The healthy morning drink and low calorie VEG that could be adding inches to your belly

FEELING bloated after too many beers and crisps during the World Cup? What if we told you that a swelling belly might actually be caused by the foods you think of as healthy. . . A bloated tummy isn’t always down to overindulging – healthy foods can be hidden culprits too Credit: Getty Images/Collection Mix: Sub Jo Waters, author of What’s Up With Your Gut?, reveals the 10 secret foods you should watch out for Credit: Getty Nutritionist Rob Hobson says: “Although high fibre foods are often blamed for bloating, there are some less well known culprits that have a huge impact too.” Here, Jo Waters, author of What’s Up With Your Gut?, reveals the 10 secret foods you should watch out for. COFFEE Coffee can trigger bloating by increasing stomach acid, speeding up digestion and irritating the gut Credit: Getty Coffee increases stomach acid production and speeds up digestion which can cause gas and irritate the gut lining. ‘”The caffeine in coffee affects how your gut functions. It stimulates release of digestive juices and hormones in the stomach (like gastrin) and small intestine. Coffee also promotes contractions in the large intestine – essentially, it helps things to move along,” says registered nutritionist Sammie Gill. “Not everyone will experience bloating after drinking coffee, but for people with gut-related issues, the caffeine in coffee can worsen symptoms, including bloating.” PROTEIN BARS Protein bars can be a hidden bloating trigger as added ingredients such as inulin may ferment in the gut and release gas Credit: Getty Yes they’re healthy in lots of ways, but some also contain inulin, a type of sugar that is very poorly absorbed. Once consumed, it stays in the bowel and gets fermented by bacteria releasing gas, causing bloating. Protein is good for the gut but you should always check what others ingredients have been added. CAULIFLOWER CHEESE Cauliflower’s high levels of fermentable carbohydrates can trigger gas and bloating, especially if your gut is not used to it Credit: Getty CAULIFLOWER is full of a type of short-chained carbohydrate that is poorly absorbed and ferments in the gut causing gas and bloating. “If you’re not used to eating cauliflower, just have a few florets to start with and gradually build up over time so your body gets used to it,” says registered dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton. SUGAR-FREE SWEETS Low-sugar sweets can leave you with a bloated belly as artificial sweeteners may draw water into the bowel and cause swelling Credit: Getty ALTHOUGH these taste sweet they have very low calories, so it’s tempting to eat the whole packet. But low-sugar sweets contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol, which are sugar alcohols that can pull extra water into your bowel causing a distended tummy. “Sugar-free chewing gum isn’t quite so bad for bloating as you are not consuming as much as you are from sweets,” Carrie adds. WHITE WINE White wine can cause bloating too, with its sugars and acidity irritating the gut and leaving you feeling swollen and uncomfortable Credit: Getty WHILE we all know beer causes bloating, feeling puffy after a glass or two of Pinot Grigio is not uncommon. While sweet wines such as Riesling or Moscato are laden with sugars, even dry wines have quite a bit. Your gut bacteria feed on these sugars and the fermentation produces gas. White wine is much worse for this than red wine, plus its high acidity level also irritates your stomach leaving you swollen and feeling uncomfortable. ONIONS AND GARLIC Onions and garlic can trigger bloating as their fructans are fermented by gut bacteria, causing gas, pain and discomfort Credit: Getty GO easy on the fried onions at your BBQ – particularly if you have a sensitive gut. Both onions and garlic contain fructans, which is a type of sugar. Only about 5 to 15 per cent of this sugar is absorbed. The rest travels to the large intestine, where gut bacteria ferment it causing methane and hydrogen gas to be released. These gasses cause bloating, pain and flatulence. APPLES Apples may be packed with healthy fibre, but their sugars can ferment in the gut and cause bloating Credit: Getty APPLES are full of healthy, dense fibre, which is really important for a healthy digestive system. But if you’re not used to it, it can cause a sudden influx of gas. Apples also contain a high level of fruit sugars, which many people struggle to digest. This again leads to fermentation and, yes, more painful gas produced in the gut. REHEATED STARCHES Reheated rice and potatoes can contain resistant starch, which reaches the large intestine and may trigger gas, bloating and discomfort Credit: Getty IF you’re warming up a leftover Chinese takeaway rice dish or a plate of cottage pie with mashed potatoes, remember it will contain resistant starch – another cause of bloating. “This is indigestible in the small intestine so will move into the large intestine undigested, where bacteria will feast on it causing gases to be released, bloating, abdominal discomfort and flatulence,” says Carrie. DIET ICE CREAM Diet ice cream may be low in calories, but added sweeteners such as xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol can leave you feeling bloated Credit: Getty Delicious and with zero calories in some cases, who doesn’t want to dig into a tub of this sort of ice cream? But remember some contain sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners which can all contribute to bloating (the dreaded xylitol again, but also check the label for mannitol and sorbitol), so don’t overdo it. CHILLI CON CARNE Beans are packed with fibre and can help lower cholesterol, but they also contain short chain carbohydrates that can cause gas and bloating Credit: Getty “Beans are a high fibre food which we need to reach the 30g of fibre a day recommended – and they can also reduce your cholesterol,” says Carrie. “But they also contain short chain carbohydrates which ferment in the gut causing gas and bloating, so if you’re making chilli con carne keep bean count low, only use a whole tin of kidney beans if the meal is serving four.” AND THREE NATURAL WAYS TO EASE YOUR SWOLLEN TUM Peppermint oil improves digestion and relieves bloating by increasing gastric emptying, stimulating secretion of digestive juices and bile Credit: Getty Fennel seeds may also help to relieve bloating and you could combine this with fresh mint to make a relieving tummy tea to drink after eating Credit: Getty Extracts of globe artichoke stimulate bile production and can quickly relieve bloating without any unpleasant side effects Credit: Getty