5 Healthy Foods That Are Causing You Belly Bloat

You have finally arrived at the place where you eat more salads and healthy food than burgers and take out but your stomach is still giving you the blues. Even when you manage to hit your weight loss goal and get pretty fit and trim, it still sticks out more than you would like.

Are you stuck? Is a flat stomach just not in the cards for you?

Maybe not.

Before you decide that you got the short end of the gene pool, read on to discover five “healthy” foods that can be causing your belly to bloat.

Rather watch a video than read the rest of this article? Here’s the video below.

#1: Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables that you may be eating regularly are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. While these foods are high in fiber and help you stay fuller longer, they could also be causing your belly to bloat. Cruciferous vegetables contain a sugar called raffinose. Raffinose is not easily digestible, so when your body tries to break it down, it can produce gas and bloating.

You may not have to avoid cruciferous vegetables forever. Most times, your digestive system will get stronger and be able to handle these foods without bloating but if you are planning to wear a form fitting party dress and these aren’t part of your normal diet, you may want to skip them for a while.

Broccoli and cabbage are figure friendly foods that can still cause belly bloating. Pay attention.

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#2: Artificial Sweeteners

Are you wondering how something artificial made the “healthy foods” list? Me too! However, many people include, Splenda, Equal or sugar alcohols in their healthy eating program as a way to reduce their sugar intake and still enjoy sweet foods. Some of the ingredients in these sweeteners are not easily digestible and as your body struggles to break them down, you will experience bloating and possibly gas too.

I used to be a Splenda addict. I put it in EVERYTHING. I can tell you from personal experience that too much artificial sweetener in your diet can absolutely cause belly bloating. As a matter of fact, when I gave up artificial sweeteners, I was able to maintain a flatter stomach without being as strict with my food.

Belly sticking out even though you are doing everything right? Could be those artificial sweeteners.

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#3: Beans, Lentils, Peas, and Soybeans

“Bean beans good for your heart. The more you eat them, the more…” I took it allll the way back to grade school for that one but you get the point right? Beans, lentils, peas, and legumes are high in fiber but some people struggle with digesting the fiber in beans and experience bloating as a result of that struggle. Another thing to consider is how much of these foods you are eating on a daily basis. Dramatically increasing your fiber intake over a short time can cause digestion issues.

Beans ARE a great source of fiber and may be the cause of your belly bloating too.

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#4: Dairy

While some dairy products pack a generous amount of protein, they also contain lactose. Lactose is the sugar in dairy. Most people who are lactose intolerant know it and stay away from dairy but there are many more people who are sensitive to lactose and experience bloating and gas when they eat dairy even though they wouldn’t be diagnosed as lactose intolerant. Some research suggests that African American and Asian people are more likely to be lactose sensitive beyond infancy.

#5: Salty Foods

Again I am putting “healthy” in quotes because most of us don’t think that highly salted foods are healthy. However we don’t always realize how much salt is in some of the prepared health foods that we consume regularly. If you are eating microwavable meals and lots of take out, you are getting salty foods. As with artificial sweeteners, I am not demonizing salt here but I am saying that if you are purposely trying to get rid of belly bloating or puffiness in your face and limbs then you want to keep the salt moderate. A super easy way to reduce your salt intake without sacrificing flavor in your everyday meals is to reduce your intake of processed foods.

Unless your doctor specifically tells you to eliminate salt, resist the urge to cut it out completely. Completely eliminating salt can actually make you more prone to swelling and bloating when you eat outside of your home because that food will have a higher sodium content even if you ask for no salt when you order.

Remember this article was all about ridding yourself of belly bloating. I am not suggesting that you eliminate these foods indefinitely for general weight loss but if you are trying to get rid of bloating from an overindulgence you may want to lay off of these foods for a few days to banish the bloat and get back to fitting comfortably in your clothes again.