5 ways to get a flat belly for pool day

Luckily, scoring a flat belly isn’t all about foods you can’t eat. There are also certain ingredients—like pineapple, papaya, and bananas, for example—that can help nix puffiness.

The warmer it gets outside, the more time you’ll probably be spending in your swimsuit—and it’s always nice to feel confident when baring more skin than normal.

Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to de-bloat on days you know you’ll be spending by the pool or ocean. These tiny adjustments to your routine can help you score a flatter belly fast:

Stay away from cruciferous veggies

You probably know that salt-ridden foods and carbonated drinks can puff you up. But vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale can also leave you with serious belly bloat because they’re so high in fiber. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them altogether when you’re about to slip into a swimsuit—but keep serving sizes small.

Fill up on foods that beat bloat

Luckily, scoring a flat belly isn’t all about foods you can’t eat. There are also certain ingredients—like pineapple, papaya, and bananas, for example—that can help nix puffiness.

Eat slowly

While you’re at it, take time to savor those recipes. Why? Shoveling down your food can cause you to swallow air that gets trapped in your digestive system. Not exactly flat-belly friendly.

Take an Epsom salt bath

This trick comes from Dalton Wong, founder of TwentyTwo Training and personal trainer to celebs like Amanda Seyfried. He suggests adding at least two cups of Epsom salt to your bath and soaking in it for about half an hour. “The salt pulls the water out of your body,” he says. And the less water you retain, the flatter your midsection will look. Just don’t do this on a regular basis—save it for special occasions.

Break a sweat

And we’re not talking about doing core exercises here (although that definitely won’t hurt if you’re trying to make your middle look more toned). Any intense workout that makes you sweat is another great way to eliminate any excess water—and any excess bloating.

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Read more in Women’s Health