Ten Foods That Bloat Your Belly
Belly-bloating foods work in different ways. Some things you eat can increase gas in your stomach, making your abdomen look and feel distended. Even though this bloating is only temporary, it can still be uncomfortable and make your pants feel quite snug around your waistline. Other foods can lead to long-term belly bloat from increased visceral fat storage.
Bloat-inducing bagels
If you go to the bagel store or a deli, you almost always get a huge bagel made with 100 percent refined flour. That refined flour sets off the cascading events of elevated blood sugar, elevated insulin levels, and increased belly fat storage.
If you're a bagel lover, don't worry. Healthier options exist. Aim for a small bagel (the size of the palm of your hand), and make sure it's made with 100 percent whole grains.
Cabbage-powered gas
Cabbage is a vegetable known for increasing gas production in the gastrointestinal tract during digestion. Gas-producing vegetables are often easier to digest and break down when cooked well. So, choose cooked over raw. And don't eat large quantities of cabbage on a day you want your waistline to look slim.
Bloat from carbonated water
For one to three hours after drinking carbonated water, you may feel as though your belly has expanded. The carbonation can make your stomach look distended and cause clothing to fit more snuggly around your midsection.
If you really love carbonated beverages, aim to drink just one glass per day. Also, avoid carbonated beverages a few days before an event or outing where you want your belly to look as flat as possible.
Cola (including diet cola) for a too-full feeling
A cola may contain sugar, corn syrup, or another liquid sweetener. All of these sweeteners increase fat storage right in your abdominal area. High sugar content, especially in liquid form, immediately raises blood sugar, which in turn spikes insulin levels. This elevated insulin level signals your body to begin storing the excess sugar as fat.
Diet soda doesn't contain sugar, but it still has carbonation. Diet sodas are also packed full of artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are foreign chemicals to your body, so when they're consumed in excessive amounts, they may increase inflammation, which in the long run can increase health risks and belly fat. Your best solution is to try a naturally flavored seltzer or a glass of water with a splash of lemon or lime juice for added flavor.
Waist-expanding risk of fried foods
Deep-fried foods can cause you to feel heavy and sluggish because the high levels of fat in these foods slow digestion. Commercially fried foods often contain the most dangerous of all fats: trans fats. These fats in even small amounts have been linked to many negative health effects (such as heart disease). They can also significantly elevate inflammation in your body.
If you love fried foods, try breading the foods in whole-grain flour and pan-frying them in a small amount of olive oil (or baking them instead). The foods will come out crispy and delicious without all the dangerous fat.
Downside of ice cream
Ice cream contains a large amount of sugar, and foods high in sugar cause both blood sugar and insulin levels to rise, resulting in the storage of more belly fat. Because ice cream is a milk product, it also contains high levels of lactose, the sugar found in milk. Many individuals have lactose intolerance, which causes them to have trouble breaking down lactose and leads to increased gas production, bloat, and even diarrhea.
Extreme temperatures in foods, such as very cold (like ice cream), can also stress the gastrointestinal tract and lead to cramping and bloating.
Sausage stored as fat
Sausage is a fatty meat that's loaded with unhealthy saturated fat. This fat clogs arteries and may also increase inflammation, which has a direct link to belly fat storage. Sausage is almost always high in sodium as well. And food high in sodium causes your body to retain water, giving your belly a bloated look and feel.
Sausage made with leaner meats like turkey, chicken, or venison contains less saturated fat and fewer calories. Even leaner options can be high in sodium, so save them for occasional treats rather than meal staples.
Sugar alcohols as sweet substitutes
Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes that can only be partially digested by the body. Many times you see these in foods like sugar-free candy, gum, and snacks. They're often listed as xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol. Because they're only partially digested in your body, they provide fewer calories per gram than actual sugar, but they also can cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
Gum containing sugar alcohols can have some health benefits, such as helping to prevent dental cavities. It also has no impact on blood sugar and insulin levels due to the low glycemic index of sugar alcohols.
Aired-up with sugar-free gum
Chewing gum, in general, while fine to do, can lead to the swallowing of air. The more air that you swallow, the more this air accumulates in your gastrointestinal tract, which can cause bloating, pressure, and belly expansion.
White rice for a bigger belly
White rice has been refined and stripped of the outermost and innermost layers of grain, removing most of the fiber, nutrients, and proteins. White rice digests rapidly in your body, creating that cascading effect of increased insulin levels, increased fat storage, and an increased waistline over time. Also, as a refined grain, white rice offers a low level of satiety. So you'll eat it, won't feel very full, and then eat more.
If rice is a staple in your diet, you can keep it that way. Simply choose a less-processed option instead. Brown rice and wild rice can be substituted for white rice in almost any recipe and are much friendlier to your waistline!
Fitness Glossary
aeroboxing, kickboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
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anaerobic threshold
The point at which your body switches from using oxygen as its primary source of energy to using stored sugar. When you’re in poor physical shape, you hit your anaerobic threshold while exercising at relatively low levels of exercise.
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barbells
The larger weights (for power lifting in a weight training program) that include a long bar with weights added to each end. You need to use both hands to lift a barbell.
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Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis BIA
A method of measuring your body fat in which you lie on your back while a signal travels from an electrode on your foot to an electrode on your hand. The slower the signal, the more fat you have.
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blood pressure
A measurement of how open your blood vessels are. Low numbers mean that your heart doesn’t have to work very hard to pump the blood through your blood vessels.
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body composition
How much of your body is composed of fat and how much is composed of everything else. Your body composition is also called your body-fat percentage.
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body mass index BMI
A way of relating your height and weight to estimate how fat you are. You can use a simple formula to determine your BMI.
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body sculpting
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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BOSU
A domed, flexible apparatus that helps to improve balance and can be used in a step aerobics exercise routine. BOSU is an acronym for Both Sides Utilized.
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cardio
A term (short for cardiovascular) that is often used interchangeably with aerobic. Aerobic exercise is any repetitive activity that you do long enough and hard enough to challenge your heart and lungs.
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chi
Otherwise known as "life energy," this is the life force that pulses through your body and keeps you vital. Blocked chi can cause sickness or unhappiness.
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circuit training
A fast-paced class or exercise routine in which you do one exercise for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and then move on to another exercise at the next station. Combines cardio exercise with strength training.
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core
The abdomen, obliques, lower back, butt, and so on, that form the midsection. Many forms of exercise focus on strengthening the body's core.
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core conditioning
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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cross-training
A method of varying your workouts to take your fitness to the next level by adding new forms of training to your current routine.
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Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry DEXA
A method of measuring your body fat that also determines where the fat is located on your body, a more relevant health indicator.
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dumbbells
Smaller weights (for a weight training program) that you can lift with one hand.
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elliptical trainer
The hottest trend in cardio machines, which is part stair-climber, part treadmill, part stationary cycle. Your legs travel in an elongated circular movement, and, on some models, you pump arm poles back and forth for an upper-body workout.
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exercise ball
A large plastic ball that is an excellent tool for doing challenging exercises (with or without weights) that require varying forms of strength and control.
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Fartlek
A type of interval training program that doesn't use an exact measure of time or distance. You just do your intervals whenever you feel like it. The term Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish.
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fitness walking
A faster and more intense walking technique than casual (lifestyle) walking that burns more calories and helps you lose weight. When you fitness walk, you generally move along at a brisk pace of 3.5 to 4.3 miles an hour, covering a mile in 14 to 17 minutes.
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flexibility
The range of motion or distance you can move a joint through. Stretching is the key to maintaining your flexibility.
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free weights
Portable weights used in a strength training program.
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freestyle
The traditional type of swimming movement that uses the front crawl.
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heart rate
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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high-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine that involves jumping or hopping and moves at a slower pace than low-impact aerobics. High/low combines the two types of routines.
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in-line skating; Rollerblading
A type of skating in which you wear skates with urethane wheels that enable you to glide, sprint, curve, turn, and spin.
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interval training
A training technique in which you alternate short, fairly intense spurts of exercise with periods of relatively easy exercise.
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kickboxing; aeroboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
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lifestyle walking
A casual walking technique that is low to moderate intensity and relatively slow paced. Most lifestyle walkers walk an average of 2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour, which means that they walk about 1 mile every 17 to 24 minutes.
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low-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine in which you always have one foot on the floor — you don’t do any jumping or hopping. High/low combines the two types of routines.
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marathon
An organized 26.2-mile race for runners and walkers.
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maximum heart rate
The maximum number of times your heart should beat in a minute without dangerously overexerting yourself.
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meditation
A mental process involving focused attention, or calm awareness, which is also called mindfulness.
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mountain bike
A fat-tire outdoors bicycle with upright handlebars that is built to withstand rough terrain.
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multi-gym
A home gym contraption that looks like a bunch of health-club weight machines welded to each other.
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muscular failure
In a strength training program, the point at which your last repetition with weights is so difficult that you cannot perform another repetition.
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orthotics
Fitted shoe inserts designed by a podiatrist that correct weight distribution along the foot.
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periodization
A method of organizing a strength training workout program into several periods, each lasting about four weeks. Each phase has a different emphasis.
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Pilates
A form of exercise that emphasizes correct form using your body’s core. Pilates is named after its inventor, Joseph Pilates, who invented the technique for injured dancers.
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plantar fasciitis
An inflammation of the tough fibrous band of tissue that runs the length of the bottom of your foot.
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pulse
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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Qigong
An element of a T'ai Chi practice that covers many different types of movements that involve using and feeling the body's energy.
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recumbent bike
A type of stationary bike with a bucket seat that provides back support so that you pedal straight out in front of you.
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repetition rep
One complete motion of an exercise, often used in reference to strength training.
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RICE
An acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation — common treatment methods prescribed for runners with training injuries.
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road bike
The traditional type of outdoor bicycle with curved handlebars that is built for speed.
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rolling stair climber
A cardiovascular machine that resembles a section of a department-store escalator. A set of stairs rotates in a circle so that you climb continuously, but never getting anywhere.
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rowing machine
A cardiovascular machine that increases stamina, upper body endurance, strength, and flexibility by mimicking a rowing motion. Also called a rower.
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set
A group of consecutive repetitions in a strength training program.
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Spinning
A popular group studio cycling program invented by ultra-distance cyclist Johnny G. and licensed by Schwinn, which manufactures the bikes used in these classes.
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stair-climber
A cardiovascular machine that has two foot plates you pump up and down to mimic the action of climbing stairs. Also called a stepper.
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stationary bike
A cardiovascular machine that comes in two styles: upright bikes and recumbent bikes.
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step aerobics
A choreographed routine of stepping up and down on a rectangular, square, or circular platform.
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strength training
A type of workout that uses any combination of weight machines and free weights (dumbbells and barbells) to build muscle strength.
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stride frequency
The number of strides that a runner takes over a certain time period.
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studio cycling
Group exercise classes that are taught on stationary bicycles.
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T'ai Chi
An ancient martial art focusing on smooth, slow movements that cultivate inward focus and free energy flow. T'ai Chi is properly pronounced tie-jee.
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target heart-rate zone
A range that is between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate that can tell you what heart rate to aim for during a workout.
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treadmill
A popular choice for a cardiovascular machine in a home gym if you enjoy fitness walking and jogging (or running).
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upright bike
The traditional kind of stationary bike, which resembles a regular bicycle.
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walk-run
A workout in which you alternate walking and running. By sprinkling running intervals throughout your walking workout, you can spike up exercise intensity and burn more calories.
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water aerobics
Aerobics classes that do traditional workouts in waist- to neck-high water in a swimming pool. The resistance of the water makes the workout feel far more intense, while the water cushions you from the impact.
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weight machines
Stationary equipment mostly found at gyms that are easy to use and help you to safely and quickly advance through a strength-training workout.
Fitness Glossary
weight-bearing exercise
A type of exercise in which your skeleton is supporting any sort of weight, as it does when you walk, run, or lift weights.
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Wushu
The “martial art” or traditional self-defense activities practiced with or without weapons (includes T'ai Chi).
Fitness Glossary
yin and yang
The terms for opposites that are opposing yet complementary. A concept used throughout all of T’ai Chi and Qigong.
Fitness Glossary
yoga
A series of poses (known as asanas) that you hold from a few seconds to several minutes. The moves — a blend of strength, flexibility, and body-awareness exercises — are intended to promote the union of the mind, body, and spirit.
