How many times have you woken up in the morning with a little pooch hanging out? Even when you had your dinner last night before 8, it’s still there. That, my girls, is what we call a bloating pooch! It’s a common, annoying issue many women suffer from. Good news is there are some morning drinks that can help with the bloating, and there are some others that can worsen it.
So whether you’re feeling bloated because of unhealthy eating habits, or generally feeling a little full and uncomfortable in the belly these days, these list of beverages will guide you on what you should or shouldn’t drink when you feel bloated.
5 Best Morning Drinks To Reduce Bloating
Lemon Honey Water
Lot of people believe skipping water would help reduce their bloating, when it’s actually the opposite. Your body will retain more water so as to prevent dehydration. One of the best things to drink in the morning is water. Better yet, add some lemon juice and honey into it.
Lemon has been touted to be the most awesome addition to your morning water. According to ayurveda, lemon juice stimulates ‘agni’ in your stomach. This helps promote digestion and break down toxins in the gut. You’ll feel an instant relief from bloating as you drink warm lemon water in the morning. Moreover, lemon juice helps with weight loss. A 2010 study showed a significant weight reduction in obese women, when supplemented with lemon juice.
Also, Vitamin C levels in lemon juice can help prevent wrinkles. Research has shown higher Vitamin C intake is associated with reduced wrinkle appearance and skin dryness.
Honey, just like lemon, reduces bloating in its own way. Natural ingredients present in honey helps in relieving gas, strengthens stomach lining and cures indigestion. Honey’s effect on your body lasts long-term and you can say goodbye to your bloating woes forever!
Boost the benefits of your warm lemon-honey water by adding some ginger and 1 crushed clove to it!
Coconut Water
One of the best morning drinks ‘ever’ is coconut water. It’s sweet, yummy and does wonders to your body and your bloating. What makes coconut water a wonderful remedy for bloating is it’s high potassium content. One cup has around 600 mg of potassium, that’s more than a banana, which has 422 mg. Low potassium levels means the brain can’t pass on signals as effectively. This slows down contractions all over the digestive system and leads to problems like bloating and constipation.
Having coconut water on an empty stomach kicks your digestive system and reduces bloating. Plus it’s a great way to amp up hydration levels in your body, especially if you exercise or run in the morning. Studies suggest coconut water is at par with sports drinks to maintain electrolytes and hydration levels in the body.
Nourishing Smoothie (Without Dairy)
A smoothie is an excellent way to kickstart your morning. Making it with anti-bloat ingredients will nourish your body whilst melting off that annoying belly pooch. To keep it simple here is what all you need to add to the smoothie – bananas, pineapple or watermelon, coconut water, cucumber and ginger.
Bump up its benefits by adding matcha powder, chia seeds or spinach to it.
Stray away from adding dairy to the smoothie, especially milk. We’ll discuss later why milk just adds to your bloating woes. Yoghurt, on the other hand, reacts differently for different people. So you can try and add to your smoothie if it works for you.
Watermelon Juice
One of the healthiest fruits to eat in the morning is watermelon, even better than berries. Watermelon is 92% water and ironically, the way to flush out excess water retention from your body is to have more water. Nutritionists suggest eating fruits and vegetables rich in water content hydrates you better than drinking plain water. So start your morning by juicing up a cup of watermelon slices and add some lemon to it if you’re feeling extra bloated.
Additionally, watermelon is also rich in potassium and other potent antioxidants that bolsters your gut health and wards off bloating problems over time.
Fennel Tea
No, you don’t have to purchase fancy fennel tea bags to try this remedy for bloating. Just add crushed or full fennel seeds to boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, sieve it and enjoy! Fennel water remedy has been circulated on WhatsApp so much, we bet your mother has asked if it can really reduce your tummy. Turns out, it actually can.
Fennel seeds boosts both digestion and metabolism. It promotes production of gastric enzymes that cures constipation, indigestion and IBS symptoms. All of this can cut water retention and reduce your tummy size. Besides, fennel may also curb appetite, so this is the rare time when a WhatsApp forward is actually true.
5 Worst Morning Drinks For Bloating
Coffee
Your ordinary cup of joe is stealing your dream of having a flat belly! Coffee may make you poop (there’s no shame in admitting it) but it irritates the intestinal tract and can cause immediate swelling. The effect can be worse if you also add milk or sugar to it. You will feel bloating due to coffee in the lower part of your belly, because it increases gas formation in the intestine and disrupts bacterial balance. We’d recommend having coffee an hour or two after you consume the morning drinks that reduces bloating and not on an empty stomach.
Tea
Does chai run in your blood? Bad news is it also runs in your bloating pooch. Tea has varied health benefits, like reducing blood pressure, calming you down and antioxidant properties. But when you have it on an empty stomach, it may cause acid reflux and gas, which can lead to bloating. Milk and sugar in tea further exacerbates the problem.
Just like coffee, we suggest you don’t have tea first thing in the morning. Have the debloating morning drinks first, and savor in your tea/ coffee an hour or two post that.
Diet Drinks
A Sunday morning breakfasts with some eggs and pancakes sounds good, but not with a side of a diet drink. Not only does the carbonation in the drink make you feel bloated, but the artificial sugars reduce the amount of good bacteria in your stomach and trigger gas formation. Skip them completely at least in the mornings. Best time to indulge in a cheat meal is lunch, because your body gets ample amount of time to digest the food and carbs also increases serotonin levels, so it will be a happy day ahead. Burger for lunch, yayyy!
Apple Juice
Next up on the list of morning drinks that worsens bloating problems is apple juice. There’s a reason why apples are always recommended to be a mid-evening snack. When eaten in the mornings, they can cause bloating and gas problems. The reason being the presence of sorbitol – a kind of sugar in it. Sorbitol causes gastrointestinal problems when eaten on an empty stomach. It’s best you avoid apple juice and apples in the mornings.
Anything With A Straw
Sucking any drink with a straw means you’re also sucking in the air. This can cause unnecessary bloating in the stomach. Skip the straws altogether, always! Plus they are just ruining our environment, so you’re also doing something good for our dear planet!
Sip on the first five drinks especially on the days leading up to your wedding and avoid the next 5 altogether so you are all set to flaunt the flat stomach on your D-Day!
