we know stress produces extra cortisol, the hormone that encourages the body to store fat—especially in the abdominal region. Plus, when we’re stressed, we tend to eat more or choose unhealthy foods. Yoga, meditation and practicing deep-breathing exercises can help.

#8 Add Herbs to your diet

Carraway seeds, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint and chamomile are your tummy’s best friends. They reduce bloating, stomach ache and can flatten your belly. You can also try fennel as well!

#9 Chew properly

Many people don’t take the time to properly chew their food. Bad idea! No matter how healthy your food is, you need to chew it thoroughly. Chewing is the first step in the digestive process, it helps break down foods and produce enzymes necessary for proper digestion. Try to chew every bite until it reaches a pulpy consistency, this will helps you feeling less bloated and gassy.

#10 Eat small frequent meals

Instead of three big meals, go for five to six small meals each day. Eating smaller meals more often can fight the bloated feeling that follows large meals. In addition, eating more frequently can also help to avoid overeating and control you blood sugar level.

#11 Move more

If you don’t have the time to hit the gym, at least get up and try to move during you every day habits. That might sound silly but will help you a lot to lose weight and get rid of bloating. Fight the “sitting disease”! This simply means, leave the car behind and walk, take the stairs, add 15 minutes of walking to your lunch menu or simply dance around!