Beat The Beach Bloat
Peak summertime usually becomes holiday season as one looks for cooler places to escape the scorching summer heat. Typically, the places that offer respite are either the mountains or the beaches. Mountains offer a cooler climate. On the other hand , beach holidays include water sports and swims as relief from high temperatures. But, do you often come back a little heavier & puffy from your vacations ? Ever wondered why a beach holiday sometimes leaves you bloated?
Research has potentially thrown up some information that might give us a clue to why your feet and ankles swell up(odema in medical parlance) when you take beach or cruise vacations.
Indulgence and eating out go hand-in-hand with a vacation. Water is attracted to sodium like a magnet, so a few lacunae in being FOODWISE can leave you looking and feeling puffy and bloated. Sea air contains much higher levels of salt, which adds to the problem. Here are 10 guidelines that can help you manage your next vacation better and without returning puffier.
UP YOUR WATER INTAKE - Ensuring sufficient water intake will not only help you stave off headaches, but also keep skin and eyes moist. Enough water intake helps flush out extra sodium and will help you avoid you mistaking hunger for thirst. It also helps push waste out of your colon for an even flatter belly. Sip water before and during your travels. Most people avoid drinking when they travel to avoid frequent trips to the lavatory. However, we forget that air travel in itself is dehydrating. High elevation on air travel as well as mountains causes air to expand,. This can lead to even more bloating even before you land. Burping is body's way of getting rid of excess air in the stomach. In case you don't belch, the trapped air causes bloating. The extra air in bubbly beverages can cause gas to get trapped in the abdominal region which may lead to a distended belly. Its best to stay away from sodas & bubbly drinks on vacations.
BEFRIEND THE VEGGIES - Fill half your plate with them for days before your vacation. The micronutrients will ensure a glow as well as help reduce fat by keeping you full and thereby reducing portion of calorie-dense foods like carbs & fat. Vegetables have good moisture content and the fiber ensures a flourishing gut flora which will help you digest indulgent food and avoid the familiar "travel constipation". Good options would be greens and veggies like mushrooms, bellpeppers, cucumber & celery, tomatoes . Try & give cruciferous veggies(cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower) a miss as they have a tendency to cause flatulence & bloating, thus keeping you away from a flatter belly.
UPGRADE YOUR CARBS - Fast-absorbing carbs-sugar, white bread and white rice-can raise blood sugar and insulin levels, flatlining your energy levels and stressing your body's digestive system. Instead, choose slow-burning carbs like oats, barley, sweet potatoes, and wild rice, which provide more sustained energy and help reduce sugar cravings. Fruits like watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe have extra bloat-fighting power.
EAT WHOLESOME - Adding lean proteins such as chicken breasts(instead of hot-dogs & sausages that contain even more sodium) , eggs, fish(a must-have on beach holidays for non-vegetarians!) along with a thumb-sized amount of good fats like coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut milk will keep you full and reduce your urge for starchy grains.
SWAP SALT FOR HERBS & SPICES - High-sodium snacks like salted chips are a sure-shot way of inviting water-retention. Avoid using the salt shaker on the table as restaurant food is already high on salt. Instead use flavoring herbs like garlic flakes, oregano, thyme, turmeric, lemon juice & zest , rosemary liberally along with olive oil. Also, please do not hesitate to request the chef to keep the salt low when cooking something for you.
DITCH THE DAIRY - Many people have some degree of lactose intolerance, which makes digesting dairy products difficult. If your body can't break down lactose, consuming any food that contains dairy can result in gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. Skip cereal and milk and start your day with eggs and veggies, or simply the safer options like south-indian (common coastal cuisine in India) or local cuisine options depending on your location. Avoiding milky ice creams, flavoured milks and opting for fruit sorbets as desserts can be helpful.
DO DAMAGE CONTROL - Seaside vacation destinations predominantly have a laid-back & relaxed feel, which makes late nights common. Most indulgent late nights include a few too many drinks that are chased by salty food, and chances are you will wake up groggy and chubbier next morning. Potassium-rich foods like coconut water( A beach staple) and potato(baked/ roasted/boiled) can help rehydrate and eliminate bloat. Potassium helps counterbalance too much sodium .
IMPROVE GUT FLORA- Keeping probiotic supplements handy is one travel advice I give to all my clients . Benefits include reduced risk of stomach infections, better digestion, easy bowl movement and enhanced immunity. Probiotics also help eliminate bloating and gastric issues. A good idea would be to start taking them a week before travel. You can also try local fermented foods wherever you are travelling. Examples of probiotic foods could be yogurt/ curd, kefir, kombucha, or our very own desi Idlis & pickles.
MOVE MORE - It's tempting to skip a workout when you've dedicated the day to bumming around on the beach, but activities like beach volleyball can be a fun way of burning out the indulgent calories you devoured the previous night. Going for walks a few minutes after a holiday lunch instead of gluing to a lounge chair can aid digestion and facilitate peristalsis in the GI tract. Exercise can also assist in expelling excess gas from your intestinal tract, helping you beat bloating.
SLEEP SUFFICIENTLY - Sleep and rest are critically under-appreciated when it comes to looking leaner faster. Sleep deprivation can seriously take a toll on your physique. Stress increases cortisol levels, leading to insufficient recovery. Less sleep also paves the way for easy fat accumulation. Your body will thank you for giving it around 8 hours of sleep while you are vacationing.
