ways to a flatter tummy after overindulging during new years if youve overdone it and look like youre having a food baby heres how to flatten your tummy in no timeeat asparagus its rich in potassium which helps regulate the fluid balance in your body keeping bloat at bay highpotassium foods include bananas cantaloupe mangoes spinach tomatoes and nuts but asparagus also contains an amino acid called asparagine that acts as a diuretic to flush excess liquid out of your systemslow down eat slowly and chew carefully this will stimulate all your digestive juices when food isnt broken down sufficiently it can ferment in the gut causing bloating also never eat on the run or while standing up sit down but straighten your spine slumping makes it harder for blood to reach your digestive organs avoid large or latenight meals go for a walk after dinner to help digestionno drinking while eating leave a 20minute gap before and after between eating and drinking fluids liquid can dilute the stomach acid needed to break down food this can lead to poorly digested food fermenting and causing bloating many herbal teas can help try fennel or spearminteat real bread most 95 per cent commercial breads are products of industrial process many people are sensitive to the enzymes and flourimproving agents used in these kinds of bread unfortunately these dont have to be listed because they are classified as processing aids if you suffer bloating after eating bread opt for organic artisan or sourdough breadbeware of artificial sugar some people have difficulty digesting artificial sweeteners especially sorbitol found in many sugarfree sweets and gums which can cause gas and diarrhoea because sorbitol isnt actually digested it remains in your digestive system where bacteria effectively picnic on it one waste product of this feeding frenzy is hydrogen gas which causes flatulence stomach aches and bloatingno fizzy drinks carbonated drinks including diet ones can cause gas to get trapped in your stomach the fizz is due to carbon dioxide gas bubbled into the drink as an alternative drink water flavoured with lemon lime or cucumber if youre feeling gassy and bloated avoid tea and coffee as caffeine can cause indigestion opt for ginger peppermint and fennel teaswatch your salt intake too much salt often contained in highly processed foods and ready meals adds extra sodium to body fluids stalling the mechanism that pushes water out of your cells consequently the cells plump up with water causing the stomach to feel full most adults need 1600mg of sodium a day the equivalent of about 4 grams of salt less than a level teaspoon replace salt in cooking with pepper herbs lemon and balsamic vinegartry probiotics taking a probiotic supplement can reduce bloating choose a supplement over probiotic drinks or yoghurts as these often contain a lot of sugar look for one that contains at least 510 billion active organisms and includes lactobacillus and bifidobacterium cultures include probiotic foods in your