Are you suddenly having a little trouble zipping up your jeans or putting on your rings? If you’re prone to bloating or swelling, the right diet will help you stay svelte. After all, who wants to be uncomfortable and unable to wear their favorite jeans?

Here are 11 foods that may cause bloating:

Salty and highly processed foods

The salt in processed foods causes water retention, which leads to a bloated stomach and swollen hands and feet. Choose foods with low sodium content instead.

Carbonated drinks

The bubbles cause gas which gets trapped in your stomach and causes uncomfortable swelling! Choose water or unsweetened iced tea over carbonated beverages. And you can always add fruit or cucumber slices to water for flavor.

Dairy

For those with lactose intolerance, milk products are hard to digest. The lactose causes bloating, gas and other unpleasant side effects. Choose lactose-free milk or try Lactaid pills to help aid digestion.

High carbohydrate foods

Foods such as bagels, pizza and pasta have high amounts of glycogen. For every gram of glycogen stored, the body also stores 3 grams of water, which causes swelling. Skip the breads and pastas in favor of whole grain choices, like brown rice or quinoa.

Cruciferous vegetables

Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale have tiny sugars that are hard for some people to digest, causing gas. We don’t recommend avoiding these vegetables altogether, but when you need a flat tummy, leafy green vegetables and squash are better choices.

Raw vegetables

These can be hard for the body to digest and may cause bloating. Cooking them will reduce the effect while still providing the vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

Legumes

Eating beans and lentils, especially in large amounts, can lead to gas and bloating. If you want to include legumes in your diet, increase portion sizes gradually to build up your tolerance.

Artificial sweeteners

They are hard for the body to digest and can result in excess gas. Learn to enjoy foods without extra sugar or use natural sugars sparingly.

Spicy foods

Foods such as hot pepper, chili powder, horseradish and tomato sauce causes the stomach to release more acid, which causes irritation. Go easy on the extra spices and acidic foods.

Coffee, tea, acidic fruit juice and alcohol

Acidic beverages can irritate the GI tract and cause swelling. Herbal teas are the better choice when you want a warm beverage.

Gum and hard candy

Chewing gum and sucking on hard candy can cause you to swallow excess air. The air gets trapped in the stomach causing expansion. Brush your teeth when you want a minty clean mouth. Our Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale is a great tool to monitor your health. It can determine if you are gaining weight or just retaining water. Unlike traditional scales, the GetFit Bathroom Scale measures body composition including body water, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass and weight. This allows the user to establish a baseline body water percentage and identify when it’s elevated.

Do you have any tips for reducing bloating? Please share with us at @EatSmartScales.