Are you dreading lake and beach season? Summer is right around the corner and with it fast approaching many people go into panic mode trying to cut back to lean out and look good.

There are many different “Beach crash diets” out there that many will try to follow, but most will be short lived and leave you feeling drained just days into them due to depletion of calories and certain macro-nutrients.

While some of these diets do work in the short term, there are many foods you can start incorporating and also eliminating from your daily diet to help burn that stubborn belly fat you may have accumulated during the winter. The idea is to slowly start switching out certain foods for others that will help make positive changes in your digestive system and body.

Below you will find a list of some of the foods to include and to start to cut back on to better reach those goals as well as help you feel better from day to day.

Foods to include (help with bloating)

  • Kiwi
  • Peppermint Tea/green tea
  • Turmeric
  • Bananas
  • Cilantro
  • Kefir
  • Ginger
  • Honeydew
  • Melon
  • Oatmeal
  • Eggs
  • Avocado
  • Dark chocolate

Foods to eliminate (increase bloating)

  • Beans are a type of legume
  • Lentils are also legumes
  • Carbonated Drinks, carbonated drinks are another very common cause of bloating.
  • Wheat
  • Broccoli and Other Cruciferous Vegetables
  • Onions
  • Barley
  • Rye

by Dustin Holler, CPT, CES