8 Ways to Get a Flat Belly Without Diet or Exercise
Although dieting and exercise are key to losing weight and improving your midsection, there are several other ways to create the appearance of a flat belly without diet.
1. Don’t Stress
Stress can affect both physical and mental well-being, and it can also affect a person’s weight. Stress increases levels of certain hormones such as cortisol, which cause the body to retain abdominal fat.
2. Increase Mastication
Take small bites of food and be sure to chew at least 20 times before swallowing. Eating too quickly can cause a person to swallow air. Also, the body has to work harder to digest food that is not well-chewed, which can cause indigestion and gas.
3. Quit Chewing Gum
While chewing food helps flatten your belly, chewing gum has the opposite effect. When you chew gum, you often swallow excess air as well, which research has shown can cause bloating. Replace gum with a mint.
4. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is an essential part of staying healthy and can also improve your appearance. When a person becomes dehydrated, he or she retains fluids around the midsection, sometimes up to four pounds of fluids. Experts suggest drinking at least six eight-ounce glasses of water for optimum health.
5. Answer Nature’s Call
Ignoring your body’s signals can cause constipation, and constipation can also cause bloating, so it is important to set aside time each day to use the bathroom to avoid feeling rushed.
6. Eat More Yogurt
If you are having trouble staying regular, you may need to add more probiotics to your diet. These “good bacteria” aid in digestion and reduce gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and constipation, which may cause discomfort and and make your midsection appear rounder. While yogurt is a great source of probiotics, alternately, you can drink a glass of buttermilk or take a supplement. An ideal probiotic supplement is at least 50 milligrams and contains acidophilus and bifidobacterium strains.
7. Take Supplements
Excess estrogen causes your body to retain fat around your midsection, but two supplements, B-complex supplements and at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium D-glucarate, have been shown to reduce your body’s excretion of this hormone.
8. Stand up Straight
Good posture can do wonders for a person’s appearance and can improve the way a person feels, physically and mentally. Additionally, sitting and standing up straight tones the abdominal muscles, creating a leaner physique.
