Un expanded abdomen it can depend on the extra pounds, but that's not all. It could for example be a consequence of bloating (presence of air in the intestine) or of the hormones that after menopause they make women gain weight on the belly as usually happens to men.
With the advice of Dr. Valentina Schirò, nutrition biologist specialized in Food Science in Palermo, here is the foods to be preferred or avoided on a case-by-case basis. But don't cut calories too much: drastic diets, warns a study by the Georgetown University in Washington, are counterproductive because they push the body to accumulate fat in an attempt to cope with the "famine".
- If it's the air that inflates your abdomen like a balloon
At the table avoid the consumption of carbonated drinks, products rich in sugars (such as baked goods) and leavened products. Also no to foods that contain a lot of salt, especially seasoning sauces, snacks, salted nuts, smoked products, cured meats, nuts and aged cheeses: like legumes, they can ferment and cause bloating and heaviness.
Instead, it favors the foods rich in easily digestible proteins (white meat or fish), cooked vegetables (radicchio, artichokes, fennel) and aromatic herbs.
- If it's the flab that expands your waistline
He rarely brings to the table butter, cheeses, sauces, cured meats and industrial products: they are rich in saturated fats, harmful to the figure and to health.
In the daily menu instead focuses on "good" fats, the so-called Omega 3: they stimulate the production of leptin, a hormone that promotes the sense of satiety. Avocado, salmon, anchovies, mackerel, sardines, herring, nuts (especially walnuts) and oil seeds (pumpkin, flax, hemp, chia) are rich in it.
- If it's the hormones that make you round
In menopause avoid the consumption of foods that contain high amounts of sodium, such as cured meats and aged cheeses. In addition to promoting swelling, they decrease the assimilation of calcium, an essential mineral for preventing osteoporosis.
Instead, prefer foods that contain phytoestrogens: promote hormonal balance and help to better manage the typical disorders of this period. They are rich in asparagus, legumes (soy and derivatives), barley, oats, flax seeds and brown rice.
FOR EVERY CAUSE, ITS MENU
By Dr. Schirò, three typical days depending on the problem:
If you have a swollen belly
Breakfast
1 pot of highly digestible yogurt 150 g of kiwi or pineapple 20-30 g of dry wholemeal biscuits or oat flakes
Snack
Infusion of fennel + 2-3 pitted dried plums
Lunch
50 g of durum wheat semolina pasta with mushrooms or cabbage 150 g of kiwi or apple
Snack
1 jar of highly digestible yogurt
Price
150 g of fresh fish (anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel) or 150 g of grilled chicken breast Belgian salad or raw or cooked fennel 50 g of toast
If it's really about "meat"
Breakfast
1 jar of plain yogurt, 2 teaspoons of sunflower seeds or pumpkin 20-30 g of puffed barley
Snack
Infusion of carcadè + 1 apple
Lunch
150-200 g of fresh fish (herring, salmon, mackerel, anchovies) 100 g of stewed broccoli or stewed cabbage 50 g of toast 150 g of pineapple or strawberries
Snack
1 jar of plain yogurt
Price
150 g of grilled turkey breast or 2 eggs mushroom or radicchio salad 150 g of fresh fruit (apple, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, kiwi)
If you have changed shape with the "door"
Breakfast
Forest fruit infusion 40 g of rye bread 2 teaspoons of jam with no added sugar or 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese
Snack
1 jar of plain yogurt
Lunch
50 g of durum wheat semolina pasta with asparagus or turnip greens, 150 g of fresh fruit
of your choice
Snack
10 almonds or 3 walnuts
Price
100 g of cow's milk ricotta or 150 g of fresh fish stewed artichokes or green beans and onions boiled with linseed a seasonal fruit
READ MORE: Flat stomach: the news of science
