Pineapple
Pineapple contains potassium—an important part of any anti-bloat diet—but it also contains bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme that aids in the digestion of proteins as well as decreases inflammation. While all parts of the pineapple contain this magical compound, most of the bromelain in pineapple is in the stem. Because the stem is a little on the tough side, you can blend or juice the core with the sweeter flesh to reap the bloat-beating benefits.
Spinach
Spinach is a powerful appetite suppressant. Consuming fewer calories can help you slim down, but if you’re perpetually hungry, cutting back can be a challenge. Add some spinach to your plate to ward off hunger naturally. The green’s membranes contain a powerful appetite suppressing compounds called thylakoids. Plus, a cup of spinach is super low-cal. But because raw spinach can sometimes cause bloating and gas due to its high fiber content, cook your spinach before delving in. Cooking breaks down the spinach’s fibers, which may help your body process them easier and reduces your bloating.
Mustard
Mustard boosts your metabolism to help you lose unwanted pounds. According to Oxford Polytechnic Institute researchers, eating just one teaspoon of the stuff—for just 5 calories—can boost your calorie-burning furnace by up to 25 percent for several hours after you consume it.
Bananas
Bannas are known to be perfect for flat stomach. Potassium-rich foods are ideal for looking and feeling slim and trim in that swimsuit, so think ahead and pack one in your bag before heading off to the gym or to work. Potassium is a nutrient that helps the body flush out water and sodium—two things that make you appear bloated. Conversely, foods like potato chips and pickles are packed with sodium and can force your body to retain water, which makes you swell. Besides providing a healthy dose of potassium, bananas also increase bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach.
Wild salmon
Fatty salmon that is rich in omega-3s helps fight inflammation while the high-quality lean protein content fights excess fat accumulation. Even better, this delicious fish will help your skin bounce back after a hot day under those UV rays. Loading your plate with a serving of salmon twice a week will not only keep your heart healthy and waistline trim, but your skin will be glowing from head to toe from all the healthy fats.
Apple
Eating an apple each day can help prevent metabolic syndrome, a disorder associated with abdominal fat, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. They’ll keep the doctor away and your muffin tops at bay because apples are a low-calorie, nutrient dense source of fiber, which studies have proven to be integral to reducing visceral fat.
Green Tea
Adding a cup of green tea to your daily regimen can help fire your fat furnace by controlling blood sugar and quashing hunger. In a Swedish study that looked at green tea’s effect on hunger, tea-sippers reported less of a desire to eat their favorite foods than those who didn’t drink the green elixir. In another study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4 to 5 cups of green tea each day with a 25-minute sweat session lost an average of two more pounds than the non-tea-drinking exercisers. It’s all thanks to the powerful and unique catechins found in green tea — antioxidants that blast adipose tissue by triggering the release of fat from fat cells (especially in the belly), and then speeding up the liver’s capacity for turning that fat into energy.
Cinnamon
Your beach trip with the girls is only a few weeks away and you’re not looking forward to it as much as you should be thanks to your ever-softening stomach. Don’t panic, the solution is a simple one: Add some cinnamon to your diet. According to an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, the sweet spice helps reduce levels of the hormone, insulin, so less of the sugar you consume is stored as flubber. Sprinkle it in your coffee, in greek yogurt, on apple slices, or in your morning oatmeal and start seeing results—stat!