9 healthy foods that reduce bloating

Updated
Foods to Avoid to Minimize Bloating
Foods to Avoid to Minimize Bloating

Ah, summer. The days of beaches, bathing suits, beer, and, surprise, bloating! (Hate you, happy hour.) So it's a buzzkill when you're planning to be on the water all weekend—or just want your bod to reflect your generally amazing dietary choices—and you feel puffy. (I mean, as much as we roll our eyes when fitness instructors tell us to work for a "beach body," who doesn't want one?)

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That's why we tapped New York nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg for healthy foods that help reduce bloating. "Ideally, start eating them a few days before your beach trip," she says. "And hydrate with room temperature water, not cold. You'll absorb it better."

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As for what not to eat: carbonated drinks (the bubbles cause gas) and salty foods (which trap water), Middleberg says. And beer? Skip it. It's a double-whammy of carbonation and hard-to-digest wheat.

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What does go down well? These nine healthy bloat-reducing foods are ones you should be eating anyway... —Jamie McKillop

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