The Bloating Foods to Skip Before the Beach

FitSugar|Lizzie-Fuhr

We know you're spending plenty of time getting your body bikini ready with healthy food and fun workouts. Finding the most flattering suits for your body is a great start, but being equipped with as many tools as possible will help you feel confident before running around on the beach. Don't be concerned about extra bloat before you rock your bikini! Here are six foods to avoid right before you hit the beach.

1. Carbonated drinks: While you've hopefully taken the initiative to say goodbye to soda for good, sparkling water can be a decent substitute if you can't get enough of those bubbles. With that said, it's best to avoid any carbonated drinks before you hit the beach to steer clear of unnecessary belly bulge or gas.
2. Salt: Supersalty foods or added salt don't necessarily make you gassy, but they definitely make you retain water. Even though those cantina chips and salsa may seem like the ideal prebeach grub, opt for something with lower levels of sodium to help you feel your best before you head to the ocean.
3. Cruciferous veggies: They're great foods for long-term weight loss, but if there's one time not to chow down on a heaping helping of broccoli, cabbage, or kale, it's right before you hit the beach! These veggies contain a complex sugar called raffinose that's known to cause some lovely bloat.
4. Gum: Chewing on gum may seem harmless for your debloating cause, but it can actually cause your belly to swell. The reason makes sense: you're swallowing large amounts of air.
5. Sugary mixed drinks: While rum runners and piña coladas are nearly synonymous with dreamy resort beaches, all that extra sugar is not helping your cause. Between natural sugars and the artificial sweeteners found in these cool drinks, the high levels of fructose can make you bloat.
6. Dairy: If you've got any form of lactose intolerance, then avoid dairy before you hit the beach. Between gas, bloating, and other belly discomforts, it's your best bet just to say no.