National Nutrition Month: How to Combat Belly Bloat
At P.volve, we always make nutrition an important part of our everyday routine. But if there’s ever a time to make it even more of a priority, we’re game.
March is National Nutrition Month, and this time around, we’ll be diving deep into topics that will help you put your best foot forward in the kitchen so you can feel even stronger during your workouts.
Our entire team of trainers is well versed in how to care for their bodies outside of the studio as much as they do inside—and trainer Alexa Shamis is no exception. Lex is an Integrative Health Coach who shares healthy meals, workout tips and overall wellness 411 with those around her. So when we asked her to talk about one of the biggest nutrition mishaps out there—ahem, bloating—she had ‘lots to offer.
To kick off the series, Coach Lex is offering her best tips on how to beat belly bloat. Read on and try implementing them yourself as needed:
- Cut out processed foods and instead stick to fresh, whole-food ingredients. It’s hard to resist the endless options of packaged treats that have superfood claims, but they are often filled with added ingredients, fillers and sugars that agitate the gut.
- Simplify your meals. We’ve been conditioned to believe that it’s necessary to fill our plates with every food group from the pyramid in order to fuel our bodies, when in reality, this often leads to overloading our digestive systems. Digesting food requires lots of energy and loading our system with too many combinations of food on a single plate can leave us feeling drained and bloated, instead of energized by eating minimal, nutrient-rich ingredients.
- Move your body. Exercise is one of the most powerful ways to eliminate bloat and inflammation in the body. If we are feeling stuck, sometimes all we need is to physically move our bodies to give our digestion the extra help that it needs to function and flow. Avoid sitting down at your desk after eating lunch and instead take a 5-minute walk. It can be as simple as that!
- Snack less. This one can be tough when it comes to cravings, but sometimes all your stomach needs is time to digest the bigger meals that are often harder than you think to break down. If you feel like you need an energy boost, have a green juice, broth, tea or hot water with lemon and a dash of cinnamon to help curb cravings.
- Take digestive enzymes with meals. If you’re continuously experiencing bloating after meals no matter what you consume, try a natural papaya enzyme to aid in the breakdown of your meals.
Stay tuned for more nutrition tips from Lex throughout the month of March. Or, if you're in the New York area, look out for her on our studio schedule.
Alexa Shamis is an Integrative Health Coach, with certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as well as a certification from Nutritious Life. She loves sharing her movements and meals with others, as well as helping guide people down the right path to wellness. For more of her tips and advice, follow her at @lexshamis.