While crisp vegetables help you feel full, all that fibre can cause your stomach to swell. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions and cabbage are among the worst offenders for gas. Instead, cook your veggies. it makes them easier for your body to process, especially if you add a squeeze of lemon juice – it’s similar to your natural stomach acids – before eating.

Eat as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. This will keep insulin levels low and also keep levels of glucagon high. Glucagon, a hormone, is the best friend you could ever have in the struggle for a flat belly, say experts.

The closer to zero grams of sugar you consume, the lower your insulin and the higher your glucagon…it’s as simple as that.

READ MORE: Get A Flat Tummy With Acupuncture

Chewing is the No. 1 tip I give to prevent bloating. Chew food until it is like applesauce in your mouth. Digestion begins in the mouth, and without proper chewing, food is not well-digested. Better-digested food means less gas and bloating, share experts.

“Eating portion-controlled meals that include whole-grain foods and monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) throughout the day is the best way to eat for a flat belly: People who eat whole grains lose more abdominal fat. And making most of the fats you eat MUFAs reduces ab flab, research says,” Keri Glassman, RD, author of The O2 Diet and The Snack Factor Diet.

READ MORE: Easy Tips To A Flatter Tummy

For every 10 grams of fibre you eat daily, your belly will carry almost 4 per cent less fat. Thankfully, there are more enjoyable ways to increase your fibre than scarfing down a box of bran flakes: Two apples, half cup of pinto beans, one artichoke, or two cups of broccoli will all give you 10 grams of belly-flattening fibre.

Drinking lots of water helps flush bloat that your body might be holding onto.

READ MORE: 8 Ways To A Flat Belly With No Exercise

Research from the University of Chicago shows that those who sleep 7 hours or more a night lose twice as much fat and are less hungry than those who get less than 7 hours of shut-eye.

Multiple studies show that EGCG, an antioxidant in green tea, helps boost metabolism and may specifically target abdominal fat. Most research has used high doses of tea, but even if you can’t manage to guzzle gallons, any amount is beneficial.

Eat only protein and leafy green vegetables for dinner—and no dessert or nighttime snacks—to avoid holding water when you wake up, especially in the days leading up to your beach weekend, Peterson says.

READ MORE: 5 Ways To A Flatter Tummy At Work

Sodium makes you retain water, puffing up your belly. Most of us eat more than twice as much sodium as we should—topping 3,400 mg a day, rather than the recommended 1,500, according to the CDC.
Stop salting your food at the table, and check for sodium on the labels of packaged foods, which provide about three-quarters of the daily intake for most women.

Text: Bauer/ Woman’s Day/ Additional Reporting: Shenielle Aloysis