Guest post by Ashley Koff, R.D.

Buzz Tips to Help You Deflate

Mind Your Manners
Talking while you’re eating, chewing gum, smoking, or drinking through a straw can all cause you to swallow excess air, leaving you bloated and uncomfortable.

Great Things DO Come in Small Packages
Allow yourself to enjoy occasional treats, but limit yourself to just a taste or bite. The smaller portion will be better for your digestive system and prevent excess bloating.

Find Your Inner Balance
Of bacteria, that is. It’s important to have a good balance of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in our digestive systems. When used daily as directed, a daily probiotic supplement can help restore a natural balance with ongoing probiotic protection.

How Sweet It Is
Keep this in mind the next time you go for a treat: sugars, dried fruit, sweeteners, and juice are treats that may not be friendly to all digestive systems. Carbonated drinks like sugary sodas will make your stomach puffy and distended. Keep it simple—stick to water with lemon or herbal tea.

Spice Things Up
Spices don’t just make your food taste good, they’re important for your overall health too. Ginger and tumeric have anti-inflammatory properties, while caraway, cumin and cinnamon play a role in digestion and can help with weight management. Adding different spices to your meals and snacks can help spice things up—the right way.

Don’t Feel Weighed Down by Bloating
Hop on the treadmill, hit the dance floor or just run around with your nieces and nephews—anything. Working up a sweat releases fluids your body might be holding, and just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day can help to move food along your digestive tract so bloating won’t weigh you down.

Ashley Koff is an internationally renowned registered dietitian on a mission to improve the health of people across America and beyond through raising public awareness of the value of quality eating.

Ashley will give a talk—A Case for Quality—at Zenergy on Tuesday September 19, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.