Beat the bloat – 6 ways to a tighter torso this summer

With Summer holidays well and truly underway, a natural focus on detoxification and getting healthy in time for spending weekends at the beach is high on the list of priorities. Here’s our secret pillars of knowledge for getting your digestion on track for optimal health this season.

Hydrate

It seems so obvious but water does more for our bodies than we really comprehend. When the body is dehydrated it becomes limited in the way it can process, think, move and operate. Lucky for us, water is essentially the only thing on the menu that doesn’t need to be consumed in moderation. Also crucial to know is that coffee and exercise dehydrate quicker than anything. As a guide, you need to drink 2L of water for each coffee you consume if you want to keep your hydration balanced.

Camomile Tea

Without going into too much detail, Camomile helps to regulate your digestion and counteract auto-intoxication, which is the result of excess buildup of hardened waste in your intestines. When this waste can’t be expelled from the body your digestion suffers incredibly. Adding Camomile to your diet by either drinking camomile tea regularly or taking capsules around meal times can help to loosen the waste and regulate digestion.

Avoid excess Soy

Soy products contain isoflavones which have been proven to imitate estrogen when consumed. Depending on the individual the estrogen produced can bind to the reproductive organs and cause side effects on both hormone and digestion. Excess soy, in the form of tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame and miso also cause gas and as a result makes it harder for the body to digest regularly.

Walk

Any form of movement, however light or incidental it may be will contribute to the way your body is moving on the inside. If you have time for nothing else in a day, walk home from work, or duck outside for lunch instead of eating at your desk.

Eat real food

This is super basic, and important when it comes to digestion. Make sure that 80% of the time you are eating food that is real, and not packaged. This is the best gift you can give your body because it knows exactly what to do with it, and doesn’t need to spend excess energy working to break down sugars, artificial additives or preservatives to convert into nutrients.

Bitter & Acidic

Acidic and bitter foods are great for your digestion for multiple reasons. The initial taste on your tongue as you chew stimulates the creation of saliva and digestive enzymes which communicate to the body that it needs to get ready to work. Additionally, they help to break down food during the digestion process and allow for optimal nutrient absorption. Lemon juice in warm water will do the trick, as will adding rocket, endive or kale to meals.