Whether it's to fit into a favourite dress that's just a bit too tight these days or to feel more confident on holiday, getting a flatter tummy quickly is easy – if you know what to eat.
Our favourite superfoodist Rick Hay has put together a super easy diet that can help you debloat in just three days. Here's your step-by-step eating plan.
Add some freshly grated ginger to a cup of peppermint tea, plus a squeeze of lemon. It soothes and kick-starts digestion at the same time!
Choose one of the below:
Oh-so simple and very easy on the gut. Blueberries hydrate and provide fibre to keep food moving.
Blend 200ml water or rice milk with a few spoonfuls of oats, a cupful of raspberries and 1tsp cinnamon. Eases constipation and regulates blood sugar to kill off sugary cravings.
Whisk 2 eggs and lightly fry in olive oil, then add a handful of spinach and 1 tomato. Serve with some sourdough bread – a stomach-soothing treat!
Mid-morning snack
Choose from one of the below:
Watermelon is a natural diuretic and is a good source of potassium, which can help balance sodium levels and decrease bloating.
Spiralise a small apple (keeping the skin on for digestion-aiding fibre) and add 1tsp cinnamon and a splash of rice or almond milk.
Celery is diuretic and rich in potassium. Avocados contain essential fatty acids to help lower cholesterol and are also full of fibre.
Pick your favourite:
Mix 2 sliced asparagus stalks with some spinach and 2 whisked eggs. Fry gently in olive oil and add a sprinkle of parsley. The asparagus and parsley are diuretic and the spinach provides muscle-relaxing magnesium.
Spiralise a small courgette, place in a heated pan and fry for a minute. Add a little garlic (no more than a clove), a handful of spinach and the juice of 1 lemon. So delicate for the gut.
Mix mashed avocado with a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Serve on 2 slices of sourdough bread and top with mint leaves.
Top Tip! Bread is usually a no-go on a de-bloat diet, but sourdough is fermented longer and so it's easier to digest.
Mid-afternoon smoothies
For days when you're feeling a little puffy, Rick suggests having one of these fruity pick-me-ups. 'They're ideal – especially when you're rocking your favourite dress!'
This is a wonderful de-puff juice thanks to the lettuce in the mix, plus the gut-soothing pear. In your blender, whizz together 1 pear, 1 kiwi fruit, 1 cup of lettuce and 200ml water.
Pour 200ml rice or almond milk into your blender. Add some pineapple, papaya, a small slice of ginger and some mint leaves. Whizz together. Easy to drink, it's packed with digestive enzymes bromelain and papain that calm digestion.
Celery and ginger are the de-bloating ingredients of choice in this juice and the avocado gives it a lovely silky finish. In your blender, whizz together 1 pear, 2 celery stalks, 1in piece of fresh ginger, 1⁄2 avocado, 1tsp chia seeds and 200ml coconut water. Delicious!
These fast fixes will fill you up and flatten your tum.
Blend 1 can tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes. Add 200ml water, plus a little basil and parsley. Soups are filling yet easy to digest, as the 'chewing' has already been done. Don't season with salt, pepper or hot spices, as these may aggravate your digestive system.
Heat olive oil in a pan and fry 2 cups of mixed veg, such as courgettes, carrots, mushrooms and green beans, with 1tsp grated fresh ginger. Add some basil and sesame seeds. Serve with rice noodles – much gentler on the tum than white rice.
For a protein- and fibre-rich meal, serve with steamed carrots, green beans and a small cup of cooked brown rice.
In a bowl, stir 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup water, 1 cup almond milk, ½ cup chia seeds, 1tsp cinnamon, 1tsp fresh nutmeg
1 cup fills you up, hydrates and is so easy to digest!
Have a cup or two of ginger, fennel, dandelion or peppermint tea. All are amazingly soothing!