1. Perfect Your Posture
"Straighten up," advises The Biggest Loser trainer Kim Lyons, and your figure will look better. "When your posture is good, you're automatically engaging and toning your stomach muscles." If you need to remind yourself to stand tall, she says, a few strategically placed Post-it Notes should do the trick.
2. Drink Up!
Keep those fluids coming! "Being dehydrated causes the body to hoard water," says Lyons, which can lead you to carry up to four excess pounds around your midsection. Try for six to eight 8-oz. glasses of water or other fluids daily. Dehydration could also be causing your lack of energy; read on.
3. Have a Seat!
"Most women don't want to talk about it, but you really have to set aside a specific time each day to use the bathroom," notes Judith Reichman, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles. If you don't, it's too easy to give in to feeling rushed, and ignore the urge to go." Once you've trained your brain to dismiss your body's signals, you set the stage for bloat-inducing constipation. Feeling backed up? Find out natural ways to get your system humming again.
4. Masticate Mindfully
Rather than scarfing down meals, make a point of chewing each bite at least 10 times before swallowing. "The body has to work overtime to break down food in the stomach and intestines, which can lead to major gas and indigestion," Dr. Reichman says. Plus, when you eat fast, you're more prone to swallowing air, which can ratchet up your risk of developing a potbelly. If you've got gas, learn the chemical-free ways to get rid of it.
5. Turn to the "Pros"
"Probiotics are 'good' bacteria that help your digestive system break down food, preventing the gastrointestinal issues that can keep you from having a flat stomach," explains nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth. To ensure your plumbing is working at optimum capacity, Bowden suggests eating a daily serving of a probiotic-rich food like yogurt (or drinking a glass of buttermilk), or taking a supplement containing at least 50 milligrams of probiotics. (Look for versions that contain the strains acidophilus and bifidobacterium, and are produced by reputable vitamin companies, like Nature's Way.) Yogurt can do other good things for your body -- get the scoop.
That's not all! We've got five more effortless tricks to get rid of the gut. Check 'em out now!
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